Retailers will connect 12.5 Billion business assets, such as products, digital signs and Bluetooth beacons, to IoT platforms by 2021, rising from 2.7 Billion in 2016, representing a 350% increase.

Whether influencer marketing works can be controversial among brand practitioners.

Consumers are inundated with emails from a variety of brands promoting a variety of products and services, creating a highly competitive environment in the inbox.

Every year the average business spends thousands of dollars on Facebook ads but has little or nothing to show for it. The platform boasts over four million advertisers with 70% of Facebook's advertisers coming from outside the United States.

95% of business owners have a positive outlook going into 2017. While only 85% have a positive outlook for the nation's overall economy, 62% of business owners are confident enough that they plan to increase their staff in 2017

Publishers, broadcasters, social media, content creators and creative/digital agencies are wooing brands to the lucrative branded/sponsored video market. Media publishers of all varieties now have content labs or studios available to create and distribute native, branded or sponsored video content for brands.

The retail industry is now shifting to smaller stores. In 2015, small format retail categories - drug, dollar and convenience stores - outgrew larger format stores by almost 400%, and now make up a more than $1 trillion market.

Not only do CMOs need to adapt, they must lead the way in utilizing data and new tools to drive deeper into customer insights and create impactful brand experiences.

Brand owners are no stranger to the rapidly growing U.S. Hispanic market. With a population of 57 million people and over $1.3 trillion in spending power, it's hard to ignore the opportunity.

Of almost 10,000 adults aged 18-37 across 13 countries, Gen Z (18-20) consumers are less likely than older Millennials (28-37) to be loyal to a single store across a few retail categories, including health and beauty items, groceries, and clothing/fashion.