Cross-channel marketing campaigns proved the most successful during the holidays. Search engines like Google and Bing were the key driver of traffic, along with organic cross-shopping across retail Web sites, according to Experian Marketing Services, which released a recap of 2012 trends Thursday.

Brands tied to health- or nutrition-related topics have an opportunity to connect with consumers online through content or paid-search advertising. Some 77% of consumers participating in an Internet & American Life Project study said they began at a search engine such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo to research a product or ailment, compared with 13% who began at a site specializing in health information, such as WebMD.

Some 44% of total open emails occur on mobile devices. About 52% of marketers have used animated gifs in their email campaigns, and 78% of brands use sales associates to collect email addresses as leads. Some consider email campaigns the lifeline connecting consumers to Web sites, mobile and social channels.

Technology that makes it possible to capture intent across search engines has moved into Facebook. Some estimate that the features provide a lower cost compared with paid-search ads running on Bing or Google. Opening its platform to further integration of search-like features with support from third-party companies on desktop and mobile remains one of several announcements the social site will likely make Tuesday.

Live broadcast television will closely support online digital advertisements and marketing material as TV becomes smarter and more connected to the Internet. Separate advancements from Google and Microsoft suggest the trends will emerge in 2013.

Half-smartphone, half-tablet -- phablets with screens featuring five inches or larger are great for viewing videos and Web sites, but how will search marketers approach this market segment when it comes to search engine optimization, paid-search ads and targeting? Many basically just warmed up to tablets.

There are several signs that technology from Google and Microsoft will enable consumers to cut the cord with TV service providers. I've been searching for solutions and waiting for the day.

Google held a press conference Tuesday in its New York office to announce the rollout of free public WiFi in the Chelsea New York City neighborhood, creating the largest public network in the city.

A survey of 59 CIOs finds that 57% plan to invest and deploy tablet computers across their respective organizations in 2013, compared with the prior year.

Newport Beach, Calif. had considered closing several physical libraries, turning the facility into a digital public library. Although I thought about missing the feeling and the smell of old decaying stacks of dusty paper bound in cardboard and string, searching for content online seems so much easier -- even down to the page. Most of us have experienced searching library content from a computer, but what about on a mobile device?