The explosive growth in programmatic buying is driving a rapid increase in advanced targeting in video ads. The number of ads with more precise audience insight targeting rose 19% quarter over quarter, according to a Videology report analyzing more than 2.7 million online impressions run through its platform in the third quarter.

At first it seems obvious. The real benefit of the second screen will be seen in the historic codependency between television and eating. The myth that television is a passive medium is just that: a myth. People eat while they watch TV. So the most obvious benefit of the second screen should be a material decline in the Gross Domestic Weight ("GDW") of the United States and an inversion of the correlation between Nielsen rating and BMI. You can't hold a Hoagie/Hero/Sub while texting or writing an email. But upon further reflection, the real benefit of the second screen may …

If you want to grow you have to think big, but what if you lack the numbers to measure growth, or don't know where growth potential lies? It's no secret online video is booming -- North American marketers are expected to boost video advertising by more than 60% -- and this is especially big news for organizations still learning the value of well placed and timely short-form video highlights.

Three recent storylines should serve as a reminder that nine women can't have a baby in one month. Creating a sustainable content business that is profitable and viable is hard work, takes a long time, and absolutely nothing can change that. If you can't handle that fact, you shouldn't try to fake it in this business, especially with how the Web empowers both the Millennial generation and Baby Boomers to spot a phony a mile away.

Since I've written on the benefits of advertising where the consumer gets access to content he or she would normally need to pay for by agreeing to give attention to advertising, I'm pleased to see new "quid pro quo" access formats finally emerging. What seemed a fairy tale for the budding T/V (television/video) business model might soon become real.

It's certainly no secret at this point, as another fall TV season is under way, that the fundamental shift in how, where and when viewers consume television programming will continue. Specifically, they no longer watch nearly as much of it while it is broadcast live.

Digital video is still growing by leaps and bounds in ad spend, and will likely continue on this path for some time, thanks to big boosts in programmatic video buying and in cross-screen buying.

While it's common for content rights-holders, specifically in sports and lifestyle, to link their digital video rights to their broader television negotiations, this linking is having a meaningful impact on the opportunity to unlock scale through premium digital video assets. For years, media properties have been "warehousing" content, as it has always been more beneficial to both their subscription and advertising businesses to provide access only to premier content through the owned and operated channels.

According to a Getty report, 90% of online video consumption will come from the 18-34 demo by 2015. I hope so, and I believe this will come to pass. I used to argue -- admittedly based on gut and common sense -- that one could read (or at least scan) five, ten, even 20 articles per day, but at most, on average a person could watch two, maybe three videos per day (with an average of five minutes). While reading provides a far more immersive experience, video is a far more demanding activity (especially when you have to sit through …

In the digital video realm, we've been drenched in the downpour of articles on price-driven programmatic or RTB buying. It, apparently, is THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS. Buy cheap! Efficiency rules! Right? Well, no, not exactly. Why doesn't anyone talk about effectiveness and viewability?