For the ad industry, the planning period leading up to the Super Bowl is an exciting time -- practically a showroom for creativity, ad technology and innovation So, with Super Bowl XLIX upon us and vastly improved mobile video ad tech and cross-screen options at our fingertips, we may be tempted to push the envelope as we strive to delight the consumer. We might be wise to remember that excessive tech innovation may go overboard, leading us to forget what makes for quality consumer experience and thus coming across as nothing more than a stunt.

Memo to marketers: Put your brand video on the product's home page. That's the top-level finding from a study on the role video plays in driving e-commerce. The presence of video can increase the average order value by about 50%, according to research conducted by LiveClicker.

When Facebook announced last fall that its video metrics would be made public, the media began to speculate. Would this data prove that Facebook had the potential to overtake YouTube as a video platform? We've learned a few things since then.

It's now less than two weeks before the Super Bowl, but it seems oddly quiet in adland. By Jan. 21, 2014, a total of 19 brands had released teasers and/or full Super Bowl ads that were driving viewership. This year, I can count on one hand the number of actual Super Bowl spots I have already viewed.

Embrace Facebook. Not only is it the hub of sharing for many branded videos, it's also thriving as a video showcase. Consumers are leading the charge as they view, share and post more videos.

No, there is nothing new about the brand ambush - capitalizing on an event without paying for TV time or sponsorship. Nike has built a reputation (and a strategy) as an ambush advertiser during both the Olympics and the World Cup. Nike's ambush creative never fails to drive viewership, buzz, and media coverage. The same cannot be said for most brands that try to ambush events, especially during the Super Bowl, when campaigns are generally artless and overplayed. But last year, Heineken's Newcastle Brown Ale showed us all what a proper Super Bowl ambush might look like with "If We …

As video continues on its rapid growth path, marketers will surely continue to look for ways to understand viewers' video ad consumption habits. That includes sharing of videos across the Web. Marketing technology platform Unruly recently released some data that sheds light on how many consumers interact with video ads.

As the curtain lifts on 2015, here are a few observations on our business filtered through the various stakeholders of T/V (Television/Video). T/V is the term I've been using for "un-siloed" consumption of content and advertising by video viewers across both traditional linear television distribution channels/devices, as well as online/mobile channels and devices.

As 2015 begins, the industry is looking back at the biggest trends of 2014 and predicting those that will dominate 2015. Looking backward -- even if it's only to the events that happened a year ago or two weeks ago -- plays on our love of nostalgia, one of the most powerful and unifying emotions. Looking forward -- be it two weeks or 20 years -- stirs up feelings of hope, again an emotion that inspires and excited. Content that delivers on a message of hope is the kind that viewers or readers like to share. Here's a look at …

Now the media industry has an even bigger reason to fret about cord-cutting and cord-shaving. With ESPN's decision to begin offering an over-the-top package for its service, joining the likes of HBO, the prospect of snipping the cable cord just became compelling for even more consumers.