With all the talk of DSPs, SSPs, DMPs and GRPs, it's easy to forget that no matter who is buying and who is selling, success is highly dependent upon good targeting.

We're a month into the New Year. So, what's in store for major brands in 2012? I have a few predictions.

Mobile is an action-oriented medium. Mobile shoppers are moving targets, so stationary forms of traditional branded engagements need not apply.

With 2011 in the rear view mirror, it's time to take stock and look ahead. If your company has been sitting on the sidelines unconvinced of the need for a social media strategy, then 2012 brings you the gift of clarity.

As the old adage goes, those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it, so let's reflect on the lessons learned and take a look forward at what the future holds.

Incentives are often the lesser concern when developing a direct marketing campaign, but can help companies make headway in getting in front of prospects.

In copywriting, as in Scrabble, some words are worth more than others. Whether you're writing an email, banner ad, print ad, letter, postcard, art card, radio spot, brochure or tweet, the words you choose can make all the difference.

I hope you don't need me to tell you how important the idea is in marketing these days. When everyone has the same list, the same boring offers, comparable infrastructure and wide array of media choices, it's the creative idea that differentiates - the single idea which reflects the brand's point of view and connects with the customers to provoke a perceptual and behavioral change to solve a problem.

It is no longer good enough to respond to our consumers' behaviors. We need to have the ability to predict them. We have become a reactive society in our marketing efforts, chasing after customer behaviors like mice after a hunk of cheese.

Near field communication technology is being lauded as the great enabler of mobile payments, but there are some important considerations for both the consumer and companies looking into this technology as part of the future of their payment processing strategy.