Unlike most marketers, David Christopher, AT&T's CMO of Mobility and Consumer Markets, doesn't credit communications and creativity as his primary driving motivators. For Christopher, it's the power and speed of technology that have made his career most rewarding.

The interactive BizWords iOS app was created by direct agency Organic for Hilton Garden Inn to "help business travelers decode and navigate the business speak that has become so common in the workplace," the hotel chain said on its site.

Email marketing is no longer a one-to-many communications strategy. Today's marketers realize that customized, personalized and timely messages are what drive open rates, click-through and conversion. Consumers expect your messages to cater to their unique interests and purchase patterns. Our experts offer up their best advice to help marketers take advantage of consumer expectations.

Our expert columnists this month offer practical advice regarding the most effective ways to use social media to foster greater loyalty among customers, including strategies around providing meaningful content for maximum engagement; how to use data collected to improve targeting in a way that is integrated with other marketing efforts; and how to measure and track social marketing efforts.

Despite the still-shaky economy, marketers continue to increase their investments in search engine marketing, according to several reports. Two of our Plug-ins experts this month provide their best advice on how to look at navigating the retargeting landscape. Our third expert provides best practices for maximizing search in holiday marketing campaigns in the e-commerce arena.

South Carolina-based business law firm Collins & Lacy went from a boutique firm to having a statewide presence. The key to this expansion was management's decision to invest in a marketing department, which had previously left communications to its attorneys.