The consumer has become increasingly sophisticated in the way they obtain and digest information - of the simple reason that they've become comfortable about building and maintaining their own personal brands. This has thickened their "filter" and as a result made them become more critical towards advertising and communication.

If you were to close your eyes and walk into a place of worship, the sounds and smells would alert you to where you were: ringing bells, incense, the rumble of a massive organ. Most brands are lacking these sensory stimuli.

Today's evangelism is just as likely to take place via chat rooms and viral videos as it is in a personal conversation or a sermon.

The reality is that a brand can no longer afford to be "friends with everyone."

Considering LEGO's considerable brand equity, you might expect that the company must have a marketing budget in the billions. Not so. In fact, LEGO's marketing budget is so modest that if I recorded it here, you'd probably think it was a typo. LEGO doesn't do its own talking; it lets LEGO maniacs talk for it.

Big data is great when you want to verify and quantify small data - as big data is all about seeking a correlation - small data about seeking the causation.

Visit your local supermarket or retail chain. You'll experience a lot of visual stimulus, but it's unlikely that your other senses will encounter any compelling messages.