What brands will be hot in 2010 and why?

Adam Broitman: At the risk of sounding trite, the world has changed dramatically over the last 10 years. The way we live and the technology we use is bringing people closer to one another, and closer to the products and services we consume. Armed with more information than ever, consumers are becoming more discerning in their product choices and are less influenced by vacuous marketing efforts.

The phrase "want better marketing, create a better product" has never been more relevant. Innovative brands with utility at their core will, in my not-so-humble opinion, gain traction. I hope to see brands such as Zipcar and Fiat gain traction. Tech companies that help shape the way we consume media and understand the world around us, such as Apple, Google, and Amazon, will undoubtedly grow stronger. The last few are a bit more obvious; one less obvious prediction for a brand that will grow stronger will be Camper. You will have to email me for my reasons, as it would take too long on this forum.

Daniel Flamberg: CROCs will leverage the inherent qualities of the product and the huge affinity for the brand using social media to overcome bad business and financial choices.

Adam Kleinberg: Brands that realize it's the experience that matters will sizzle in 2010. Branding is not just what you say. It's just as much who you are and what you do. There are a handful of companies like Starbucks, Virgin America, Pandora, and Zappos that define themselves by the experience they provide at every point of contact with a customer. Those brands will win.

Jim Nichols: Microsoft will benefit from a whole mess of stories about how they have turned around and are delivering great, high-value products. After years of being attacked in the press for lackluster offerings and turtle-slow response times, they are going to get real credit in the business press for products like Bing and WIN 7.

Which brands will make the best use of new media and how?

Broitman: It is tough to predict who will have that "ah-ha moment" this year -- a moment at which brand stewards realize they have not been properly handling new marketing channels such as mobile, social, and search. (I know search is not new, but the lack of search sophistication by many marketers never ceases to amaze me.)

The one thing that I can predict is that there will not be an overnight sensation in brand marketing, as brand stories need time to grow more credible (and you cannot buy quick credibility). Brands that have experimented in 2009 (e.g., Nike, Ford, and Pepsi) will certainly be best positioned for new media success in 2010.

Kleinberg: The common thread between new media channels is that consumers engage with brands on their own terms. The brands that break through will be the ones that create relevant value. For instance, Traction did a campaign to launch the Adobe Photoshop for the iPhone app that netted over a million downloads in a week. Why? Because it's relevant to the consumer who wants to enhance their photos and relevant to the brand that wants to introduce those customers to Photoshop.com. Conversely, it's the brands that try to treat everything like direct response that will fail.

Lori Schwartz: Typically it was the brands that were trying to reach the younger demographic that were playing the most with new media, but now we are seeing a wider generational use of new media, particular to life needs and services; now marketers can expand the use of new media to reach older audiences.

What will be the biggest shake-up on the brand side for 2010?

Flamberg: GM and Chrysler will fail again, squandering vast sums along the way. Obama will demand our money back from GM. Financial services marketers will be more heavily observed and regulated. Lending and credit card practices will attract class-actions suits and congressional scrutiny that will threaten their existence.

Nichols: Google will suffer significant search share losses for the first time ever. Almost double digits of share. And as a result, we're going to see real innovations at a much faster pace from both Google and its competitors. It's time that search changed "on internet time."