1. Netflix/Hulu/YouTube’s new content series. Could Internet video become the future of TV?

Netflix, Hulu and YouTube are beefing up the competition by launching new, original content over the next few months. The Huffington Post reports that the quality of online video is not up to par with that of TV, but it will get there in due time. The quality must improve if Internet video hopes to compete.

Laura Mitchell mentioned that the CES trade show was held in Las Vegas recently. At the show YouTube’s global head of content predicted that by 2020, 75 percent of TV channels will be transmitted via the Internet. YouTube already has plans to expand with hundreds of niche channels, and predicts that most interests will have a channel within the next few years.

How will this affect your company’s TV ad placement? Well it won’t, yet – but we will want to keep our eyes and ears on Internet video over the next couple years.

Can these online video giants become viable premium content providers? Have a look at the trailer below and tell us what you think!

2. Coca-Cola to dominate the Super Bowl. Will you interact with the polar bears on game day?

Coke is hoping to drive greater fan engagement during the big game with in-game animated TV spots and live-streaming video on the web. The main element of the campaign will be commercials and online video showing the iconic polar bears reacting to the game as it happens live. In hopes of reaching consumers on whatever screen grabs their attention, the brand will also be interacting with Facebook and Twitter users. Roughly 60% of the 100 million anticipated game-watchers will be interacting with their friends and foes online.

Check out the hype on Facebook and RSVP for the Coke Polar Bowl – if nothing else, your RSVP will donate $1 to the World Wildlife Fund.

3. Google’s new personal assistant app. Move over Siri. Meet Alfred.

Google has launched a new app called Alfred – a digital assistant that can learn what you like, how you like it, where you want it and when you want it. How does he do it? He learns from each user by asking a series of questions – future recommendations are based off of those answers and the answers from others with similar preferences. For people like me who can never decide where to get lunch, or what to make for dinner, Alfred might just be the perfect answer. Read more at alfredmobile.com or download the app and start teaching Alfred! You’ll never miss a place you might love again.

4. You choose the ads you see on TV, billboards and more? For a worthy cause, LoudSauce will help spread the word.

Depending on where you live, you may have seen Occupy Wall Street ads on television, ads representing the need for clean energy in the Boston train station, or billboard ads in North Carolina with a positive immigration message. These are the types of ideas and causes that people are raising money for on LoudSauce.com – a place where you can choose the campaign you want to promote and donate money to put that message on billboards, radio and even national television. Most people are not aware of the great causes and inspirational projects going on around them, and through this website groups can raise funds and spread the word. Check out all the messages seen in 2011, and browse the current campaigns raising money, like the next occupy ad below.

2. Select your business type in the middle of the page.

4. Choose “Register my business.”

The American music service market is crowded, and reaching customers where they listen is becoming increasingly complicated. As a result of the fragmentation, advertisers today are faced with a dilemma. Going the route of traditional radio could mean missing out on reaching younger consumers who avoid the old-school model. Concentrating an entire radio advertising plan on online opportunities could mean missing out on local radio.

Let’s take a minute to look at the characteristics of the available listening platforms.

Pandora

Pandora is arguably the most successful Internet radio option for users that is supported by advertising. Pandora boasts 80 million users, and ComScore estimates about 19 million unique listeners on a monthly basis. While this is a small percentage of the entire adult population – it is an audience of active listeners. Users are required to listen to an ad to continue listening for free, and the company has made it a priority to make sure ads don’t infringe on the listening experience for users. They utilize fifteen second ads with companion banners, which don’t give advertisers much time to get their message across. Also, while Pandora’s age demographics span the spectrum, the median age is young compared to traditional radio.

Spotify and Myxer

Spotify and Myxer are up-and-coming online music services (or ankle biters depending on how you see it). Spotify has shown considerable growth since its 2008 inception – with about 10 million users worldwide, and a modest 3 million U.S. users. The trend is expected to continue upward supported by a Facebook partnership that debuted in September 2011. Experts don’t expect that partnership to be exclusive, and competitors may have a chance make inroads with Facebook and other social media platforms.

Myxer entered the crowded market earlier this year with Myxer Social Radio, which allows friends to thumbs up or thumbs down your music taste, song by song.

Traditional Radio

And what of traditional radio? I would call traditional radio, local; if not for the two radio giants, Cumulus Media and Clear Channel Radio, who control a combined 1,372 stations across the U.S. One major advantage of using traditional radio is having the option to choose how long your commercial will be. Controlling the length of a spot can be important depending on the message you’re delivering. Some say this form of radio is dying, but according Arbitron September 2011 data, the U.S. market increased by 1.7 million listeners 12 years old and above over the previous year.

The standard traditional radio model hasn’t changed significantly in a long time, but over the years many stations and groups have been toying with Internet radio by streaming live radio on individual station websites. Now Clear Channel Radio is taking Pandora and other Internet radio options on full-force with the acquisition of iHeartRadio.com. The model will allow users to listen to free, streaming audio from 800 live broadcasts and digital-only radio stations, from 150 cities across the U.S. The network will be ad-free until April 2012.

What to Know

Ways to intersperse advertising messages among music will only increase in the near future, but a variety of options is a good thing as long as you establish two things: your goals and your message. Knowing those two things will help you decide which platform or combination thereof will be best in your media mix.

After attending a webinar by AdAge entitled, “Online Behavioral Advertising and Privacy,” I began thinking about all the ways our privacy as online consumers can be violated. A little research led me to the topic of location based targeting, and more specifically, “geofencing.”

Geofencing is the idea of tracking mobile users from a subscriber list based on their location to a particular store and then sending those users a relevant message. To the mobile marketers of the world, this is a dream come true, but to mobile consumers this could be a privacy nightmare.  So how far is too far?  Does geofencing cross the line?

Not yet.  Similar to push notifications, where users can opt-in to receive messages from a mobile app, location-based targeting asks consumers to opt-in to the service. This is significant because 94% of consumers feel that privacy is an important issue of online targeting, as stated in a recent survey by TRUSTe. Today’s consumer likes to be “in the know” about the latest and greatest, but they also do not want to risk losing their privacy. From the same study by TRUSTe, over 50% of consumers are more likely to click and buy if they can control how they are targeted. When given the choice to opt-in or out, consumers will likely have less concern about location-based marketing. And until a company forgets to ask permission, geofencing can be valuable to both the seller and the consumer.

There is a tremendous opportunity for marketers to use location based targeting to increase value to their customers. Placecast – a pioneer of location-based targeting in the US – launched a pilot program in 2009 using what they call ShopAlerts. They found that 79% of people said the ShopAlerts increased their likelihood to visit a store and 65% of people made a purchase as a result of a ShopAlerts message.

The difficulty is making sure the content of the message is, in fact valuable and doesn’t negatively impact the relationship. The message must bring something unique and compelling to the consumer, otherwise, it will cause more harm than good. And why not let the consumer tell you how often they want to be contacted? Following these guidelines will ensure that the contact is both relevant and desired.

So how do you feel about geofencing and other location based marketing strategies? Do you feel your privacy is being violated?  What would make you more apt to opt-in to location based advertising? Tell us what you think!

Imagine sitting in a movie theater, impatiently waiting for previews to end and your featured film to start. A booming narrating voice catches your attention as a sensational, exciting action movie trailer begins. Flashing lights, dramatic colors and pulsing screen shots immediately catch your attention. But wait, is this…what…a bank commercial?

Click here to watch the commercial.

Kiwibank of New Zealand is aiming to push consumers to switch banks not through traditional marketing tactics, but in what seems like a launch for a new movie or video game. Green Ops: Operation Easyswitch closely resembles the video game Call of Duty or any spy/action flick, and has been all over the bank’s interactive YouTube channel. From a “first-person-shooter-point-of-view” style, visitors can see humorous clips encouraging them to switch banks, follow a team of Kiwibankers as they complete missions to save customers from bad banking experiences and link to a website to start the bank switching process.

The campaign is different and innovative, and it reaches the correct audience in an appropriate manner. There is a noticeable disconnect between young customers (16-25 year olds) and their banks. This demographic often sticks with the bank their parents use, and their parents might even still do a lot of their banking for them (deposits, savings, etc.) no questions asked. Starting a conversation with this age group welcomes the idea of choice and control. They don’t have to bank with their parents’ bank. By giving a thrilling twist to switching banks, the process seems more tangible and easier than what young consumers have been imagining.

This eye-catching, glamorous campaign easily grabs the attention of those hard to reach Millennials through a medium they know – video games and Hollywood. Humor and intrigue takes social media by storm, as younger age groups like to be in the “social media know” and be more apt to pass something great along through the grapevine. Banks successful at these practices will move toward being the “cool” bank to use by image-conscious Millennials.

While a Call of Duty–themed campaign may not be the right fit for all banks, it’s important to remember reaching certain audiences will require taking a leap of faith. Whether it’s trying a new medium, tweaking a message or coming up with a new, big idea, the right campaign will not only resonate with a certain demographic, but lead them to a desired action.

My colleague, Molly Schenkel, and I traveled to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA) conference in Boston last week. Here are 8 key trends I took away from the event.

1. Cross-Platform. 3 Screens is Minimum.

It’s the norm for consumers to be watching TV, using their laptop and playing on their smartphone. With this newfound level of multi-tasking and fragmented focus on any one device, it becomes even more difficult to break through the mass-media frenzy, and if your message is only available on one platform, you’re missing a large segment of your target audience.

As marketers, we must stop talking about mobile/digital vs. traditional – that’s not how consumers think; instead, consumers consume media interchangeably across different devices – your messaging program must be device-neutral and work on all types of screens/devices. It must also capture their attention at relevant times with proper engagement tactics.

 2. One-to-One is Expected.

“If you’re not talking to me, I don’t hear you.”  This sentiment rings true as we think about how consumers expect personalization and relevancy. Segment like you’ve never segmented before. Technology makes this easy; don’t take the lazy one-message-for-all route or you’ll simply be ignored.

3. Social Media is about Community, not Sales.

While a few retail giants have found ways to generate sales from social media communities, it’s not the norm. Unless you’re one of these giants, use the platform for what consumers want – to build relationships and entertain. Be personable…people don’t want to be friends with shoes or chickens, but they will follow and engage with brands that relate to them and provide great value. Give your customers a reason to interact with you in all available channels.

4. Context is King, not Content.

“The amount of content generated from the beginning of time until 2003 is now generated every 48 hours” – Gary Vaynerchuk. There’s no way to stand out by simply generating fresh content – it has to be relevant to a specific audience segment. It has to have personality and a unique angle. Draw people in or they’ll drown you out.

5. Know each Customer’s LTV (Lifetime Total Value).

All customers are not created equal, and all customers will not create equitable lifecycle value for your company. Use the magnitude of data available to identify the lifetime total value of each customer (LTV) and then focus your efforts accordingly. Send your highest LTV customers a little something special on their birthdays; send your lowest LTV customers a birthday postcard.

6. Real-Time, NOT Right-Time.

If you take the time to monitor social media conversations, be timely with your entrance into the conversation. Customers want their questions answered in real-time, not following a thoroughly planned (and delayed) response. Be quick to respond and always search for ways to provide an element of surprise. Customers love to feel appreciated.

7. Put Location-Based to Work.

Location-based technologies and platforms provide a whole new way to deliver messages at the right place and the right time. You want to reach customers when they are at critical decision point, and proximity is often a key factor in this decision-making process. Real-time location marketing (also referred to as geofencing) is paving the way for how media will be delivered in the future.

8. Loyalty & Retention.

Thank your customers and thank them often by rewarding frequent visits. That’s all. It’s simple and goes back to the beginning of time. Don’t underestimate the power of saying thank you with a treat along the frequent purchase cycle.

Although the majority of coupons are still clipped from the Sunday paper, digital coupon usage is growing rapidly. eMarketer estimates that nearly half of all online consumers (88.2 million) will redeem digital coupons online or in-stores in 2011. Right now, daily deal sites, such as Groupon and LivingSocial, mainly focus on small businesses for their deals.  However, as the usage of digital coupons grows, each site will have to differentiate themselves from the competition in order to gain market share.

Groupon has established itself as the market leader in the online “group buying” industry through innovation and strategic partnerships. In order to stay relevant and gain new business, Groupon is continuing to expand and experiment. They are now partnering with a Springfield, Massachusetts supermarket to offer deals on groceries. Instead of the coupons being printed out, Groupon will automatically credit the purchaser’s grocery store’s loyalty card. This is the first time Groupon has partnered with a chain grocery store, and the first time any retailer has integrated Groupon into its loyalty card program.

Groupon also recently launched a travel deals service with Expedia that will allow people to book hotel rooms and airfare at a steep discount. Deals will start with hotels, but the partners plan to expand the service to travel bundles, car rental and airline tickets in the future.

Another innovation in daily deal couponing is called Groupon Now! Unveiled in March, Groupon Now! is an application within Groupon’s mobile apps that allows subscribers to find local deals in real time. The goal is to give businesses the opportunity to bring in customers during slow business hours. If a coffee shop is slow from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesdays, they can run a Groupon deal during that specific time period to give local users an extra incentive. Currently, Groupon Now! is only available in Chicago, but it is only a matter of time before it rolls out in other cities.

Another innovative service from the couponing giant is GrouponLive. The service  will market event tickets sold through Live Nation.

As consumers become more comfortable with online coupons, utilization will rise. And utilization is expected to continue to rise with 96.8 million adults expected to redeem an online coupon by 2013. As the audience expands, digital couponing sites will continue to offer creative deals to grow their market share.

Chances are you’ve clicked the “Like” button on Facebook a time or two.

You’ve “Liked” your friends’ statuses and photos. You’ve “Liked” articles about current issues and celebs. You’ve even “Liked” relationships when they become Facebook official.

On Tuesday, June 28, it’s time to “Like” something different. It’s time to click the “Like” button and help an organization change lives in South Dakota.

Feeding South Dakota, a hunger relief organization, is a finalist in a nationwide contest sponsored by Toyota. Toyota is giving away 100 Cars for Good. They’re giving 100 cars to 100 charities for 100 days. Each competing organization was asked to complete a video saying why they deserve to win. Facebook viewers will vote on who gets the wheels.

That’s your queue. Mark your calendars and go to www.facebook.com/toyota to “Like” the Feeding South Dakota video on Tuesday, June 28. The goal is to win the Toyota Highlander so Feeding South Dakota can deliver more meals to the hungry and ultimately get more MPGs, Meals Per Gallon, in the state.

Be an active part of this effort by voting and sharing the news with your friends. See you on Election Day!

It’s time to fess up. You are not just sleeping with your spouse. You also sleep with your smartphone.

According to a recent report released by the mobile service provider iPass, more than 60 percent of workers keep their mobile device in the bedroom at night, and more than 45 percent keep it within an arm’s reach. For this study, iPass surveyed more than 3,700 mobile employees from 1,000 companies across the United States, and the statistics are shocking. The stats prove that work never sleeps, and neither do those employed.

The infographic “Smartphone Pillow Talk” shows that 58 percent of workers wake up during the night to check their phone and of those respondents, 11 percent find themselves awake every night to monitor their e-mail inbox or check Facebook.

It’s clear that people today want to be connected, but what’s even clearer is that employees are willing to work during all hours of the day. No longer is home life and work life separated. The line is completely blurred.

In a 24/7 kind of world, no time is off time. News and work updates can be viewed instantly during any hour of the day, and that is the expectation. We want the all-access pass to information, and we’re willing to sacrifice good sleep for it.

Public Relations, like the mobile employee, never sleeps. PR is all about building beneficial relationships, earning trust and generating reputation, and these things don’t always happen between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. They are constantly happening. And since the advent of the smartphone, PR is becoming increasingly relevant and important.

If you don’t have PR strategies in place, think about what can happen. A customer can run into issues with a product late at night and then feel the need to tweet or Facebook it. PR professionals know that at any moment a business’ reputation can be tested, so having a planned response is ideal. PR is about strategizing, but also about reacting and conversing with real people in real time. And if companies are missing that in the mix, they’re missing key, ground-level interactions.

Remember when you’re up at night checking your iPhone or Blackberry, so are your clients and customers. Chances are they’re talking or thinking about brands and companies (maybe even yours), so keep a PR strategy or two on your nightstand for good measure.

I recently read an article about how Hulu is preparing to sell more advertising space and, although no concrete changes have been made yet, it made me think about how Internet TV was supposed to be the consumer’s way to bypass extra commercials. But in reality, advertisements go where the eyes are, and as more people adopt online TV viewing, advertisers are sure to follow.

According to a survey conducted by the L&S Research team, 34% of respondents who have dropped their subscription to cable mentioned a reason for “cutting the cord” was for “fewer commercials.” Looking at the evolution of online advertisements, I don’t believe this will be a sustainable benefit.

I believe online TV sites such as Hulu or even movie sites will see a growth in the number of commercials because of the growth in viewers and the restrictions set for skipping ads. It is more difficult to bypass online commercials because you can’t simply change the channel like you could with your TV. For example, of the ads played during Fox episodes online, 94% were watched to completion, making online advertising a seemingly better investment for marketers. However, viewers may get annoyed by the restrictions and repetition of the ads being played, leading to negative feelings toward the brand or site.  

Years ago, ads were found in few places such as in newspapers and on the radio, today advertisements are found on anything from buses to bathroom stalls and now, online. Advertising and advertising space is not stagnant; it is constantly moving and evolving to go where the people are. So for those of you thinking that cutting the cord will equal fewer commercials, I would enjoy it while you can.

It seems nearly impossible to visit a website without being served an advertisement of some sort.  These online ads go by just about every name in the book: pop-ups, scrolling, flashing, floating, expanding – you name it!  Naturally, advertisers are taking every chance they can to utilize this affordable advertising space on the web.

With online video advertising increasing in popularity, I’ve been thinking about how sensory-overload on the web is affecting online advertising. According to a marketingforecast.com study, while consumers’ interest in online video ads is increasing, their attention spans are decreasing. In 2010, 45.8% of video ads were viewed through at least 50% of the content. That’s down 11% from 2009.  In the past, fewer video advertisements were clicked on, but on the ads that were clicked, viewers watched for a longer period of time.

Today, research shows more video ads are clicked but rarely watched in their entirety. This phenomenon may be due to an increase in online video advertising. Viewers may be increasingly desensitized to the delivery vehicle of video banners that were once considered unique.

Does this study indicate advertisers should completely shift their campaign budgets from online video banners to other mediums? No!  However, advertisers should be mindful that the majority of viewers are not engaging with these banners for long periods of time and certainly not watching the videos for their duration. Just as online banners are scrolling, flashing and floating – so are viewers.

How effective are your ads? Are your customers noticing them?

An even better question to ask may be — is your marketing budget being spent on the channels your customers are paying attention to? E-Marketer recently released a report comparing ad spending with media channel consumption.

The report showed the percentage of budgets dedicated to digital and online mediums does not correlate with consumers’ media consumption. Online and mobile ad spending share is not in sync with the time consumers are spending on those platforms. A higher percentage of budgets are also being allocated to newspaper and magazine advertising than the amount of time consumers are devoting to those mediums. TV remains a powerhouse and accounts for 42% of marketing dollars and media consumption.

But what does this report mean for your business? It’s essential to know your audience’s behaviors and understand where advertising messages will best reach them. If your customers are spending more time on their mobile devices or searching online, then you should be pushing your message out to them through those mediums. As more consumers move towards completing full purchase cycles on their phones, it is crucial to have your business available when and where consumers are searching for it.

Before shifting your marketing dollars, take a close look at your audience to see where they are searching for information and the best ways to reach them. It could still be through newspapers or magazines. It’s always important to re-evaluate your customer base and make sure the messages you are distributing reach them through the most effective media channels.

Again, it all comes down to content and relevancy. As more consumers embrace digital marketing channels and as technology continues to increase, creating ads tailored to customers is becoming much easier.

Whenever I have a new ache or pain, I tend to venture online to do a little researching on what could possibly be ailing me. This has become a common practice for many people today. Health websites like WebMD & Patients Like Me are frequently visited by curious individuals.

Interestingly, according to a study done by National Research Corporation, 41 percent of respondents are using social media as a health care resource. And this absolutely makes sense – our social network is typically who we turn to when it comes to many issues, including health.

In addition, a vast majority of the survey respondents, 94 percent, actually turn to Facebook for diet and exercise tips, as well as health education multimedia. Being able to access a broad range of health information is not only valued, but also widely utilized.

The prevalence and importance of Facebook is incessantly regurgitated in marketing circles. However, it is a valid point and nod to the fact that the social media platform has become an important part of people’s lives. It has also become a game-changer for marketing strategies.

Preference is given to a health care organization’s Facebook page over its traditional website due to the ability to quickly interact, communicate and view the conversations and postings of peers.  A plethora of information is all in one convenient location, right alongside your online social community.

Health care organizations need to consider these findings and work towards expanding their social media presence. Providing education, tips, events, videos and conversing with followers are all possible via social media.  Creating a community and being a resource for patients via social media will build an even stronger communications network.

Remember back in college when your microeconomics professor was talking about the value of economies of scale? That buying in groups or spreading the costs around several people will benefit the many? Well Andrew Mason, the founder of Groupon, definitely does. Mason is reaping in gobs of money proving that group buying can be profitable and successful not only for consumers, but for companies, as well.

Since launching in 2008, Groupon has  become the fastest growing company in U.S. history. To date, it’s sold more than 22 million group coupons in North America alone, and has saved consumers more than $980 million on everything from spa retreats, to car washes and even vacations.

While the most obvious extensions of group coupon sites are local businesses and restaurants, those in the travel sector are starting to take notice of the value of group buying behaviors.  For example, a recent AP story is surging through web reports on how travelers can use group coupons to garner the best savings while on vacation.

According to an article from Nielsen last year, affluent consumers  are one of the most likely groups to utilize coupons, especially those found online. Nielsen also discovered coupon users tend to be female, are either 35-year-olds and younger or between 45 and 54, and live in comfortable suburbia—a much sought after demographic for everything from grocery deals to vacation specials. As the threat of rising gas prices gets closer, travel destinations have an opportunity to reap significant rewards by tapping into the group coupon audience early before summer travel season kicks off.

Travel destinations can win over travelers by offering incentives and discounts vacationers can’t get anywhere else or any other time of year. Showing the experience your destination brings families creates greater value in what your state or city has to offer would-be travelers.

It seems the tide has begun to turn when it comes to Facebook and its ubiquitous takeover of private information. Last week, the social media giant announced several new updates that not only further erode user privacy, but also hijack users’ comments for Facebook’s financial gain through ‘sponsored stories’.

The new ‘sponsored stories’ feature will allow advertisers to purchase status updates that mention certain keywords, which would then show up on the commenter’s friends’ Facebook pages as a type of sponsored testimonial. Not only do users need not consent, but also do not receive any of the profit from the branded recommendation, both of which may prompt some users to quit updating or even log off.

While Facebook has long been accused of stomping on user privacy both publically and behind the screen, online privacy concerns are heating up with talks about a Do Not Track List online. For consumers, even Generation Y who is more apt to passively accept privacy violations, Facebook’s increasingly liberal privacy guidelines are edging on uncomfortable and prompting some to think twice about logging on.

While the ‘sponsored stories’ application and other updates were created with marketers in mind, consumer uneasiness surrounding such features should prompt advertisers to look for other opportunities. Rather than follow consumers online or rob their status updates, marketers should strategize how to engage with consumers and lead them to willingly share information with and about their brand.

The face of mobile computing changed dramatically this past year. Apple’s iPad, Google’s Android phones, and the continuing rise of netbooks has put a sharp spotlight on what we call “mobile”. This flood of impressive devices has caused a surge in mobile web usage. Suddenly, people can enjoy much of the same Internet their desktop computer provides but in a convenient, portable device. This has been a game changer for all websites.

Three Midwest companies saw amazing growth in the number of people visiting their website from a mobile device. When comparing the months of November 2009 and November 2010, the number of mobile visits grew 441%, 450%, and 699%. Note that there are no decimal points in those figures. Mobile visits quadrupled for two of the companies and septupled¹ for the third. It’s important to note that these weren’t visits to a walled-garden, stripped-down, mobile-friendly version of their websites; these visitors were seeing the exact same site as they would on a desktop computer. This substantial growth points to the simple truth: consumers are engaged in online activities via their mobile device, whether those websites are ready or not.

While it’s true that mobile web browsers have seen remarkable growth and refinement of late, they are still no replacement for the browsers on our desktop machines. Mobile visitors have different needs than desktop users, and, if your website doesn’t keep this in mind, mobile users may have a frustrating experience when they arrive at your homepage. The growth of mobile visits makes a strong case; if your business doesn’t have a mobile compatible site, you are essentially ignoring those costumers’ needs.

Is it worth your time and money to invest in creating mobile compatible websites? The short answer is yes. Your website is your company’s first impression for many customers, so make it a good one! If you’re interested in seeing how your company can be more mobile compatible, we’d love to talk to you. Drop us a line, or learn more about the mobile web on Wikipedia or Google webmaster central.

1. Extensive Google searching indicates that “septupled” might not actually be a word.

Advertising has taken great strides over the past few years, especially with the integration of online marketing. Messaging is evolving daily, becoming more and more tailored to our interests and behaviors.

However, with proposed ‘Do Not Track’ regulation by the Federal Trade Commission, advertisers could take a big hit when it comes to reaching consumers online.

With this regulation, consumers will have the ability to opt into the ‘Do Not Track’ list, similar to the ‘Do Not Call’ list implemented a few years ago. Marketers would lose the ability to track a consumer’s online activity and tailor specific messages to them.

A cookie-like browser setting would alert third-party advertising tracking and targeting firms that a consumer does not want to receive targeted messages or have their online activity tracked.

The statistics are showing many consumers will opt-out – with about two-thirds of online consumers saying they do not want to be tracked, according to a recent Gallup poll. However, almost 50 percent did say they would allow certain advertisers to track their behavior if they had the option to choose specific marketers.

Over the next month or so, more decisions will be made as to how online privacy will move forward, revealing how it will affect the online ad game and the specific, tailored messaging consumers receive.

We hear a lot of talk about social networks, especially about their rising popularity and impressive growth around the world. As we near the end of 2010, let’s take a step back and have a quick peek at some important statistics from the past year.

-3 of the world’s most popular brands are social networks –Facebook, YouTube and Wikipedia.

-The world now spends [110 billion minutes] on social networking sites.

-The number of people visiting these sites has increased by 24% over the last year.

-The time the average visitor now spends on social network sites has increased 66% from last year.

-When Facebook first debuted it targeted US college students. Now the creator, Mark Zuckerberg, has been named Time’s “Person of The Year” because of his ability to connect almost 600 million people through the use of one website.

-Today, Americans are still the highest users of social networks, according to a study by Pew Global Attitudes Project. Of Americans polled, 46% said that they use social networks.

-In the US, 77% of social network users are between the ages of 18-29 while only 23% are 50 years or older.

Social networks are constantly changing and as we near the end of the year it will be exciting to see what changes are in store for the world of social networks in 2011.