Ad Houses Will Need to Be More Nimble [WSJ]
Growth in online video and social networking will boost web advertising by 18% in 2008, while the overall ad market will increase just 2.3%, according to Merrill Lynch. The WSJ predicts that five trends will dominate the industry in ’08: 1) greater collaboration between TV and newspaper advertisers and web marketers; 2) growth in outdoor advertising (i.e. TV screens at gas stations); 3) a shift from focus groups and online polls to day-long observation sessions; 4) increased focus on how companies live up to eco-friendly promises; and 5) greater use of social networking sites for consumer research rather than advertising.
Web Playgrounds of the Very Young [NYT]
20 million children will be members of virtual worlds like Club Penguin and Webkinz by 2011, up from 8.2 million today, according to eMarketer. A variety of companies such as Disney, Nickelodeon, and Lego are racing to introduce a host of smaller worlds, ranging from “Pirates of the Caribbean” and ESPN fantasy football sites to a Tinker Bell portal entitled “Pixie Hollow“.
With Wii and DS, Nintendo Has 2 Hit Game Devices [NYT]
Nintendo’s DS and Wii consoles are dominating the gaming industry, thanks to their cross-generational appeal. While younger gamers continue to be the majority in terms of number of players, parents and even grandparents are also getting in on the action: “On YouTube, you can see videos of retirees playing both the Wii and the DS,” said Reggie Fils-Amie, Nintendo of America’s president and chief operating officer.
Macs, PCs and Music Downloads [NYT]
Half of Macintosh owners paid to download music online in 2007, compared with just 16% of PC users, according to the NPD Group. “The whole concept of using the Mac as an entertainment tool across the board is much more woven into the fabric than with PCs,” said Russ Crupnick, senior entertainment industry analyst at NPD.
Related: Survey: Mac OS hit record 7.3% share in December [Fortune via CNNMoney]
20+ Mobile Internet Applications [Mashable]
Mobile apps will make a huge splash in 2008: Blogs.Xanco.com allows users to publish a mobile blog via SMS or e-mail; PlusMo.com gives widget-lovers 20,000 options to choose from; while SpotMob.com lets video-enthusiasts shoot video and post it online.
The New Brand Ambassadors [AdWeek]
Spending on citizen marketing is expected to top $4 billion by 2011, up from $1 billion in 2007, according to a PQ Media word-of-mouth media forecast. Companies like Sony and JetBlue are creating innovative brand ambassadorship programs that “hire” consumers—through incentives and rewards—to tap into their social networks and raise positive awareness about their products.
Related on NGT: Student Ambassadors Spread the Word
Suzuki Seeks Street Cred [AdWeek]
Suzuki is counting on hip-hop artists with local followings in NYC, LA, etc., as well as a new website entitled BusaBeats.com and local graffiti murals, to help target the core consumer base for its Hayabusa sport bike.
MC Hammer: U Can Touch this Website [AP via CNNMoney]
Former rapper MC Hammer is launching a new music video destination site, DanceJam.com, in an effort to upstage YouTube and other more general online video portals.
Related: MTV’s Web Sites Push Music Videos [MediaPost]
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