According to new research brief from ABI Research, at the end of 2006 there will be about 655,000 active mobloggers worldwide. Unless market conditions change drastically, "moblogging" — the practice of posting personal content, usually photos, from mobile camera phones directly to websites for sharing with friends and the public — will remain a minority recreation for the foreseeable future, according to ABI Research. Even in 2011, when there will be some 3 billion mobile subscribers, a mere 2.7 million are expected to be moblogging. 

Continue reading... "Moblogging Remains Minority Recreation With Only 2.7 million Active User by 2011" »

November 2, 2006 7:45 PM | Permalink

A new ABI Research forecasts that in 2006 the number of commercial Wi-Fi hotspots will grow by 47% worldwide to 143,700. While almost three-quarters of these sites (74%) are still found in North America and Europe, the Asia Pacific region is growing very rapidly. By 2011 the Asia Pacific region will surpass both Europe and North America in the number of Wi-Fi hotspots, according to ABI Research.

Continue reading... "Commercial Wi-Fi Hotspots To Grow by 47% Worldwide in 2006" »

November 2, 2006 7:29 PM | Permalink

A new Harris Poll in October finds that 42% of all U.S. adults say they are not "absolutely certain" there is a God, including 15% who are "somewhat certain," 11% who think there is probably no God and 16% who are not sure.

Three years ago, in an identical survey in 2003, 79% of adults said they believed in God and 66% said they were absolutely certain that there is a God. In this new survey, those numbers have declined to 73% and 58% respectively.

Continue reading... "58% of U.S. Adults "Absolutely Certain" There is God, Down from 66% in 2003" »

November 2, 2006 7:20 PM | Permalink

Total advertiser spending on mobile messaging and display advertising will grow from $1.4 billion in 2006 to $2.9 billion in 2011, according to a new report, "US Mobile Marketing Forecast, 2006 to 2011" from JupiterResearch.

A substantial number of online advertisers utilize mobile tactics as part of their marketing mix, or plan to do so in the next 12 months. Currently, 22% of online advertisers are engaged in mobile marketing. Early adopter industries include media, wireless carriers, automotive, financial services, consumer packaged goods, and food services. Brands leveraging mobile marketing tend to be youth oriented, but not exclusively so.

Continue reading... "Mobile Ads to Hit $2.9 billion in 2011; 14 million Interested in Ad Text Messages" »

November 2, 2006 7:00 PM | Permalink

The market for gay and lesbian consumers is highly coveted and hitting the mainstream in a huge way, say consultants, marketing professionals and executives. The 16 million gay consumers age 18 and older in the USA boast $641 billion in buying power, or cash to spend after taxes, according to Witeck-Combs Communications and Harris Interactive, reports USAToday.

Continue reading... "The $641 billion Gay Consumer Market Hitting the Mainstream" »

November 2, 2006 6:40 PM | Permalink

Political-advertising spending has zoomed past projections and is headed toward a record $2 billion-plus this year, 17.6% more than 2004, according to TNS Media Intelligence's Campaign Media Analysis Group, reports AdAge. TNS had originally forecast spending to total between $1.4 billion and $1.6 billion this year. The total could be even higher as those TNS numbers don't include spot cable, which has attracted serious spending.  

Continue reading... "Political-Ad Spending to Surpass $2 Billion Mark This Year" »

November 2, 2006 12:09 PM | Permalink

More than 80% of Web video viewers polled by Forrester Research called in-stream ads—placements that appear before or after clips—"annoying" and 75% said they ignore them, reports AdWeek.

Less-intrusive advertising, such as placements alongside video, is more palatable as 50% of respondents deemed those acceptable. However text links are the most preferred Web ad format by consumers, according to the Forrester research, with 19% finding them annoying. 

Continue reading... "Most Web Video Viewers Ignore In-stream Ads, 80% Call Them Annoying" »

November 2, 2006 11:48 AM | Permalink

October retail sales show a mixed bag. According to Thomson Financial, based on 50 merchants that have reported so far, 28 retailers had same-store sales results that missed expectation; 22 beat estimates. Same-store sales are sales at stores opened at least a year and are considered the best measure of a retailer's health.

Continue reading... "Retail Sales Rule Down, Productivity Halts, Wages Up Most in Two Decades" »

November 2, 2006 11:08 AM | Permalink

Amid Videogame Arms Race, Nintendo Slows Things Down: Twenty years after Nintendo commanded the videogame hardware business, the company lags in third place behind more powerful Sony and Microsoft in the $17 billion console videogame industry. Japan generated about $4.3 billion in 2005, but in the last three years, the number of videogame players sold there has declined by more than 8%. In the U.S., the share of households with game consoles hasn't budged past 36% for the past decade. 

Continue reading... "WSJ By The Numbers - Top 10 for Nov.02" »

November 2, 2006 10:28 AM | Permalink