When it comes to mobile loyalty, Apple’s iPhone is ahead of the competition.
According to Reuters , a study by research firm GfK showed 84 percent of iPhone users would stick to that brand. The study also said 60 percent of Google's Android users would stay with that type of phone.
Web advertising in the U.S. resumed double-digit growth in 2010, outpacing traditional media and surpassing newspaper ad revenue for the first time, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau.
In an annual report prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the industry group said total Web ad revenue in the U.S. rose 15% to $26 billion last year, rebounding from a 3% decline in 2009 caused by an economic recession. However, last year’s growth rate is roughly half the growth the Web was posting before the global financial crisis of 2008.
Nonetheless, the rebound will likely build confidence in the digital media business, as consumers embrace Web services like Facebook Inc. and Netflix Inc. with enthusiasm even while the media industry has struggled to forge solid business models from online content.
“Online advertising has reached a level of maturity comparable to other mediums that have been deemed as significant ad platforms,” said Sherrill Mane, a senior vice president at IAB. “The fact that it’s still able to post double-digit growth speaks to the power of the Internet at a time when the economy is still struggling.”
The IAB estimates that Internet-ad revenue in 2010 surpassed that of newspapers, which amounted to $22.8 billion, as well as $22.5 billion from cable TV networks, $17.6 billion from broadcast TV networks and $15.3 billion from radio.
Last year’s growth was led by a 24% gain in display advertising, like online banner ads and digital video ads, in a sign that major brands are growing more comfortable with the medium as a place to invest their marketing dollars. The trend bodes well for online content companies, like AOL Inc., that are betting on major brands shifting more of their spending to the web.
Search remained the largest online-ad revenue category in a testament to the continued dominance of Google Inc. Search accounted for 46% of online ad revenue in 2010, down from 47%. It grew by 12% for the year—roughly half the pace of display ads, which accounted for 38% of total revenue.
For the first time, the IAB’s report included mobile advertising—a market that many expect to grow as popular devices like Apple Inc.’s iPad and iPhone become more prevalent. It estimated mobile revenue in 2010 came in between $550 million and $650 million.
The retail industry continued to be the largest source of online advertising dollars, accounting for 21% of the business in 2010, or about $5.5 billion in spending. Telecom companies made up 13% of online spending, while financial services accounted for 12% and auto advertisers made up 11%.
John Suhler, founding partner with private equity and media forecasting firm Verohnis Suhler Stevenson, noted on a conference call that a gap still exists between the percentage of time consumers spend using digital media and the percentage of spending that marketers allocate to the web.
“Dollars always follow eyeballs,” said Mr. Suhler. “It’s just a matter of time before we see that happen
Almost everyone has a smartphone these days. I was one of the holdouts until about two weeks ago, when I broke down and got the Verizon iPhone 4. I love it. But as a PDA late bloomer, I’ve spent the last two years becoming keenly aware of the loss of social etiquette when it comes to these devices. They don’t call them Crackberries for nothing.
So what are the 10 biggest smartphone etiquette blunders?
1. Multi-tasking
“Don’t multi-task and send text messages or read e-mails while you are in conversation with someone,” suggests Shelley Davis Mielock, chief image expert at Mieshel Image Consulting in Lansing, Michigan. “If you are sitting at a table with someone and you are sending a text message at the same time, it shows the person in front of you that they are not important to you. It also makes them feel rushed.”
2. Typing quickly
“Make sure to always use spell check,” advises Davis Mielock. “Every message you send is an extension of your personal and professional image. I know people type in ‘please excuse misspellings,’ but you should really be checking each and every time. Take that extra second and treat each correspondence as if you were sending a letter from your office.”
3. Turning on vibrate
“The vibration is a distraction—everyone can hear that,” says Rachel Wagner, a certified corporate etiquette consultant, trainer, and speaker in Tulsa, Oklahoma. “Keep your device on silent and put it in your pocket while you are in a meeting. If you are expecting an urgent call, excuse yourself and take the call in a private place.”
4. Participating in ‘lap reading’
“Everyone can see when you head is lowered and you are focusing on your smartphone,” Wagner says. “This causes you to look disengaged and prevents you from having eye contact. It is also really rude and gives a terrible impression.”
5. Leaving long-winded messages
This one goes for all phone users. “Don’t leave long, complicated voice messages where you speak so fast that it sends the other person scrambling for a pen to write it all down,” says Alison Blackman Dunham, co-founder of Advicesisters.net, a life and advice site. “The best thing to do is to just say, “Hi, I need to talk to you about so-and-so. Please call me back.’ Then leave your number and hang up…simple as that.”
6. Putting someone on an extended hold
“When you say you are putting someone on hold for just a moment, it should be for just a moment,” says Blackman Dunham. “Business people are busy. If you can’t talk to someone, tell them you will call them back and give them an exact time; it is the courteous thing to do.”
7. Having a ringback tone
“Ringback tones are not for professionals…unless you are a pop star,” says Davis Mielock. “If I am calling a banker to inquire about a mortgage loan and he has a rapper ringback tone, I will call his credibility into question.”
8. Talking in front of others
“Excuse yourself,” Davis Mielock suggests. “Don’t have conversations in front of other people at all, especially professional conversations. It is incredibly inconsiderate to the people around you.”
9. Interrupting face-to-face conversation
“I’ve known people to be in the middle of an in-person conversation and just start typing away on their smartphone,” says Wagner. “They don’t realize how that comes across. That behavior sends the message that the text is more important than the person standing in front of them and causes feelings of disengagement from your conversation partner.”
