Stay better informed as a marketing professional with this monthly series highlighting the latest developments in all things
marketing. Here is what was new in February...

Will Vine for Twitter make brands rethink video creation?
Just one day after its launch, mobile video app Vine became the top free app for iPhone. Vine lets users record brief videos (6 seconds max) and then easily share them with friends and social media. While the app still exists in relative obscurity to many smartphone users, it’s quick rise to stardom is indicative of growing trends in mobile video: short and sharable. How marketers will approach the new platform, however, is yet to be seen. Read the full article. (2/8/2013, eMarketer)

China to overtake US for active iOS and Android devices
App data trackers at Flurry have announced that China will pass the U.S. for number of iOS and Android mobile devices (that includes phones and tablets) by the end of February. With 246 million active smart devices, the Chinese will have out-paced American consumers by a difference of 15 million devices purchased in February alone. Read the full article. (2/18/2013, Flurry blog)

Facebook pursuing new features
Facebook recently added free calling within the U.S. and Canada to its iOS app, but hopes that’s just the beginning of its revived foray into messenger services, which also includes voice and video recording. The next big thing for Facebook could be the addition of video calling to Messenger, which would challenge other providers like BlackBerry and Skype. Read the full article. (2/22/2013, The Next Web)

Advertisers boost social ad budgets in 2013
A study conducted by Digiday says 64% of companies plan to increase their spend on social media ads, with 26% of respondents planning to up their social media ad budget by 11% or more. When asked what the intent of the ads were, 45% of advertisers and 31% of agencies said branding was the primary goal. Read the full article. (2/25/2013, eMarketer)

Google “enhances” AdWords functionality
Google has refined its AdWords Internet marketing campaigns to be more effective across multiple devices. The newly titled “Enhanced Campaigns” also feature click-to-call options and improved reporting, but their universality across platforms limit marketers’ ability to tailor messages to users of a specific device (tablet users vs. PC users, for example). Read the full article. (2/6/2013, TechCrunch)

More Americans proactively research companies they may deal with
New research shows consumers may be more skeptical toward the marketing messages they’re receiving. The latest Harris Poll Reputation Quotient study says 56% of Americans are pro-actively learning about companies before doing business with them. Of this group of “seekers,” many are also actively sharing the information they find and trying to influence the decisions of others. Read the full article. (2/15/2013, CMO.com)