The Brandery, a Cincinnati-based non-profit that helps promising digital media and marketing start-ups accelerate their ventures into the marketplace, this morning announced that it has “graduated” eight companies, and will introduce them during a day-long presentation Tuesday to more than 300 investors and interested parties.

Despite the onslaught of digital media, TV remains the top media platform for advertisers, though most big marketers believe it faces stiff competition for its future, according to results of an online survey of 135 client-side marketers released this morning by the Association of National Advertisers.

Laura Lang, global CEO of Publicis' Digitas unit, has been elected to teh board of directors of lifestyle apparel marketer VF Corporation, which sells brands such as The North Face, Wrangler, Timberland, Vans, Lee and Nautica.

McDonald's has set up shop in CityVille after trying its hand at farming last year via social marketing campaign in FarmVille. Its latest partnership with social games developer Zynga, allows CityVille players to build McDonald's branded restaurants, yielding more coins and points than traditional burger joints in the game. Players that repeatedly supply their McDonald's stores with goods and collect virtual currency from them will be rewarded with a "limited edition McDonald's sculpture." What could be more coveted? The McDonald's campaign follows closely on Capital One opening a virtual branch in CityVille as well as launching a presence in FarmVille …

Bosch home appliances launched a new website designed to make it easier to find Energy Star certified major home appliances. The Bosch website allows guests to browse, research, and purchase appliances.   The site also has recipes to cook at Amy’s Kitchen Table, the official Bosch blog featuring meals cooked in a Bosch-equipped kitchen.      

Direct mobile marketing company Zoove Thursday announced raising $5 million from Rogers Ventures, the venture capital arm of Canada-based telecom giant Rogers Communications. The funding follows on the heels of Zoove's fourth-round financing last month led by Panorama Capital. The company's StarStar dialing codes allow advertisers to reserve short numerical codes that mobile users can dial for special deals and offers. The codes are typically formatted as ** followed by the name of the brand being marketed. Like SMS short codes, they're also meant to be integrated with traditional media including billboards, print ads, TV and radio spots. Through its …

Horizon Media has hired Sean Smith as senior vice president-managing director of its retail group.He joins from Interpublic's Draftfcb unit.

Horizon Media has hired Sean Smith as senior vice president-managing director of its retail group.He joins from Interpublic's Draftfcb unit.

GroupM's IEG unit just unveiled a redesigned version of its www.sponsorship.com Web site.

The IAB Mobile Marketing Center of Excellence just released the final version of its Mobile Rich Media Ad Interface Definitions," MRAID.