• by OMMA Magazine Writers , December 1, 2009

Follow the herd

The end of handset exclusivity? An expected ruling by the Federal Communications Commission on the exclusive handset deals between manufacturers and wireless carriers in the coming months could have a major impact on the industry. Think Verizone iPhone.

Web search has moved beyond ten blue links. Consumers will have an option to play games, videos, music and more right within the search page, says Larry Cornett, vice president at Yahoo search.

As brands continue to focus more on pushing content out to consumers wherever they are instead of trying to pull them to the corporate Web site, the line will blur between Web site analytics and social analytics, according to Karen Macumber, senior vice president of media services for AMP Agency. She says, "It will become less about how many site visitors are generated from a campaign, and more about how many brand interactions were produced across the Web, with brand interaction including everything from number of fans added on Facebook, to Tweets to blog posts."

More than two-thirds of Americans have turned to the Internet during the recession for job related information, according to the Pew Research Center, reinforcing how online and digital interactivity is becoming the bedrock of the media experience.

High unemployment, tight credit, a plummeting u.s. household net worth and the lingering impact of the worst economic recession since the Great Depression will continue to severely hinder discretionary spending, according to Veronis Suhler Stevenson and pq Media.

It is questionable whether the switch to paid content and services is sustainable with nearly half of all Americans "severely struggling" as a result of high unemployment, limited access to credit and weak education. All media companies "will have to come to terms with these economics," according to Bernstein Research analyst Craig Moffett. It will continue to be an economy of haves and have-nots.