• by Laurie Petersen , July 11, 2007

I've got news for the 10 people named as OMMA's Rising Stars. There's at least a 60/40 chance you'll have a new title or work at a new company this time next year.

That's based on my scientific evaluation of last year's crop of honored media professionals. At least two went on to bigger jobs at new companies, and four took on more responsibilities at their existing agencies.

So we applaud employers who nominated members of their own staffs for recognition this year. You're courageous to do so in this market, where the best people are in high demand.

OMMA editors select the Rising Stars each year from a pool of online nominations, as well as through interviews with agency executives and other media and marketing people of influence. Watch this space next year to see how many make a career move.

This month we also look at the role of the Internet as a rising star in the 2008 presidential election. One consultant calls it the "Wild West of the Web," and predicts plenty of stumbles along the way as candidates learn how to use the Web to their best political advantage.

The Internet's ability to ignite a campaign in no time or burn it to the ground just add to the challenge for candidates seeking to harness a force that is inherently uncontrollable.

Then there are the ad networks - suddenly quite sexy as the M&A market heats up. But an interesting trend is going on, as contributor Tobi Elkin points out. The big are getting bigger thanks to consolidation, but niche networks keep proliferating - specializing in emerging media like podcasts, RSS feeds, mobile content and broadband video.

What does it mean for you? Read on to find out.