• Advertising Age, Wednesday, October 15, 2008 12:15 PM

In case you hadn't noticed, the market is suddenly flooded with smart phones. Despite the tough economy, expect iPhones and similar devices to be at the top of consumers' wish lists this holiday season. Which all adds up to one thing: Mobile search marketing is set to become the fastest growing field in all of digital advertising.

There is no shortage of companies ready to claim the mantle: JumpTap, Medio Systems and ChaCha, along with Google, Yahoo and MSN, are all developing mobile-dedicated search options. But no one has emerged as dominant yet, and local search agency TMP this week released data showing consumers still use a combo of online and offline search sources when looking for info.

"Marketers need to pay close attention to mobile search and sites that offer consumers user reviews, as they are growing in popularity," said Gregg Stewart, senior VP-interactive, TMP. The study found one in five shoppers with a standard cellphone has conducted a local search via the mobile web; two-thirds of respondents with Wi-Fi-enabled devices have conducted a search.

Read the whole story at Advertising Age »