If the ANA Annual Conference in Orlando, packed to the rafters, is any indication, the mood might be turning positive. A study unveiled at the event by IHS Global Insight says advertising can help. The study, done for The Advertising Coalition says that advertising accounts for $5.8 trillion of the $29.6 trillion in U.S. economic output and supports 19.8 million, or 15%, of the nation's 133.4 million jobs. Yearly ad spend for U.S. businesses is $279 billion. The study also finds that ad impact is consistent across the U.S. region and state populations not withstanding (the firm says ads …

Mobile  data usage by teens has grown four-fold in the last year, according to new data from Nielsen. While teen use doesn't reach young adult levels of activity, it's increased substantially compared to a year ago from 14 MB to 62 MB. Some 94% of teen mobile subscribers self-identify as advanced data users, turning to their cellphones for messaging, internet, multimedia, gaming, and other activities like downloads. Read more here.

To support the launch of Trident Layers’ Cool Mint + Melon Fresco flavor, Trident will run a one-day promotion in which consumers who grab taxis from a special stand in Manhattan’s Times Square can pay for their rides with packs of Trident Layers. Starting at 6:30 am to 2:30 pm on Oct. 21, Trident will run a branded cab stand/promotion area located at the corner of Broadway and 42nd Street. Consumers who present a pack of Trident Layers -- either purchased or one of the free sample packs that will be distributed at the promotion location, while supplies …

Jim Beam Black Double Aged Bourbon is building on its "8 Years Changes Everything" advertising campaign – which spotlights the spirit's eight-year aging process -- with a bonfire-themed, Facebook-hosted online game and sweepstakes. Beamfire.com, which goes live on Oct. 15, will offer legal-age consumers the opportunity to symbolically discard aspects of their lives that they've outgrown over the past eight years, by "throwing" photos or text descriptions of these into a virtual bonfire. Each discarded memory earns one point, which translates into one entry in a sweepstakes. Each week during the sweeps' eight-week duration, drawings will determine the …

Yahoo today unveiled its first dedicated country music site, sponsored by Ram Truck. "Ram Country on Yahoo Music,"  is meant to serve as the chief online hub for country music's biggest stars and marks the single largest online marketing effort by Ram Truck to date. The site will feature a variety of reality-based video programs including a live studio show, a series featuring acoustic performances in a "natural setting" and a segment that looks at a day in the life of a country music artist. News, photos and promotions will round out content on the new site. …

Apple and Verizon Wireless have formally joined forces, but not to sell the iPhone. Starting Oct. 28, Verizon will offer a Wi-Fi only iPad bundled with its MiFi 2200 Mobile Hotspot device for $20 a month for 1 GB of usage. The iPad models plus MiFi will sell for $630 (16GB), $730 (32GB) and $830 (64GB). Verizon will also offer the iPad models on a standalone basis. Can the iPhone be far behind? Here's the release.

Local mobile ad network xAd has secured $4 million in venture funding from Emergence Capital, which has backed other companies including Salesforce.com, aQuantive and Doubleclick. The San Francisco-based startup plans to use the new capital to expand its technology platform and management team, and increase share in the local mobile ad business. Using proprietary mobile search algorithms, xAd's LocalAdXchange is meant to identify "who, what, and where an end user is," and target ads based on that information. The company says its network has already attracted more than one million local and national performance-based advertisers. As a result, …

Just as America has gotten used to Walmart's mammoth supercenters, the retailer says it plans to focus on smaller stores, as well, to better expand in U.S. urban markets. At a presentation for investors in Rogers, Ark., Walmart execs laid out its growth plans for the next several years, which will include between 30 and 40 smaller size stores in its fiscal 2012, as well as between 155 and 165 large stores. It also plans to add between 7 and 12 additional Sam's Clubs. "Over the next few years, we will introduce new formats to help us enter …

Microsoft and Facebook made a little history Wednesday when the two companies announced tighter integration to create Bing Social. The announcement at Microsoft's Silicon Valley headquarters laid out features that will roll out this week as well as in the near future. The tools based on Facebook's instant personalization features puts members in control of the information shared when someone queries the keywords on the search engine. If someone decides to share an article on Facebook about a musical interest, the content will stream to friends on Bing when someone queries keywords. Consumers should have control of back-end …

HUGE, the DUMBO, Brooklyn-based digital agency that is part owned by Interpublic, has announced a reorganization of its top management team that includes the departure of two of its founding partners: David Skokna and Sasha Kirovski. Skokna, who recently guest edited the September issue of MEDIA magazine, had been executive creative director. Kirovski had been the partner in charge of technology. Aaron Shapiro, another partner responsible for the company’s growth, business operations, and strategic leadership with clients, adds the title of Chief Executive Officer. Gene Liebel, a partner who led the creation of the agency’s design capabilities …