Growth in-application advertising helped mobile ad network InMobi increase ad impressions 71% in North America for the three months ending in May. In-app ads accounted for 53% of the rise in impressions and represented more than half (57%) of the total. InMobi has served 13 billion in-app ads to date in 2011 and expects to serve over 50 billion by year-end. Data released by InMobi Wednesday also showed Android has a growing presence on its network, accounting for 35.5% of impressions in May compared to 30.2% in February. Apple’s iOS enjoyed an even bigger jump, increasing share from 15.5% …

The Android version of the popular Shazam app for naming the tune you're hearing now includes in-app advertising opportunities. Available in the Android Market and Amazon Appstore, the updated app will let marketerss "own" the Shazam listening screen while a song is being identified by Shazam users.  The new version also allows ad creative to be optimized according to a device's screen resolution. Shazam, which last week announced raising a $50 million investment round, introduced in-app advertising for its iPhone and iPad apps late last year.

A new report from Nielsen finds that the world over, women shoppers are feeling more stressed, more empowered, and more optimistic about what life will be like for their daughters. The survey looked at women in 21 countries, and found that almost 80% of those respondents in developed countries say that the role of women will change, and 90% say it will be for the better. Women in emerging markets are more likely to believe their daughters will find better opportunities than they did. While all women feel the stress of multiple roles, the study reports that tension …

What's a "Like" worth, anyway? The question is emblematic of broader questions about the value of social media marketing. In that vein, Techlightenment, a unit of Experian, has rolled out a new software tool that promises to allow brands to attribute social interactions to actual revenue. By tracking content sharing, conversions and identifying key influencers on social sites, the company's attribution system is designed to give marketers the ability to calculate the monetary return of social campaigns.

The Mobile Marketing Association has released a new white paper meant to provide brands, agencies and other marketing professionals with a hands-on guide for creating and monetizing campaigns featuring mobile apps and sites. Titled “Getting Started — A Brand Marketer’s Guide to the Mobile Web and Mobile Apps: Not an Either/or Proposition,” the paper covers topics including tips for building consumer awareness of apps and mobile sites, analytic tools for measuring a campaign’s impact and reach, and paid and ad-supported business models. The guide was written by Katheryn Koegel, who has held management positions at Phase2Media and DoubleClick …

Momentum Worldwide this afternoon announced the launch of Momentum Entertainment Group, a new unit with offices in New York, Hollywood and New Orleans that will develop, "future generation content." The group will initially be comprised of three divisions –Momentum Entertainment, Artist & Brand and Branded Pictures – and will be led by President Steven Marrs, who reports to Momentum Worldwide Chairman and CEO Chris Weil. Marrs previously ran his own production company, Branded Pictures, which becomes part of Momentum Entertainment Group. "We modeled ourselves after the original premise of the United Artist Studio," Marrs stated, adding, bringing great creative …

Walgreens says it is rolling out Web Pickup service to all its Chicago area stores, a move experts say is evidence that the multichannel trend is finally gaining traction in the mass category. And in some locations, it says it will also offer curbside delivery, a strategy pioneered by casual dining chains. "In the big-ticket category, stores like Sears, Best Buy, and Lowe's have certainly been doing this for a while," Neil Stern, senior partner at McMillanDoolittle, a retail consulting company, tells Marketing Daily. "What's different here is that it shows how this is migrating more and more to …

Nevada passes Assembly Bill Number 511, making driverless cars like Google's legal. The bill defines driverless cars as relying on "artificial intelligence, sensors and global positioning system" to coordinate the ability for the car to drive itself without a human operator. Alex Taylor provides food for thought by asking if Google will become the new GM or Google Motors. While it may seem an unwelcome diversion for Google, a company knee-deep in regulatory battles, he notes the potential for driverless cars is huge, with 15 million new ones sold in the U.S. every year, about 60 million …