BuzzLogic has changed its name to Twelvefold Media following the rollout of its Spectrum real-time ad platform last month. The company said the new name "signifies a substantial increase in size, degree or amount" and centers on Spectrum, which targets display ads at the page level based on topic, audience and social activity. "BuzzLogic was a name that reflected more of who we were years ago, which created misunderstanding in the marketplace," said Twelvefold CEO Dave Hills, in a statement. "With the launch of Spectrum, we felt it was time for a fresh start, and began looking for a name …

Smartphone penetration in the U.S. is creeping towards the halfway mark as 2011 comes to a close. According to new data from Nielsen, 43% of all U.S. mobile users. A majority of people 44 and under now own a smartphone, and nearly two-thirds (62%) of those aged 25-34 have one. After younger adults, the fastest growing group of smartphone users are those 55-64. Smartphone penetration among this older group is only 30%, but it jumped 5 percent this quarter, according to Nielsen. Around 40% of 12-17 year-old teens and 40% of 45-54 year-olds reported owning a smartphone, as opposed to …

Electronic Arts has enlisted some high-octane talent (in the form of A-list director Michael Bay) to create advertising for its Need for Speed: The Run racing gaming coming out this holiday season.

Madison Avenue's newest-and-and-most-improved title, Curator of Pop Culture, is so last year. The hot new title, according to Y&R New York, is Creative Culturalist.

Along with its Livestand iPad app, Yahoo Wednesday unveiled a flurry of other new mobile and Internet products including an iPad version of Yahoo Mail that lets people viewing unread emails from their contacts as well as personalized news, weather, and Trending Now videos. The Web portal also released an iPad version of IntoNow interactive TV app and Yahoo Weather for Android devices.  In addition, Yahoo added a trio of social features to Yahoo News. One enables people to have small group conversations about the day’s news. Notifications will inform people of activity on Yahoo! that interests them. …

Haggar Clothing Co. has selected Austin, Tex.-based McGarrah Jessee as its Agency of Record to assist in guiding the company’s branding efforts.“Consumers are looking for well-made clothing at reasonable prices from brands they trust, without having to sacrifice on style,” said Jon Ragsdale, Senior VicePresident, Marketing & Merchandising at Haggar, in a statement. “We believe McGarrah Jessee understands that vision and is the perfect partner for us to help showcase a rich heritage and innovative new product lines to our loyal fans and to future customers.”

Barcode technology company Scanbuy today reported the number of active users for its scanning technology increased 300% during the third quarter from a year ago. There has also been a 39% increase in the average number of scans per code, and more than 20 million scans have been processed through its ScanLife system this year through September. The single best QR code marketing campaign had nearly 428,000 scans in six weeks. Women now make up 43% of the total barcode scanning audience, up from 30% a year ago.

KISS frontman, actor and entrepreneur Gene Simmons will keynote the Mobile Marketing Association's MMA Forum Nov. 17 in Los Angeles. The MMA said Simmons and his business partner, Ortsbo President David Lucatch, will "talk to marketers about the need to start speaking in the language of their customers."

The Wall Street Journal remains the No. 1 newspaper in the U.S., according to the latest figures released today by the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC). The Journal once again leads all daily newspapers in total average circulation, which includes both print and digital, rising 1.7% to 2,096,170 (September 2011) from 2,061,141 (September 2010).

MTV's second "O Music Awards," which recognizes artists impacting digital music, nearly doubled the live stream numbers of its inaugural event in April, and generated more than 22.2 million user votes. The event, which was sponsored by Dove go fresh Deodorant, Dance Central 2 for Xbox, Trojan, and L'Oreal, also featured a special tribute to late Apple chief Steve Jobs.