WPP's MediaCom Worldwide has launched a new global sports division, MediaCom SPORT, the agency confirmed today. The shop has hired IMG veteran John Marcus to run the new unit as Global Head of Sports. Given the appeal of sports to huge numbers of consumers, many agencies are active in sports marketing, event and promotional activities either through formalized units or on a client need basis. In fact, MediaCom's parent GroupM has a unit called Entertainment Sports Partnerships (ESP). Just last week it promoted Bryce Townsend to North American CEO, succeeding Greg Luckman, who left to join CAA …

Eight months into the job, Mediabrands CEO Matt Seiler continues to put his stamp on the Interpublic media management arm with new initiatives and restructurings. The latest unit to get a revamp: Mediabrands Ventures which houses a number of the holding company’s specialty units like search and social agency Reprise, hyper-local operation Geomentum and mobile agency Ansible. As an organizational entity the name Mediabrands Ventures is being discarded and in its place three new specialist groups are being formed. Each group will contain clusters of offerings based on how broadly or narrowly they’re designed to reach audiences. For example, the …

Despite heat waves and unsettling economic headlines, consumers shopped plenty in July, with many of the nation's largest retailers posting sales increases well within their expectations. Standouts include Saks, where demand for designer duds, accessories and fine jewelry sparked a 15.8% increase in comparable store sales. Rival luxury chain Neiman Marcus saw its sales rise 7.7%, and at Nordstrom, results increased 6.6%. The International Council of Shopping Centers says its index rose 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. "Sales growth continued to show strength in July, which may be a good omen for the back-to-school season," Michael P. Niemira, …

Women's media network BlogHer is partnering with P&G for a year-long program called "Life Well Lived," aimed at, per a BlogHer statement, 25 million women whom the network reaches every month. The program comprises content and special offers via partner blogs. Content, on a hub on BlogHer.com, will focus on "Looking Your Best," "Getting Organized," and "Getting Happy." Bloggers will lead discussions and sample and review new P&G products The network is a syndicate of news, information, advice, recommendations to and from some 2,500 blogs, per BlogHer. Writers get paid via a revenue sharing model.

Four out of 10 U.S. smartphone users have an Android-based handset, according to new data from comScore covering the three months ending in June. That estimate roughly matches the 39% U.S. market share for Android in June reported by Nielsen last week. comScore said Apple was second, with a 26.6% share, followed by BlackBerry-maker Research in Motion, at 23.4%, Microsoft, 5.8%, and Symbian, 2%. Android's 40.1% share share was up from 34.7% a year ago, and 38.1% in May. Apple's share was up 1 percentage point from a year ago, while RIM's dropped 3.7 points, and Microsoft's 1.7 points. Symbian …

Infiniti is once again partnering with Hearst Magazines' Esquire, Food Network Magazine, Harper's Bazaar, House Beautiful, Popular Mechanics, and Town & Country to host The Infiniti Moments of Inspiration at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. The effort includes unveiling of Infiniti's JX Concept, a three-row luxury crossover vehicle. Also on display will be the automaker's 2012 Infiniti FX, and the company's Red Bull Racing Formula One car. This is the fifth time Hearst and Infiniti are doing an experiential program at the event. Infiniti's venue includes demonstrations and tastings from chefs like Food Network's 2010 Next Iron Chef Marc …

Technology research firm IDC confirmed prior reports that Apple in the second quarter overtook Nokia as the world's biggest smartphone seller. With 20.3 million iPhones shipped in the quarter, Apple claimed 19.1% of the global smartphone market. Samsung was second, with 17.3%, while Nokia fell to third, at 15.7%. That marks a precipitous slide from a 37.3% share a year ago for the Finnish phone giant as the iPhone and Android devices crowd the field. The overall smartphone market grew 65% in the second quarter, with 106.5 million handsets shipped. While growth is still strong, that figure …

Worldwide mobile connections will reach 5.6 billion this year, up 11% from 5 billion connections in 2010, and hit 7.4 billion by 2015, according to a new Gartner forecast. Mobile data services revenue will grow 22% to $314.7 billion, and reach $552 billion in four years. "Mobile data traffic will increase significantly as more people will have access to mobile data networks, there is a migration toward smartphones and an increase in sales of media tablets," said Jessica Ekholm, principal research analyst at Gartner. But slower growth rates for data revenue over time will lead to an increase …

Interpublic's McCann Worldgroup has acquired U.K.-based interactive design shop AllofUs, which will continue to operate under that name as part of McCann's U.K. operations. Terms were not disclosed, but AllofUs was founded in 2003 and has worked for a roster of media and entertainment clients including the BBC, BSkyB, Canal+, and Microsoft's Xbox, as well as technology marketers such as Nokia, Microsoft and Yota.

On the heels of buying 2D barcode developer Jagtag in July, Augme Technologies Thursday announced acquiring all the assets of mobile marketing firm HipCricket for $44.5 million in cash and stock. The deal also calls for a year-long earn-out payment valued at up to $27.5 million, to be paid in cash or stock. Augme plans to take on all of Hipcricket’s employees once the transaction is closed. "We expect the complementary resources of Augme, JAGTAG and Hipcricket, when combined, will allow Augme to provide the most powerful best-of-breed mobile marketing solutions to global brand name leaders, backed …