Industry news headlines

Meet the "New Info Shoppers"
"Political consultant and trendwatcher Mark Penn has identified a burgeoning consumer segment -- the "new info shopper." His research found that 92% of respondents trusted information gleaned from online searches as opposed to in-store sales pitches. While consumers have traditionally researched major purchases like homes and cars via the Web, the interactive marketplace is creating new categories of information-driven purchasing. The the new info shoppers just can't buy anything unless they first look it up online and get the lowdown." Wall Street Journal

10 things you need to know about mobile
"The much-touted location-based services (LBS) that marketers dream of leveraging for laser-geo-targeted promotions have not found their own way yet. A small percentage of U.S. phones have GPS built in, and while many more will come to market this year, carriers can't figure out how to price and promote them." Online Media Daily

Mobile video use up 14%, but numbers are still small
"Only 5% of the wireless subscribers in the U.S. access video content in a given month, but the 10.3 million who do represent a 14% gain from 2007, according to the Nielsen Co., which cited the growth of Internet-friendly handsets as the major driver of video viewing." MediaWeek

Web analytics market set to defy recession
"In the US, a survey conducted by the Web Analytics Association (WAA) has found that more than 96% of respondents plan to increase or maintain current spending on web analytics during the year. While the survey of more than 650 marketing and analytics professionals highlighted that more than 40% of respondents see funding as their biggest challenge, WAA says that the investment outlook is positive." MrWeb Daily Research News Online