As more people begin to access the Web using a wireless device than they do using a PC, it will become crystal clear to brands, agencies and companies across the ecosystem that they can’t afford to treat their mobile strategy and presence as an afterthought. Some of the smartest minds in mobile marketing and advertising recently gave their 2012 predictions for mobile during a webinar conducted by Mobile Marketer and sponsored by Hipcricket. However, there was a lack of consensus when it came to answering THE big question: how will mobile play out in 2012? MORE >>

Today we catch up with Stephanie Bauer Marshall, Associate Director, Mobile Advertising & Marketing, Verizon Wireless. Verizon Wireless, the leading U.S. Stephanie is speaking today at the mobileSQUARED Roadshow , a one-day, interactive conference taking place today in New York. The program is sharply focused on mobile marketing essentials and strategy and Stephanie – a keynote speaker at the event – is using the occasion to share key learnings on the do’s and don’ts of mobile marketing and advertising. What do people appreciate? In a word: relevancy. 9:40]. MORE >>

Hipcricket also won consecutive annual pioneer awards from CTIA — The Wireless Association. It was the brands that told us with their increased marketing spends that 2010 was The Year of Mobile. Now consumers are the ones showing us through their actions — reaching for their mobile phones at every step of the consumer journey, from researching products to making purchases — that this is the Year of Mobile Commerce. retailers. All of the data is aggregated and anonymous. Predictably, we are willing to spend more when shopping on the Internet. Online sales in the U.S percent). MORE >>

Hipcricket also won consecutive annual pioneer awards from CTIA — The Wireless Association. This week Yahoo’s board fired CEO Carol Bartz , news that rocked the industry and has some debating if the company’s inability to choose between being a media company or a technology provider is to blame. think we need to look elsewhere and ask: Would Yahoo’s shakeup at the top have happened if the company had been innovating in mobile instead of slipping further behind? We’ll likely never know the answer. News site mocoNews provides some worthwhile insights and analysis. MORE >>

The major wireless carriers — AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Bell Mobility and Verizon Wireless — all also offer ways to report the numbers on their Web sites and can block numbers. With billion-dollar and exclusive usage rights in place, the Olympic Games have always been about big money and feverishly policed by lawyers on behalf of brands, content owners and media giants. Yes, you read this right. The IOC has introduced The Olympic Athletes’ Hub , which it says will include the verified social media feeds of more than 1,000 current and former Olympians. Don’t bet on it. MORE >>