Despite plateauing this year, Web banner ads remain a major source of advertising revenue for marketers. However, their creators are working to improve their effectiveness and interactivity with consumers.

Twitter will play a larger role in retailers' marketing plans this year than in the past, and not only because the social site is much more prominent than it was last year.

For NBC Universal, the explosion of online video has opened up creative opportunities to promote its on-air lineup.

For Sherwin-Williams, introducing an iPhone app was a natural extension of its online and in-store efforts.

Social network membership is growing among Americans, according to a recent Forrester Research study. The most rapid growth has occurred among consumers 35 and older; however, all ages and demographics use social networking sites regularly.

Business-to-business marketer Janus Capital Group launched a Web site last month as part of a digital strategy to reach customers and prospects one-to-one.

In a crowded online retail market, Web analytics have become essential. But visitor counts alone aren't cutting it anymore for e-commerce firms looking to provide ultra-personalized shopping experiences.

More brands are looking to add the mobile channel to build relationships and be a part of the CRM mix.

E-books still represent a small percentage of overall online book sales. But this could soon change, thanks to several recent and upcoming developments in this category. In a new report, How Big Is the Reader Opportunity, Forrester Research forecasts that the US market for e-readers will rise from 1 million to 2 million users in 2009.

On May 26, Nokia launched its Ovi Store, an online software and content repository, to an estimated 50 million Nokia device owners worldwide.