Westlake Ace Hardware has launched a marketing campaign designed to drive mobile database opt-in. Westlake is working with marketing technology services company SoundBite Communications on the campaign.

Though consumers clearly use their tablets to shop — a survey released Jan. 16 by rich media marketing company Zmags found that 87% of tablet owners did their holiday shopping using their tablets this year — only 4% of those surveyed said they prefer using mobile branded apps for shopping.

Mobile marketing and related ad spending will grow significantly this year, predicted Bruce Biegel, managing director of the Winterberry Group, a marketing consulting company, during a Direct Marketing Club of New York (DMCNY) presentation on Jan. 12.

The increased use of cell phones and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has changed the way the Do Not Call Registry operated over the past two years, according to a required biennial report to Congress from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

More than 18% of Christmas Day online traffic was initiated on a mobile device, an 8.4% increase year-over-year, according to an IBM report. Transactions completed on mobile devices also grew, from 5.3% in 2010 to 14.4% in 2011. Christmas Day online sales rose by 16.4% compared with last year's sales figures.

Consumer packaged goods marketer Specialty Foods Group Inc. (SFG) launched its first mobile campaign on Nov. 23 to promote the Kentucky Legend Ham product line, said Laura Luth, marketing manager at SFG. The contest targets a younger demographic who may not be familiar with Kentucky Legend Ham, she said.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) this week issued new guidelines that seek, respectively, to streamline the mobile ad market and codify privacy regulations.

EBay's third-quarter revenue increased 32% to $3 billion versus 2010, the company reported. It also reported Q3 net income of $490.5 million, a 14% year-over-year bump.

Executives from Apple and Google met with Congress regarding the issue, indicating that the privacy versus marketing debate will only become more heated as smartphones gain in popularity.

Marketers such as AT&T, American Express Corp. and Westin Hotels & Resorts are flocking to location-based initiatives, saying the precision of GPS-enabled mobile devices gives them a unique 
chance at conversion.

The Chicago Bulls NBA franchise launched a mobile initiative March 30 that allows fans to text in to receive real-time game updates, scores and player statistics via mobile phone. The team worked with Chicago-based mobile marketing firm Vibes Media on the initiative.

PennySaverUSA.com, a subsidiary of direct marketing company Harte-Hanks, and a provider of free online classifieds and online coupons, formally launched a mobile optimized website on February 7. Visitors to the site can use GPS technology to search for ads and coupons in their current location.

Two-thirds of all purchases and half of transactions will occur on mobile devices by 2015, Google executives said February 4. Consumer coupons will also transition from their current rate of 80% push to 80% opt-in four years from now, said David Shapiro, Google's director of small business marketing.

The Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) published a set of guidelines and best practices for mobile promotions on December 21, urging marketers to use honesty and transparency in their mobile deals.

The American Red Cross launched a mobile holiday donation effort this week, raising the minimum donation to $25 from $10 in years past. The campaign calls on individuals to text GIFT to 90999 in order to make the donation to the American Red Cross, to help fund efforts such as disaster response, teaching first aid and assisting the military where needed.

Marketers are making more use of mobile media to reach out to shoppers this holiday season and more shoppers are using their mobile devices to interact with ads, according to a new study.Engagement with mobile campaigns continues to grow, according to Millenial Media's tallies of action on its network, which covers more than 80% of the U.S. mobile ad market.

Disney Parks and Resorts launched a location-based initiative November 18 with mobile check-in service Gowalla to engage visitors through their mobile devices.

Internet-based radio service Pandora is beta testing e-mail registration for its advertising partners on mobile devices.

The Walt Disney Company will offer deeper location-based services in the next six months to broaden its entertainment experience and to become "site location-aware," said AJ Rhodes, director of strategy and marketing at Disney.

The Virginia Tourism Corporation launched an iPhone application October 5 to give visitors immediate information about the state and its attractions and lodging options.