We thought we’d exhausted all options with banner ads and pop-ups, but Apple’s CEO Steve Jobs is changing the way we interact with ads.

iAds is Apple’s new brainchild, which takes the principle of in-search advertising and applies it within the app, according to an article in Mashable.

Jobs ran with the idea as a way to fix a common problem with traditional ads, which he said is the combination of interaction and emotion. A user would explore an iAd for the movie Toy Story by clicking the ad and watching trailers, playing games and even buying products through the ad.

Go mobile, or go home, right?

Photo via apple.com

In an age where mobile computing is the norm, it was only a matter of time before TV viewing on smartphones became mainstream.

That time has come.

For the past three years, Hulu has delivered premium video content that caters to both consumers’ and advertisers’ needs. This free media content turns a profit through advertisements. Hulu has the added benefit of having less advertisements than television.

The Hulu Plus application allows brands to expand to mobile and portable devices, such as the iPhone and iPad–with a catch. The plus version requires a $9.99 monthly subscription fee, which provides users with entire series and seasons of content in HD.

Mobility is a great thing.

Photo via businessinsider.com

In the realm social networking, status is everything.

Status updates and rankings keep people engaged because they’re both interactive and competitive. So, Foursquare is bringing those qualities to the real world, actualizing users’ loyalty with real clothing badges.

By leveraging its popularity with this merchandise, the growing social network is giving enthusiastic fans a way to display their loyalty, according to an article in Mashable. The seller, Nerd Merit Badges, calls them “real-world merit badges,” which prominently display your rank on your shirt, bag or any other material you choose to stick them on.

The marketing initiative could lead to a new channel of licensing for Foursquare, such as on coffee mugs, T-shirts and other items.

We’d like to try them on for size!

Photo via mashable.com

Starbucks is considering expanding its brand from fine-brewed coffee by adding a repertoire of sophisticated, locally sourced beverages.

One of the coffee chain’s undercover stores–15th Ave. Coffee and Tea–plans to add wine and beer from Pacific Northwest vineyards and local brewers this fall. These changes accompany the store’s renovations, which include an indoor-outdoor fireplace.

Coffee has always been the mainstay of the chain, but its latest offerings and marketing initiatives with breakfast sandwiches and, more recently, VIA have emphasized the fast-paced lifestyle. Fine wines and hand-crafted beers appear to re-emphasize the brand’s long-standing value of fine quality.

Next up: coffee and wine-tasting room?

Photo via http://www.seattlepi.com

Massivley multi-player online games and traditional video games are virtual playgrounds for marketers and advertisers.

With social networks expanding exponentially, casual gaming developers have a captive audience from a wide-range of demographics–perfect for in-game advertising.

Casual-gaming developer Zynga is the perfect case study, with its flagship title FarmVille drawing in millions of Facebook’s 400 million users.

But casual gamers get bored. When Zynga noticed a steep decline in FarmVille’s once 250 million users, it decided to change things up.

FrontierVille integrates the basics of FarmVille with an Oregon Trail Twist and has already brought in 5 million active users in just two weeks.

Reining in users is never an easy task.

Photo via fastcompany.com

Facebook may be a social media trailblazer, but it must adopt trends like everyone else to keep up with the times.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, announced this week the site will include location-based features soon, according to an article in Mashable.

The site’s new addition will use data from existing networks like Foursquare, Brightkite and Gowalla to develop its API.

One concern for the new development is privacy — the social networking giant just spent the last few months calming its 400 million users’ concerns about privacy.

And, while it’s confirmed Facebook plans to include these features soon, it hasn’t revealed just how it will work. Geo-tagging could apply to any thing from pictures to “checking-in.”

Will Facebook’s users be on board?

Photo via http://blog.karachicorner.com

Sponsoring one of the largest sporting events in the world is one way to get your brand out there–just showing up is another.

Nearly 30 percent of FIFA’s revenues come from sponsorship deals, so, naturally, the governing body of the World Cup fights to protect its loyal sponsors through its rights-protection program.

This year, Budweiser is a primary sponsor — and stakeholder in the organization.

When the “Bravaria Beer Babes” disguised themselves as Denmark supporters only later to reveal their orange mini-skirt outfits advertising the beer company, FIFA stepped in by throwing them out and filing charges.

Like it or not, Bravaria Beer is now known worldwide.

Well, it got us talking, right?

Photo via http://industry.bnet.com

It’s no secret that coffee shops love to offer free WiFi to keep their customers happy.

For years, Starbucks’ exclusive contract with AT&T solicited customer loyalty by locking visitors into weekly, monthly or year-long WiFi plans.

Now the coffee giant is opening up its wireless offerings with a new marketing plan — distinctive partnerships with media giants to provide value-add content beginning this fall.

It’s all on the Starbucks Digital Network. This gateway page seizes the opportunity to expand the Starbucks brand while also providing customers with free access to paid sites like the Wall Street Journal,  The New York Times, iTunes, For the next few months, customers will have to settle for the first two hours free through AT&T.

What better way to keep your customers tuned in with free downloads and targeted content?

Starbucks patrons, rejoice!

Photo via watblog.c

At Starbucks, it pays to be Mayor — at least on Foursquare.

The budding location-based game is new fodder for corporate marketing strategies, with companies like Starbucks and Bravo TV delivering freebies for frequent visitors. And a lot is in it for them, too. Incentives for “checking-in” allow these companies to measure their popularity and learn about their customers with real-time data.

Starbucks is a prime example of how social gaming promotes loyalty. For mayors of Starbucks locations, the coffee conglomerate offers $1 off any Frappucino. Foursquare stands to gain a lot from working with Starbucks, as the company is one of the most widespread merchants.

It’s all fun and games–until someone overthrows your rule and snags your coupon.

Photo via http://theblackfin.com

With roughly 74 percent of adults online, companies are starting to rein in the conversation as employees flock to social media outlets for personal expression.

And image isn’t the only thing to protect — confidentiality is huge, too.

Taco Bell has rats? (Not!) John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods, secretly blogging about his company’s stock? It’s never too late to learn from others’ mistakes.

A social media policy gets everyone on the same page, so executives can ensure company standards are in place.

Here are a few components that should be included in your social media policy:

- Online employee code of conduct

- Employee blogging and social media sites disclosure policy

- Corporate blogging policy

- Corporate approval policy for online posts

- Corporate commenting policy

Social media policy management tools provide a neat checklist to get your policy off the ground.  Toolkit Cafe is one tool social media strategist Jason Falls recommends. It provides a set of rules for social media–including information about legal problems–to make sure everything runs smoothly.

How’s that for a safety net?

Photo via socialmediatoday.com