The Groupon phenomenon and other social buying sites like LivingSocial have drastically changed the way we think about e-commerce and online marketing. The integration of purchasing capabilities into social platforms like Facebook allows businesses to establish relationships with customers and then translate them directly into sales. In other words, Return on Engagement is now easier to measure than ever.

This week GameStop Corp. embraced the social shopping trend, opening its own Facebook store. Instead of merely browsing the video game company’s products, customers can now purchase items directly through the Facebook application much in the same way as on their website.

Sally Beauty Supply also launched a Facebook store this week, providing the brand’s 48,000 fans with the ability to buy everything from hair dryers to lipstick directly through the social network.

Beyond Facebook, social commerce is making its mark on the mobile world. Swap.com released an iPhone app that facilitates transactions between individual buyers and sellers. Shoppers use their smartphones to scan a barcode somewhere in the real world and are instantly connected to other users through the application.

These developments will inevitably change not only the way consumers purchase products, but how companies promote them. Smart brands will have to figure out how to leverage consumer relationships and turn forums for conversations into measurable forms of commerce.

Top stories

‘Bring it on, Groupon’: LivingSocial gets $400 million infusion from investors

Watch out Netflix, here comes YouTube: The online video leader is shifting its focus to original content.

The least social social network finally opens up: LinkedIn’s answer to Facebook’s Open Graph.

Google introduces plus-one, its answer to Facebook’s “like” in a move towards social searching.

Apple curates a mobile advertising gallery in its new iAd Gallery app.

Facebook tests real-time ads generated based on your posts and status updates.

In another example of moving from “click to brick,” the world’s first “Skype booth” opens at Estonia’s Tallinn airport.

Views from around the Web

Mashable takes a look at how Facebook’s latest iPhone app, complete with event check-ins, better accommodates its users.

Business oracle Warren Buffett cautions investors against over-valuing social networks.

Why the Mad Men-Netflix content distribution deal is a game changer.

The New York Times paywall: A flexible monetization strategy or just plain confusing?

Slate breaks down the algorithm behind content farms.

Speaking of Slate, editor David Plotz spoke to Sparksheet this week about the challenges facing online journalism.

This week in social media

New Mac & Cheese contest turns Tweets into ads:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aEUlobecG4&feature=player_embedded

Tweet mirrors in London share real-time images on Facebook and Twitter:

Photo via thealttab.com

Skittles: Touch the Rainbow?

Hipmunk introduces a Facebook campaign that turns you into a chipmunk:

The online world has been abuzz in the last couple of weeks with videos that bridge the gap between branded entertainment and viral sensations. The latest viral videos share a common quality: they’re seriously funny.

Smartwater teams up with the lovable Jennifer Aniston in a video that pokes fun at the very concept of viral videos. A clever combination of irony and humour – not to mention puppies, babies, and a little sex appeal – has propelled the video to more than 8 million views on YouTube, making it the number one viral video of last week.

Aniston isn’t the only celebrity making people laugh in branded style. Sony Ericksson enlists the comedic flair of Kristen Schaal (Flight of the Conchords, The Daily Show) to promote its new mobile device, Xperia Play.

Whether Schaal watches herself on YouTube or delivers some devilish humour, the series of videos upholds its comedic value while demonstrating the product’s innovative features.

Switching gears from celebrity endorsers to, well, an orange puppet hero named Doug, Ford takes an informal approach in its latest video, attempting to create funny online content with a joke-spewing Don Juan of a puppet. Though the video was created by the writers and directors behind The Office, Borat, and The Simpsons, it misses the mark when it comes to actually promoting the 2012 Ford Focus.

Finally, Air New Zealand combines the best of the human and puppet worlds, presenting a collaboration between their mascot, Rico, and rapper Snoop Dogg in the airline’s latest online endeavour. The trending video doesn’t focus too much on Air New Zealand itself – though a few of the extras do sport an “I heart New Zealand” shirt. Still, the numbers speak for themselves: In less than a week, the video has attracted almost 250,000 hits.

Are these videos funny? Absolutely. Will their content effectively engage viewers? That remains to be seen. In the meantime, fans will continue to search for the best new online videos. And as long as we’re laughing with them, not at them (ahem, Rebecca Black), then embracing humour is often a winning strategy for brands. But then again, who isn’t glad it’s Friday?

Top Stories

AdAge remembers Elizabeth Taylor and her legacy as a leading pitch lady.

Copyright concerns halt Google’s plans for a universal digital library.

First-day figures for Firefox 4 top 7 million downloads.

RIM prepares to launch its PlayBook tablet.

Groupon goes mobile with Groupon Now.

Google launches new magazine, Think Quarterly, for its UK partners and advertisers.

Hedge Fund bets $40 million that Twitter can predict the stock market.

Beijing bans outdoor luxury ads amid a widening wealth gap.

Views from around the web

Google’s Crisis Response described as ‘social media to the rescue’ in the wake of Japan’s devastating earthquake.

Has Adidas produced the best 3-D digital out of home projection?

Brand Channel talks interactive marketing as Coca-Cola teams up with Maroon 5 for its live music event.

Can Gap compete with group buying sites like Groupon by inviting shoppers to negotiate prices?

This week in social media

Twitter celebrates its fifth birthday with some high-profile friends:

Xbox promotes Kinect for Xbox 360 – the technology that brings games to life without a controller – with a spot-on parody featuring Kylie Minogue:

The new photo and video sharing social network, Color, excites early adopters across mobile platforms:

Photo by Robert Scoble via flickr

Another week means another battle in the tablets wars. The release of Apple’s iPad 2 dominated this week’s headlines. Even before Wednesday’s launch, an alleged prototype spotted in China sparked much speculation in tech circles ranging from the device’s size and price, to whether Steve Jobs would make an appearance despite being on medical leave. Jobs did take the stage, announcing the new product to the delight of Apple fans and shareholders alike.

Reactions were mixed among critics and some felt strongly that there were more developments that Apple could have made. The newest iPad does enable significant face time, integrating both a front-facing camera and HD video capabilities. Apple has also created a Smart Cover and applications for Garageband and iMovie to beef up its pioneering tablet. As for price, the iPad 2 costs the same as the original iPad at $499.99 to $829.99.

Meanwhile, BlackBerry maker RIM conveniently garnered some attention of its own this week by leaking the April 10 launch date of its Blackberry PlayBook tablet. The company also showed off some of the PlayBook’s gaming capabilities at the Game Developers Conference, right around the corner from the iPad 2 launch in San Francisco. Even Hewlett-Packard joined the tablet conversation, accusing the PlayBook of copying its operating system design.

When it comes to tablets, Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha believes the most important feature is software. It remains to be seen whether software alone will make up for a higher price in Motorola’s own Xoom tablet. What we can say with certainty is that this week’s launch of the iPad 2 will continue to drive innovation among the companies vying to loosen Apple’s iron grip on the tablet market.

Top Stories

Google fixes a glitch and restores thousands of Gmail accounts.

Facebook makes group messaging easy, acquiring messaging service Beluga.

Apple’s subscription fees come under fire by publishers.

YouTube creates a new class of dot-com millionaires.

Views from around the web

The Daily is rumoured to renounce its iPad-only status and prepare for an Android launch this spring.

U.S. State Department invests $150 million in teaching Egyptian organizations and individuals about digital media.

Seth Godin weighs in on the battle between Apple and the publishing industry.

Google to launch in-app payments this May.

What the partnership of titans Nokia and Microsoft means for the mobile space.

This week in social media

Coca Cola continues to spread joy with the Happiness Truck:

Teach a man to tweet? Charlie Sheen attracts more than 1 million fans less than 24 hours after Ad.ly teaches him how to use Twitter:

With more than 1400 companies in attendance, the conference highlighted everything from smart phones to tablets to new applications for these proliferating devices. Even good old Angry Birds found a place in this week’s festivities, taking home the awards for Best Mobile App and App of the Year on the Apple platform.

It’s no surprise that tablets dominated this year’s conference. Acer launched its new Iconia tablets, which critics hope will have a more reasonable price tag than some of its competitors. HTC also revealed its Flyer model, which CEO Peter Chou claims is more than just another “me-too” product.

More than a showcase for new devices, the event made headlines by uncovering some controversial opinions about the world’s most powerful tech companies. For example, AT&T’s CEO found himself with few positive things to say about Apple’s customer service. On a more positive note, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer discussed the benefits of the Windows Phone 7 and boasted about the positive reactions it has received.

Smart phone pioneers Research in Motion also presented some new developments with Blackberry, unveiling a new app that manages travel itineraries. And Mark Zuckerberg a made a cameo via video recording to put the rumours about a Facebook phone to rest.

Throughout the conference, members were kept well informed via MWC’s  Twitter feeds. We can only hope that this year’s countless innovations will give us plenty to talk about on the mobile front until Mobile World Congress 2012.

Top stories

New LG Smartphone uses 3D technology.

Yahoo reveals Livestand, the latest in personalized magazines for tablets.

The Brazilian High Court apologizes for a Twitter message.

Apple implements controversial subscription fees. And so does Google.

Views from around the web

Yet another take on social media’s role in the Egyptian Revolution.

Facebook turns a new page, changing the role of page administrators.

Smart displays move in-store at JC Penny.

TED continues to “spread ideas worth spreading” on their new Quora-inspired forum.

This week in social media

Lil Wayne vs. Oreo: The unusual Facebook battle over a Guinness World Record:

Blackberry coordinates with TAT for a new scrapbook app:

Internet traffic to and from Egypt by centralasian via flickr

Egypt was on everyone’s radar this week, but the story spanned beyond the country’s political unrest. Social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube were a huge part of the conversation in the news and around the blogosphere.

Facebookwas at the forefront of the anti-government movement, uniting more than 85,000 people in protests and demonstrations – a not-so-subtle reminder of the sheer numbers behind our social networks.

In addition to mobilizing Egyptians, social media were used by reporters, bloggers and ordinary citizens to keep the world updated on the situation in real time. In recent days, journalists became part of the story as pro-government rioters singled them out as targets.

The award for most resilient social media site goes to Twitter, whose network prevailed even when Egypt’s Internet was disconnected. Teaming up with Google, citizens moved to “tweet” via phone lines that converted their messages into text.

Of course, not everyone was impressed by the role Twitter or Facebook played in the revolution. The New Yorker’s Malcolm Gladwell ruffled many feathers by suggesting that the medium just wasn’t as important as the message.

For businesses outside Egypt, the crisis presents a good learning opportunity. CBC Business Network took a closer look at the Egyptian government’s actions to find lessons about customer complaints and corporate flexibility.

Top stories

News Corp Launches its iPad-exclusive Newspaper, The Daily, to mixed reactions.

Facebook Deals rewards consumers for “checking in” to its partners’ locations.

Pepsi Refresh takes a gamble – and hopefully not a fumble – choosing a social media campaign over an ad during the Superbowl.

Views from around the Web

Google’s Honeycomb heats up the tablet market, officially taking aim at the iPad.

Facebook capitalizes on trust, turning our friends’ “likes” into “sponsored stories.”

Following the likes of Mozilla and Microsoft, Google Chrome lets users opt out of ads.

Is Heidi Klum the new Lady Gaga? The supermodel is the newest content creator for AOL.

Google accuses Bing of cheating.

This week in social media

Mercedes launches Tweet Race in time for the Superbowl:

The Old Spice guy is back in the new Super Fan video:

Honda promotes its Jazz model with the interactive app, “This Unpredictable Life:”

Travel Marketing

Caribou Coffee warms up potential customers by transforming bus shelters into branded experiences.

Southwest Airlines turns direct-connect into direct revenue – a competitive advantage they do not intend to share.

ITB encourages travel suppliers to establish trust with consumers before moving into social media marketing.

Media + Magazines

AOL takes aim at Flipboard with its new interactive magazine app, Editions – “The magazine that reads you.”

A study conducted by the Harvard Business Review Analytic Services reports that few business executives believe their companies use social media effectively.

The Independent demonstrates how newspapers and Facebook can work together to create a personalized media experience for readers.

Branded Content + Entertainment

With digital screens, real-time images and sounds, facial recognition, and some high-power fans, Discovery Channel series “Storm Chasers” comes to life when the “Urban Tornado” campaign touches down on the streets of New York City.

Tostitos focuses on making connections, using its Facebook page to launch an emotional social media campaign that reunites consumers with friends and loved ones.

Pizza Hut joins forces with Movies on Demand in an effort to entertain customers while they wait for their deliveries.

As you all know, we’re high on air travel around here and 2010 was a huge year for airline news. These past 12 months saw many a mid-air scandal, myriad mega-mergers and a deluge of tweeting. And with the holiday season in full gear, airport security remains a “touchy” subject.

Content is at the core of what we do at Sparksheet so we always keep a close eye on how it’s being created, shared and monetized. Brands, now involved in a group embrace with Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, have put a whole new spin on storytelling, creating transmedia campaigns and series that bridge the gap between advertising and entertainment.

Of course, the world of media and magazines continues to be transformed by the digital age. Aiding its metamorphosis in 2010 was the introduction of the iPad which, along with Amazon’s Kindle, spurred on the meteoric rise of the eBook. While this year saw more proclamations about the death of the print newspaper, huge news stories like the WikiLeaks cables injected new life into purportedly dying beasts.

Airlines + Travel Marketing

Confounding airlines and the tongues of news reporters alike, the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull filled the air with ash for seven long and flightless days. The TSA’s patdowns and backscatter x-ray technology threatened to prolong the American Thanksgiving rush, but what came out of it in the end were some rather “junky” YouTube videos.

Twitter-savvy director Kevin Smith ruffled the feathers of Southwest Airlines with statements like “You [messed] with the wrong sedentary processed-foods eater!” after he was booted out of his single seat for purportedly being ”too fat to fly.” On the other side of the curtain, disgruntled JetBlue flight attendant Steven Slater caused an incident memorable enough to warrant an eight-part Wikipedia entry.

We also saw some major mergers this year, with United and Continental becoming United Airlines and LAN and TAM poised to join forces in Latin America. Meanwhile, outer space acquired its first commercial caller, as Virgin Galactic’s V.S.S. Enterprise made its inaugural trip in October from a runway in New Mexico.

Branded Content + Entertainment

Old Spice, Nike and other brands proved that advertising can be as entertaining as unbranded content.

QR codes brought “traditional” media into the digital fold, with everyone from grocery stores to Dom Perignon crafting up clever 2D messages.

It’s that time of year when top 10 lists warrant their own top 10 lists: Time Magazine offers its top picks for entertainment, while Mashable serves up Twitter’s top trends.

Media + Magazines

The newspaper got its own doomsday clock this year but that hasn’t stopped muckrakers and newsgatherers; the recent WikiLeaks fiasco has brought issues such as transparency, freedom of the press and journalistic ethics back into the limelight.

The iPad launched in spring of 2010 to mixed reviews, selling over a million units within the first month.

Who said magazines can’t still turn heads? We leave you with the best magazine covers of 2010.

Social Media played a big role in the debate, as consumers shared their war stories on Twitter and YouTube. Key players jumped on the opt-out day train, with Loopt and Foursquare offering iPods and badges to those who requested a pat down in lieu of a an AIT scan.

Amidst growing hysteria, critics like Politico’s Micheal Kinsley called for some perspective. Meanwhile, the TSA continues to defend its position in light of recent terror attacks, but promises to address the growing oeuvre of stories of less-than-pleasant pat-down experiences.

Airlines + Travel Marketing

Despite a poll suggesting 61% of Americans are opposed to the new AIT scanner technology and pat-down procedure,  U.S. airports reported few holiday travel hold-ups.

Jamaica makes 100,000 fast Facebook friends, thanks to social media marketing.

In a surprising turn of events, PhoCusWright’s Online Travel Review reported offline travel bookings surpassing online bookings in 2010.

Media + Magazines

Amazon’s new plan to dismantle Brick-and-Mortar competitors? Hit them in the aisles.

iPad or Android? The platform debate for the publishing community.

The Last Newspaper, now on display at The New Museum.

Branded Content + Entertainment

NetFlix takes aim at their competition with a new streaming-only solution.

Tim Burton crowd-sources some creepy tales in the weeks leading up to his upcoming Toronto showing.

Online ad network RadiumOne introduces Like-vertising – a new approach to targeted-advertising.

Branded Content + Entertainment

Museums, retailers and airlines bring guerilla marketing into the social savvy aughts: Guerrilla Marketing in 2010.

Edelman’s Carole Cone warns marketers that “Cause-related marketing, as we know it, is dead.”

Jumping on the latest zombie trend, BrandFlakes suggests you can speak “directly to your audience’s desires. Even if their desires include BRAINS…”

Media + Magazines

Print Matters! The NY Art Book Fair’s patrons redefine print, “unrestrained by the dictates of readability.”

What do last week’s US election results mean for marketers and media types? Advertising Age considers.

Is online media pioneer Slate falling behind its younger, less erudite competitors? The NY Observer discusses.

Airlines + Travel Marketing

The Cranky Flier discusses how Southwest Airlines measures the success of “Bags Fly Free”

Looking to update your customer experience? Here are a few lessons for travel brands.

Ease your airport anxiety: iPhoneness releases a list of the Top 10 Airport Apps for iPhone.

Branded Content + Entertainment

SET Japan creates pop art QR codes for Dom Perignon’s Andy Warhol tribute.

Home Depot’s DIY specialists set up shop… everywhere?

Dominos pickets pizza-hating holdouts, with entertaining results.

Airlines + Travel Marketing

JetBlue and Southwest consider your baggage.

Online travel companies join forces in an attempt to block Google’s proposed ITA software purchase.

Stardate 10/22/2010: Foursquare user becomes first person to “check” in from space.

Media + Magazines

Magazines are entering “the conversation business,” conclude the folks at this year’s Reimagining the Future conference.

Seeing the world through rose (and blue) colored glasses – Japan releases a 3D newspaper.

Social publishing junkie Hugh McGuire constructs a new home for audiobooks.

Airlines + Travel Marketing

Cebu Pacific Air creates an upbeat alternative to the inflight safety snoozefest.

Heathrow Airport announces the winners of this year’s Travel Product Awards; MacBook Pro and Gucci fragrance among the key brands chosen by the voting public.

Cheap app posits serious security threat – Plane Finder AR soon to be on the no-fly list.

Media + Magazines

Online fashion retailers Net-a-Porter and My-Wardrobe.com pinch some big editorial names from the world of magazines to increase clicks via custom content.

Will Kindle sales revert the publishing monolith back to a cottage industry? A few thoughts on the ups and downs of the eBook world.

Looking for titles to fill up your eBook reader? SuperScholar compiles a list of the 50 most influential books of the last 50 (or so) years.

Branded Content + Entertainment

Major television networks notably absent from list of Google TV’s newly named list of Programming Partners.

iPad sales blow DVD player out of the water, taking top-position as the most quickly adopted non-phone electronic product.

A 700% increase in scannable barcodes ushers in a new era of interactive advertising.

Media + Magazines

Design buffs are abuzz about the new Writer app for the iPad (we’re loving the product brief as much as the app).

Living up to the hype: the US eBook market expected to reach $500 Million in 2010.

Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: a look at the state of the magazine from three distinct angles.

Airlines + Travel Marketing

A self-proclaimed “Instapaper for the real world,” Foursquare’s revamped iPhone App offers location-specific “tips” and curated “to-do” lists.

The no-nonsense bus gets a business casual makeover: bus lines step up to compete for the business travel ticket.

Photographer Nick Gleis offers exclusive views into the world’s most opulent private aircraft.

Branded Content + Entertainment

Why marketing heads should turn to Hollywood for cues on branded content.

Ad network VideoEgg acquires conversational media company SixApart to form SAY:Media.

Time Magazine’s curious countdown of oddball celebrity endorsements.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines plans the first inflight gay wedding.

Launching an airline in fast-growing Brazil.

The Top 10 Social Travel Networks broken down.

Media + Magazines

Five lessons from Longshot, a magazine made in 48 hours.

What’s wrong with American journalism, according to Jay Rosen.

YouTube pitches Hollywood on Pay-Per-View.

Branded Content + Entertainment

Behind the Arcade Fire’s interactive video experiment.

Mad Men stars shill for real brands, blurring the show’s boundaries.

The advertising jingle makes a comeback.

Facebook launches “Places” feature with a promo video that breaks down the “why” of check-in better than Foursquare ever did.

Forget location, people would rather check in to their favourite TV show.

How retail brands are engaging consumers by telling stories.

Airlines + Travel Marketing

Delta starts selling flights on Facebook.

United-Continental merger has brand loyalists feeling blue.

New FLYSmart airport app blurs the line between outdoor advertising and mobile media.

Media + Magazines

Will ads in books save the publishing industry…or destroy it?

Best-selling author Seth Godin cuts out the middle man; Tippingpoint Labs’ Andrew Davis says businesses should follow suit.

As baby boomers age, an American retirement magazine thrives.

Airlines + Travel Marketing

Disgruntled JetBlue flight attendant becomes folk hero.

A former flight attendant turned novelist looks back at the golden age of flying.

Free WiFI coming to New York City limos; idle cars will connect the neighbourhood.

Branded Content + Entertainment

Slate looks at the new trend of “advertising films” by A-list directors.

Beyond food, restaurants are selling “experiences.”

If you build a branded Web series, will they come?

Media + Magazines

How Star Trek imagined the iPad…23 years ago.

The sale of Newsweek raises some important questions.

Name that magazine by its typeface in this fun quiz for media geeks.

MediaShift: Beyond Content Farms

Media + Magazines

MediaShift devotes a full week to the new generation of “content farms.”

Flipboard transforms your social media streams into a magazine for the iPad.

Crowd-funded American news site Spot.Us goes national.

Airlines + Travel Marketing

Hyatt breaks hotel traditions with generous freebies and no front desk.

From Huffington Post’s new travel section: Shielding your privates from airport scanners.

Continental Airlines brings “self-boarding” to the USA.

Branded Content + Entertainment

Comedian turned online talk show host Kevin Pollak partners with Amazon and Hulu.

Five branding lessons from Pixar, the beloved animated movie studio.

Why interruption still trumps engagement – an alternative view.

Wallpaper* lets readers play art director for a day.

BBC News launches a new customizable website.

Slate goes long-form to engage “smart” readers, writers and advertisers.

Airlines + Travel Marketing

Kuwait Airways takes Iraqi Airways to court in the last battle of the first Gulf War.

Cathay Pacific has big plans for inflight WiFi and iPad connectivity.

Cranky Flier serves up a tasty visualization of what airlines spend on food.

Branded Content + Entertainment

YouTube wants to take over your television set.

Pepsi-sponsored nutrition blog gets canned.

Old Spice’s viral video marathon takes the social web by storm.

The first annual Social Media Day – brought to you by Mashable – takes place on June 30th with over 700 meetups worldwide.

Brand experiences aren’t filling the emotional void they should be, according to Forrester.

WordPress hits the 200,000,000 post mark. That’s a lot of content!

Media + Magazines

Time breaks down the best and most overrated blogs of 2010.

Of the 99 million people who viewed the World Cup on an ESPN/ABC platform, 97% tuned in on TV, 27% streamed games online, and 6% watched on their mobile.

Google Newspass will make “pay-per-view” content a reality, one click at a time.

Airlines + Travel Marketing

Free flights for social media influencers as Klout partners with Virgin America.

Airports as the new mall? Heathrow launches a campaign touting itself as a cheaper alternative to London’s West End shopping district.

Mary Kirby (aka @RunwayGirl) blogs an intriguing Boeing study on the future of IFE systems.

What stories made your headlines this week?

Branded Content + Entertainment

NewFront took place on June 10th, and if you missed it, you missed a stellar lineup discussing the future of branded entertainment.

The upside of branded content: Brands can give back… Let’s call it “branded altruism.”

As the World Cup gets underway, what should we expect? A “South Africa [that] will never be the same.”

Media + Magazines

Earlier this week, the Webby Awards took place, honouring the best of the web. Our two-part feature interview with Roger Ebert was released in conjunction with him being awarded the Webby Person Of The Year award.

The Philadelphia Inquirer ran a 3-D section in their newspaper with 3-D glasses included. An old technology that is coming back… with a vengeance.

The Red Bulletin June edition is out, and you don’t want to miss it. Why? Because it is one of the best examples of print 2.0 we’ve seen. Download the PDF to see what we are talking about.

Airlines + Travel Marketing

Airline satisfaction is reported to be at a three-year high according to this research.

May was a good month for the airline industry, in terms of kilometres travelled, if only because of all the chaos from the month before (due to a certain ash cloud).

Big Brother may be coming onto a Lufthansa airplane near you.

Spirit becomes the latest airline hit by a pilots’ strike, while Swedish pilots went on strike as well.

What stories made your headlines this week?

Airlines + Travel Marketing

Who will pay for inflight WiFi? Not companies, it seems.

Looks like the Florida tourism industry is doing fine despite the Gulf oil spill.

The iPad is coming to an airplane down under.

Branded Content + Entertainment

Disney is selling Toy Story 3 tickets…on Facebook.

Online video viewers are young, rich and educated, according to Pew.

What will Google TV mean for online marketers?

Media + Magazines

Is Wired’s iPad app the future of magazines – or a throwback to the CD-ROM of the ‘90s?

How do you spell retweet? AP Stylebook adds guidelines for new media.

How digital self-publishing is shaking up the traditional book industry.

Are electric bikes the future of green(ish) transportation?

Riots in Athens may be bad, but they’re leading to deep discounts for travellers.

Bad PR and customer relations aside, as dog lovers this Delta lost pet story broke our hearts.

Branded Content + Entertainment

A recent study claimed that TiVo doesn’t impact advertising’s effectiveness. Really?

Speaking of TiVo, a recovering Law & Order addict wonders whether the original AVOD system is stuck in the ‘90s.

As Google announces Google TV, allowing you to surf and search the Web on your TV screen, NewTeeVee ponders some unanswered questions.

Media + Magazines

To mark the Huffington Post’s fifth birthday, Nieman Lab put together six branding lessons gleaned from the online newspaper’s stunning success.

The New York Times on striking a balance clever and SEO-friendly headlines.

Check out this great list of reporters and media outlets covering the publishing industry beat.

Airlines + Travel Marketing

A combined United and Continental Airlines would make New York City’s airports the key front in the battle for business travellers.

By embracing Twitter, Boeing avoids a PR disaster and becomes “kind of human,” according to a young airline geek’s dad.

Check out this really cool visualization of SXSW hotel check-ins via social networks Fourquare, Flickr, Gowalla and more.

Branded Content + Entertainment

Unlike Hollywood, film festivals are embracing new media and VOD, reports The Wrap.

The future of TV is…TV, blogs sports and media entrepreneur Mark Cuban.

From Absolut and Kraft to Pringle of Scotland, brands are learning that long-form ads are the wave of the future.

Media + Magazines

The BBC, seeking to become a “window on the web,” is sending readers away from its website.

Towing the line between advertising and editorial, the Los Angeles Times dabbles in E-commerce.

Not to toot our own horn, but Sparksheet’s Q&A with New Yorker.com editor Blake Eskin was picked up by MediaPost, the New York Observer, Poynter and others. Exciting!

Photo by oenvoyage via flickr

Airlines + Travel Marketing

Airlines, scientists split over impact of ash: A sober report on the story that defined the week.

Boarding pass design doesn’t have to suck, says one angry blogger.

Ford’s Sync Brings the App Revolution to Your Wheels. We’re keeping our eyes on Ford’s new in-car entertainment system, which is dripping with potential…and safety concerns.

Branded Content + Entertainment

Hulu is pushing forward with $9.95 subscription service

Content is making a comeback, according to Advertising Age

Transmedia is going mainstream, says producer Jeff Gomez

Media + Magazines

E-Reader Owners Love Magazines. So are e-readers creating magazine customers or converting them from print?

BusinessWeek’s new design emphasizes the Bloomberg brand

Is Conde Nast infringing on ad agency turf?