Web 2.0 e-commerce technology will become mainstream in 2008, study says

Single-purpose marketing applications, such as widgets and rich media, and other Web 2.0 technology will become increasingly popular e-commerce tools in 2008, according to Performance Communications Group.

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“The advertising 2.0 experimentation of the last few years has evolved into solid long-term solutions for e-marketers,” says Scott Madlener, PCG’s executive vice president of interactive marketing.

Among PCG’s predictions for 2008:

• Banner ads that incorporate more intelligence, better multimedia, and secure data capture will help advertisers better manage campaigns.
  
• Online advertising will evolve into social advertising in which social network members promote products.
  
• Single-purpose marketing applications, such as widgets, will offer marketers branding opportunities and create customer interactivity and loyalty.
  
• Podcasts and other “new media” content will become mainstream, ushered in by the new era of mobile devices, such as the iPhone.
  
• Indirect distribution will dominate video consumption as more companies utilize RSS and video web services.

PCG is a Chicago-based interactive marketing agency and online media expert.