What a difference a year makes. Twelve months ago was a wholly different kettle of fish for most of us -- a kettle that had been left out to fester in the sun. But the optimism is back, baby! We saw it in the packed conference and expo aisles at ad:tech San Francisco in April, and in the double-digit growth figures for ad revenue in the first quarter of the year. I think this pic sums up the spirit well:
The can-do mood has returned. Memories of 2009 have been thrown into the ash heap of history. The digibiz again smells as sweet as gardenias in springtime.
But let's leave odor to the side for a bit. There's been more to the first half of 2010 than just better business results. Here are some of the most important happenings this year:
Jobs well done
Not since Moses and the 10 Commandments have a man and a tablet so captured world attention.
Being a dyed-in-the-wool "PC," I confess I didn't expect the iPad to make an impact this quick. I figured iPad 2 or iPad 3 would be "the one." But then I went to the April Ad Age Digital Conference. When I saw the audience bathed in the eerie blue glow of dozens of iPad screens during the less-scintillating sessions, it was clear that Apple had redefined human existence again.
It's been said that the magazine and newspaper industries have the most to gain from iPad success. Whether or not it restores the luster to paginated content, I'm sure the bazillion Amazon Kindle print ads are providing a nice shot in the arm.
Alas, I am a PC. Before I can suckle at the device convergence teat, I will have to wait until a less attractive, crash-prone, heavier tablet is launched. But the little x to close a window will be on the right instead of the left, and that's the main thing.
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