With Apple's big announcement last month, there are now at least a billion reasons to be excited about the iPhone!

In late April, Apple celebrated their 1 billionth download — just nine months after the opening of their app store. What does this mean for marketers? 

Lots! The iPhone app market is incredibly valuable if you're looking

2008 has been a pivotal year in our world. Just think about it: in the course of 12 months, we've experienced the most incredible Olympics ever in China... the rebirth of Saturday Night Live with Tina Fey as Sarah Palin... a wave of Obama-mania which resulted in the first African-American president-elect in our history... and a huge economic upheaval that is [even now] redefining our entire economic structure.

Not only do these events impact our everyday world, but they also have huge ramifications for the digital world where we all spend so much of our time...

Walking down the aisles of your local supermarket, you've probably seen all the product packaging promoting the benefits of organic food. Everywhere we look, we’re taught that organic food is healthier, more nutritious, and free of chemical substances when compared to conventional foods. Some products even claim to protect consumers from cancer-causing pesticides. (I’ll take those in bulk, please!)

Here’s a question confronting our latest crop of graduates: is the value of education worth its cost? It depends on who you ask.

With a four-year degree at a private college averaging $100,000 many college students graduate with thousands of dollars in debt, and often no job in sight.

"Helping to end world hunger."

It's a tall order. Many of us have poured pennies into those little UNICEF collection boxes, or collected soda can tabs, or sponsored friends in walk events. All with the goal of ending world hunger.

But how much does that actually cost? Is it even achievable?

According to United Nations' estimates, "the cost to end world hunger completely, along with diseases related to hunger and poverty, is about $195 billion a year."

If we ever thought there was one way to campaign for the presidency, the 2008 primary season has changed that opinion forever.

Gone are the days of stumping, baby-kissing and whistle stops. Welcome to the virtual world of in-your-face, on-your-airwaves, everywhere-you-look politicking.

Marketing today isn’t what it once was. In fact, it’s more than it’s ever been.

As you can imagine, the way we market today is dramatically different from the way we marketed 50 years ago when there was no internet, no fax machine and limited television access.

To begin this story, let's start with some basic stats:

• According to the Marketing to Moms Coalition (MMC), American mothers are responsible for purchasing power to the tune of $2.1 trillion/year.
• Mothers typically have the last word in deciding what products their families consume.
• In a recent MMC survey, three-quarters of mothers feel that Super Bowl ads don't target their needs at all.

You’ll notice that we’ve deliberately refrained from posting a “best of” list for 2007. And for good reason.

We believe in using the past as a learning tool, but it doesn’t pay to get too overwhelmed or to drift into morbid reflection. Because today—as every day—we’re moving forward…ever forward.

What do we look forward to in 2008?

It’s inevitable. No matter how much you plan in this holiday season, there’s always one last gift you forgot to buy…one last-minute add-on to a loved one’s wish list…one last person for whom you feel a sudden rush of generosity.

What is there to do? Where do you start? Where can you go for a great, fun, absolutely perfect gift?