The re-emergence of the tablet has been a major storyline in 2010. Thanks primarily to Apple, tablets have gone from also-ran to overnight success, creating a market that could see sales of as many as 41 million devices in the US alone by 2012. The category-redefining iPad will drive the majority of sales, in the US and worldwide, through 2012, according to eMarketer estimates.

Adoption of this new generation of tablets has been far brisker than other related device categories. Tablets will blow by e-readers in total sales in 2010, and by 2015, Forrester projects that tablets will account for a greater share of PC sales than netbooks or desktops. To say that tablets are changing the face of both computing and mobility is putting it mildly. Big tablet sales projections mean significant opportunities for marketers.

The big question is: will advertisers adapt to this whole new way to be mobile? Results from an August 2010 Nielsen survey suggest that they should. It found that iPad owners are considerably more receptive and, in some instances, significantly more excited about ads than other mobile device owners.

A case in point: 39% of iPad owners consider ads on their devices as “new and interesting,” according to Nielsen, compared to 19% of all connected device owners. And 35% say they actually enjoy viewing ads (especially multimedia ads), double the rate of all connected device owners. The iPad remains the standard-bearer for now, but it also functions as a benchmark for other tablets.

Anytime the word “excited” appears in relation to consumer attitudes about advertising, marketers should take note. Interviews with publishing industry executives suggest that awareness of the tablet advertising opportunity is growing.

Philip Whitney, VP of online marketing and product development for American Express Publishing, told eMarketer:

“Based on the price of the iPad itself and the fact that most magazine apps have a fee associated with them, you’re getting a select group of people who are really engaged with the advertising. In a world in which there are a lot of undifferentiated audiences, advertisers are very happy to get their message in front of a group of people who very ready, willing and able to engage with their ad.”

Publishers are understandably excited about the tablet opportunity, particularly tablet owners’ seeming predisposition to purchasing titles optimized for their devices.

But from the marketer perspective, the opportunity goes deeper than traditional publishers trying to make the transition to digital. Some of the most interesting innovations have come from companies such as streaming-music service Pandora, which launched interactive rich media advertising for the iPad in June 2010, and The Weather Channel, which has worked with high-profile sponsors such as Toyota on similarly interactive ad inventory.

Both beat Apple to the punch in providing rich media interactive ads, although with Apple’s iOS 4.2 now available for the iPad, iAds should soon start appearing on the iPad as well.

The bottom line: The combined effect of bigger screens and richer, more engaging ads, including video, is slowly changing consumer attitudes toward advertising on mobile devices. It’s up to marketers to continue fulfilling their end of the value exchange, but as more tablets flood the market, this evolving dynamic bears watching.

For more information on tablets, look for a new report coming out this month, written by my colleague, Paul Verna, “Tablets: New Screens for Marketers.”

What a difference a year makes. eMarketer’s September 2009 mobile advertising report carried the optimistic subtitle “Change Is in the Air.” Well, it’s safe to say that in 2010, change happened, and mobile advertising ramped up at a quicker pace than predicted.

eMarketer now predicts $743.1 million in total mobile ad spending in 2010, a more than 25% increase over last year’s forecast. Our projections are up on the order of 25% to 35% per year through 2014.

In my new report, “Mobile Advertising and Marketing: Past the Tipping Point” (full version available here to Total Access clients only), I explore in detail the key factors behind this increase in spending. They include:

• Major acquisitions of mobile ad networks by Google and Apple
• Rising adoption of super-capable multimedia smartphones
• The launch of the iPad and the rapid revitalization of the tablet market

Cautious optimism about economic recovery can take some credit as well, but it is really the injection of a new dynamic in the mobile space that is prompting marketers to overcome their reluctance to embrace mobile as a channel to connect with consumers.

Much of this new dynamic is attributable to the high-profile (and high-dollar) acquisitions by Google and Apple and the ways both companies have sought to redefine the mobile device and advertising markets. Google’s promotion of Android has made it a powerful alternative to Apple’s popular iOS platform. And Apple, in turn, has countered with the launch of the iPad, a new iPhone and iAd, the company’s own advertising platform exclusive to Apple devices.

As I noted in a previous blog post, iAd has generated its share of controversy. But in a recent address at the iMedia Breakthrough Summit, I shared the results of nearly a dozen interviews I conducted with industry executives over the past two months. Everyone I spoke with, including some of Apple’s competitors, agreed that iAd has been hugely beneficial to mobile advertising.

Google’s acquisition of AdMob is no less significant, because it will help bring scale to mobile advertising. In the report I write:

Part of what has made Google so successful is the degree to which it has helped demystify and simplify the media buying process. If it can achieve a comparable result with mobile and provide an equivalent level of tools, reporting and accountability, the effect will be significant in both the number of advertisers it will be able to attract to mobile and the amount they spend.

The importance of scale should not be underestimated; it is vital for the long-term viability of mobile advertising.

There is more detail in the report, but the bottom line is this: with consumers spending an ever-increasing amount of time in front of their mobile devices, marketers can scarcely afford not to pay closer attention to mobile. To the contrary, brands need mobile more than ever to stay relevant. And with more capable devices, faster carrier networks, ubiquitous wireless broadband and the availability of richer ad units, marketers have more possibilities than ever to deliver immersive experiences.

This shift is already well under way on the desktop. Starting with the rich media ads proliferating today, the next five years will see more interactivity, higher-powered creative and yes, perhaps even more emotion in mobile advertising.

The China Daily recently reported that China Mobile, the world’s largest wireless operator, announced a competition for video submissions for potential inclusion on a new mobile video channel. The carrier, which has more subscribers than the US has residents, will share video ad revenues—which could prove substantial in the near future—with the contest’s winners. In his latest eMarketer report, my colleague Noah Elkin estimates that mobile content revenues will soar in the US, driven partially by ad-supported video and music. Several factors suggest that the mobile content market in China—especially revenues from mobile TV and video—is headed down the same path.

ResearchInChina found that as of December 2009, mobile TV and online video adoption rates were relatively low, at 16.5% of mobile internet users in China. However, the popularity of other forms of online communication and entertainment suggest a highly receptive mobile audience.

eMarketer estimated in February 2010 that China will have over 850 million mobile phone subscribers by the end of 2010, for a penetration rate of 64.3%. We also projected that mobile internet users would increase 62.5% in 2010 to 372.8 million, with prospective growth rates remaining high through 2014.

What do these bits of information add up to? As more users buy smartphones and other entertainment-enabled phones, China Mobile is looking to maneuver itself to tap the potential of mobile video and TV revenues. According to Netsize and Informa Telecoms & Media, mobile video and TV account for only €127.27 million ($176.2 million) and €34.38 million ($47.8 million), respectively—less than 1% of all mobile content revenues in 2010.

China Mobile continues to expand current 3G coverage and is heavily investing in 4G, as InformationWeek reported, partnering with mobile hardware developers Nokia Siemens, Huawei and Samsung, among others, on their new proprietary 4G network standard. They are upgrading their network to broaden revenue generating services beyond messaging, voice and basic mobile internet.

All of this makes China even more attractive for multinational marketers and content providers.

With the clout of the largest wireless carrier in the world behind it, the push for mobile video and TV seems like a sure bet to expand subscriber usage far beyond current levels in China. And as smaller carriers such as China Unicom and China Telecom follow suit, marketers will literally be in position to easily place mobile video content — including ads, apps and entertainment — directly into the hands of the Chinese consumer.

The iPhone has been slowly losing its dominance in the minds of marketers as Google’s Android operating system gained share over the past year or so. The complication of creating apps for multiple operation systems has been an issue for marketers for some time, but as Android becomes a major player in the app world marketers may also have to start thinking about the way those apps are monetized and how that fits in with the norms of different user groups.

There is evidence across several studies that Android users are somewhat less willing to pay for apps than their iPhone-loving counterparts. AdMob found in February that while 50% of iPhone owners worldwide purchased at least one paid app each month, just 21% of Android users did the same. Credit Suisse reported that less than 70% of Android users had paid for apps in the month prior to being surveyed, compared with nearly 80% of iPhone owners.

According to a May 2010 report from Distimo, an analytics tool for mobile developers, the Android Market is the only store with a majority of free apps.

That could mean Android users are simply responding to supply—a large base of free apps means less need to purchase them. Credit Suisse also found that Android users spent slightly more on average than iPhone owners did on mobile applications, suggesting that they are willing to open their wallets as well.

But the rise of an operating system whose owners are used to relying on free apps could mean a user base that is more open than average to receiving the advertising support necessary to support those apps. In-app advertising and app sponsorships tend to be especially effective forms of mobile marketing, and are also found less annoying or intrusive by mobile users. An expanding base of Android users may mean not only a larger audience of smartphone owners, but also a growing share of that audience receptive to marketing messages that support their app habit.

Last week saw the annual Future of Digital Marketing conference in London, presented by Econsultancy. For me, a long day’s exposure to many stimulating speakers boiled down to a multifaceted take on the concept of value. How can marketing deliver value for advertisers in 2010? What value (and values) do consumers look for when they consider the options presented to them? What new behaviors made possible by digital media are attaining value? Below are a few points raised or prompted by the occasion.

Value comes in many forms these days.

At the most basic level, there is value in technology itself, including Internet access and mobile devices. These things make it easy to get information, find products and services, save time and save money. A milestone in this appreciation of technology as value, as keynote speaker Gerd Leonhard reminded us, is that from July 2010, access to broadband will be a legal right in Finland.

While some things are gaining value, others are losing it. A corollary of recent technological development, Leonhard observed, is that the intrinsic value of copies (such as songs, video and written content) has declined, turning many old business models on their heads. Now it is often the context of information or creativity that makes it valuable, and those who can create a compelling context will attract audiences.

One of the greatest sources of contextual value is online community. Facebook is the headline example—demonstrating that not only the site itself but advertisers who use it well can reap big rewards. But there are countless examples of smaller communities creating value through shared interests.

One speaker, Rowan Gormley of Naked Wines, has built his business on a blindingly simple win-win premise: Wine lovers get together to support independent winemakers with a proven pedigree, and commit to buying specific wines before they are made. Because the winemakers effectively pre-sell those wines, they don’t need to market them, and many upfront costs are also met. For their part, buyers save an average 33%—often more—on the wines themselves. The earlier they commit to buy, the lower the price.

Of the 80,000 members of Naked Wines, 20,000 also spend £20 per month to support winemakers who need modest investment to launch a new wine or begin a new project—perhaps buying an additional parcel of land to cultivate. In 2009, Gormley noted, Naked Wines was the largest single investor in new wine ventures in the world. Beyond this, the company works to harness the full value of users’ comments and to provide good customer service.

It’s not difficult to see the concrete value in Gormley’s business: for winemakers, for wine drinkers, and for Gormley himself, who clearly loves his job. Tom Savigar of the Future Lab discussed value in a broader sense. Savigar aimed to look “beyond retail” in his keynote speech, and ask questions that are fundamental in the multichannel age: “Why do I go to a store? Why do I go to a Website?” What are the differences, and how are these categories blurring as we all learn to shop in different ways?  More importantly, how are retailers recognizing the value they provide, and using that knowledge to rethink their businesses?

Angela Maurer, senior marketing manager at Tesco.com, lifted the lid on the grocery giant’s API strategy to reveal another win-win situation. First, Tesco managers spent some hours together brainstorming ideas for online and mobile applications, and drew up a list of priorities in various areas. These were written on Post-It notes and stuck to the walls of their very large meeting room. That same evening, the firm threw open the doors to interested programmers recruited online.

Browsing among the posted ideas, programmers could choose the projects they wanted to tackle. Tesco managed the assignment process, and gave programmers all the information they needed about the store’s API and related infrastructure. Result: Tesco is taking advantage of some of the best brains in the field, programmers get payment and credit, and the customer gets better service. Moreover, said Ms. Maurer, the entire process of brainstorming, commissioning and delivery took a tiny fraction of the months that older processes would have required.

Marks & Spencer is also squeezing extra value from existing assets—in this case, its branded video content—according to Chris Gorell Barnes. Barnes is CEO of Adjust Your Set, which helped the retailer launch M&STV. The site is now populated with more than 1,000 pieces of intelligent content, and has generated over 4 million minutes of views.

Much of the content is also syndicated for broadcast on video sharing sites, social networks and other content and media portals. Crucially, these videos incorporate a click-to-buy facility, taking viewers straight to M&S for purchase. So far, data shows customers who viewed M&STV spending 23% more. And, said Gorell Barnes, video delivers value in other ways. His firm has seen e-mail response rates rise by up to 300% when outgoing messages contain video elements.

Inevitably, Facebook plays a growing role in any assessment of value on the Web. Beyond its importance to users and product advertisers, however, is its growing value as a broadcaster. As Gerd Leonhard noted, even content from major media owners is increasingly seen within this social environment, as a currency shared between friends or given new meanings by Facebook groups. Content owners are just beginning to think about how this may raise or lower the value of what they produce, and how their business models need to alter in response.

The emerging mobile arena was another key topic of the day. Douglas Orr of price comparison engine Sccope discussed the rapidly growing market for mobile commerce. His firm is the global m-commerce partner for BlackBerry, which aims to launch mobile buying facilities from this August. Orr and other speakers on mobile were joined on a panel by Jo Vertigan, Head of Digital at England 2018 (promoting England’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup eight years from now) and Patrick Mork, CMO of GetJar, a site offering “appsolutely everything” in the way of applications for mobile handsets.

M-commerce promises greater convenience for buyers and a new revenue stream for sellers. But what other values attach to mobile? Are apps better value for advertisers and consumers than mobile Websites? Advertisers often opt for a site strategy, which removes the need to cater for different handsets. But will the mobile Web win out in the long run?  

Mork, not surprisingly, favored apps over sites. Apps offered deeper brand engagement, he said; users experienced no network delays, and payment was (at the moment) easier and more secure from within an app. But he acknowledged that advertisers interested in reach probably find better value in building mobile sites.

A final insight agreed by all the FODM speakers: The pace of change in the industry, though frightening, is also inherently valuable, keeping marketers on their toes and sparking innovation.