Kiip's business model—which rewards mobile phone users the further they get inside mobile games—could be about to turn the world of mobile advertising on its head. It essentially bribes consumers into doing the one thing they usually avoid: clicking on ads and giving marketers their information.

In nearly every upfront presentation made last week by the big TV networks, executives took pains to stress their expertise in connecting advertisers to consumers, not only with splashy TV programs but also via the many audience-splintering outlets in the emerging social-media sector.

Kimberly Kadlec, worldwide vice president of the global marketing group at Johnson & Johnson, said at IAB's Innovation Day conference that although mobile is being tapped as a promotional tool, it is best used as a strategic tactic in emerging markets.

Centro, which operates an exchange selling online inventory from newspapers and other local sites, has partnered with Krux to launch an ad exchange for premium publishers that shields their audience data from third parties looking to reach the audience through different channels.

While Facebook Offers has been available to brands nationwide for less than two weeks, marketers are already assessing how the free-to-use deals platform might compete against Groupon.

The So.cl experimental research project combines social networking and search, according to Microsoft.

Mollie Spilman was head of Americas marketing at Yahoo for two years and before that, was a consultant for business-to-business marketing at the company.

Annie Young-Scrivner will become head of Starbucks Canada, the company's largest market outside the U.S. Her former role of global chief marketing officer will disappear as the chain moves marketing and other functions to the regional level and below.

Dish Network Corp. plans to promote its new ad-skipping feature with, ironically enough, a television ad—that is, if broadcast TV networks agree to run the spot.