Chris Seymour

Pew research from the University of Missouri shows that internet users often come across their news serendipitously while they are searching for other information or doing nonnews-related activities online, such as shopping or visiting social networking sites. This information is hardly surprising, but there are wider implications, for media outlets.

In an effort to help brands better understand the intent and motivations of their target audiences, San Francisco-based Twelvefold Media--which calls itself "an emotive-based media company that helps brands target, reach and persuade engaged audiences"--introduced the Mindset Index on Jan. 24.

Scout Analytics last week announced a new research division, Scout Research, which is "dedicated to providing revenue intelligence for digital publishers," according to the Issaquah, WA-based company that calls itself "the leader in digital revenue optimization for publishers." Scout kicked off its new venture with an analysis of the age-old problem of the print vs. digital revenue models.

Who is the mobile magazine reader? Texterity -- a Southborough, MA-based company that provides digital and mobile publishing solutions -- sought to answer that question in its annual readership survey. The 2011 Mobile App Readership Survey (with results certified by BPA Worldwide) was designed to specifically study magazine app users while on their mobile devices.

On Sept. 14 Optify—which provides real time marketing software and services for business to business marketers and online publishers—announced its new Partner Program, which the Seattle-based company says will, among other things, help digital media and online marketing agencies grow their business and attract new clients.

Big media brands are everywhere in our daily lives-on TV, in magazines, and in newspapers-and now even the digital frontier seems to be going the way of mass media. Big brand names are snatching up independent, popular entities, such as blogs, which come equipped with loyal followers. One of the better-known examples is the AOL acquisition of The Huffington Post earlier this year. Subsequently, AOL consolidated its 53 content brands into 20 different "power brands."

As a result of several email ads, a free download offer and some unforeseen occurrences, self-published, first time author Stephen Mitchell and his distributor Greenleaf Book Group struck gold last month when the medical thriller A Cure to Die For was downloaded 36,431 times on Amazon in just 6 days.