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It seems that every day a new social media tool sneaks its way onto our radar screens - but there are certainly a few key standouts (based on usage, followers, visits, etc.) that are worth a company’s time. An interesting Linkedin article/infographic breaks down usage and demographics on the top sites.

Driver Safety is among the top priorities for fleet managers according to a new study by PHH Arval, a fleet management services provider. While driver safety is, and should always be, a top priority, the full story includes reference to a number of additional financially related goals, including:

The Advertising Specialty Institute recently released:  “Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study:  A cost analysis of promotional products”.  The most significant findings of the Global Advertising Specialties Impressions Study show advertising specialties are less expensive per impression (impression=calculated by multiplying the number of times an item is used by the number of people that see the item) than most other media and are very affordable and effective when compared to prime-time TV, radio and print advertising.

According to the latest Nielsen survey of adults with children under 12 in tablet-owning households, in Q4 2011 seven out of every 10 children in tablet-owning households used a tablet computer – a nine percent increase compared to Q3 2011.

Lost in all of the discussions about how much a prospective casino developer will invest in a MA casino ($500 million+), or what the license itself will cost ($85 million+) is the money spent chasing the license, which was revealed recently.  In an article by Steve LeBlanc of the Associated Press, it states that $11.4 million has been spent in lobbying efforts in the last 5 years in MA.  Far and away leading that list are the owners of Suffolk Downs, having spent $2.8 million making sure they are at the front of the bus.  The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, who appears to have no competition at the moment for the Southeastern MA license, spent nearly a million.  For MGM Resorts, the second largest gaming company in the world and a proponent of a Brimfield casino, only a mere $60,000 has been spent to date.  One thing is for certain; that number will skyrocket as the actual gaming commission is formed and official applications are filed.

What do you do when you have the most popular downloaded app or earth? You take the game to another dimension. Rovio is releasing Angry Birds Space on March 22nd. “One small fling for a bird. One quantum leap for birdkind,” reads the teaser on the new game’s website.

As Springtime approaches, we prepare to focus on what historically for us here in New England at least has always been the busiest time of the year for logo decorated product ordering.  April in particular is the busiest month of the year, and this has been true for over 30 years now.

In Counselor magazine’s December 2011 issue, predictions to watch for were revealed which may be key to impact the business climate in 2012.

All Star Incentive Marketing, Inc. just released PROPEL version 5.0, the company’s latest version of their proprietary web-based software solution which initially blanketed the incentive market in 2000.

After dropping our daughter off at JFK Airport in Queens last Thursday, my wife and I made our way over to the new $830 million Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack, about a 15 minute drive with the right traffic conditions to the East side of Manhattan. As is typical with most racinos, a glitzy Las Vegas style building is attached to the aged and storied grandstands that front the original race track. Developer Genting New York did a nice job with this facility, and they have certainly taken a bite out of their Yonkers rival Empire City at Yonkers Raceway. Whether the pie gets bigger allowing both to flourish remains to be seen. One thing seems obvious to this writer, however. Electronic table games don’t cut it for the traditional table games player that still makes up a significant percentage of the gaming population. Surrounded by states with table games in PA, CT, and even in New York’s own Indian gaming facilities, legislation that allows them to compete in this area is sure to be considered.