2011 posts

On December 8^th, we asked the public to vote on which moment among our "11 Days that Shaped 2011" had the most impact on the past year. Thousands of voters chimed in on 11in2011.aol.com, and today we are revealing that the death of Osama bin Laden was chosen by AOL readers as the day that most shaped 2011.

News of the terror leader's death broke on Twitter and sparked over 12.4 million tweets per hour, highlighting the increasing importance of social media and its relationship to traditional news coverage. At AOL, we were proud to bring our audience this news from multiple angles across all of our digital platforms.

Additionally, we asked our readers to tell us which major events in 2011 we missed, knowing that narrowing down the list to 11 items may spark some friendly debate. The most discussed topics on 11in2011.aol.com, in chronological order, include:
· Tornadoes Rip Through Southern States, Leave Dozens Dead
· Casey Anthony Acquitted
· U.S. Launches Last Shuttle into Space
· Shooting at Norway Youth Camp Leaves 89 Dead
· Amanda Knox's Murder Conviction Overturned in Italian Court
· Jerry Sandusky Engulfs Penn State in Major Scandal
· The End of the Iraq War

Undoubtedly, 2011 was a year driven by some of the biggest news stories we've seen in decades. Thanks to all of those who voted and weighed in!

.@AOL reveals Osama Bin Laden's death as the #1 Day that shaped #2011 aol.it/rLeXA5

- AOLPR (@AOLPR) December 28, 2011

We're continuing to wrap up 2011 by taking a look at the big trends that affected marketers and advertisers this year. The AOL Advertising Blog explores what was big in 2011 for consumers and advertisers in different industries.


2011 was certainly an eventful year for the Finance industry. There was fee frenzy, record volatility on Wall Street and a movement to 'Occupy' anything and everything. Before we turn the page to 2012, here's a quick look at the most important sub-category trends that we saw in Finance this year including brokers, banks, insurance, credit cards and taxes. To learn more about these trends click here.

In 2011, shoppers got social, used multiple channels, and sought out a good deal. Brands listened to shoppers and responded with some innovative marketing efforts! Find out why online coupon usage was up and view the other stats supporting these trends.

In 2011 we also saw the Auto industry back on the road to recovery with most expecting the Seasonally Adjusted Annual Rate (SAAR) to be between 12.5M-12.8M units, well above the low of 9.32M in February 2009. Production issues due to Japan's earthquake and continued economic uncertainty have no doubt impacted the industry, making this year's projections even more remarkable. Find out why consumers looked to mobile, video and social solutions when choosing a car here.

In 2011, consumers embraced wireless as never before. According to the CTIA, there are now more wireless subscriber connections than there are people in the United States. At the same time, more and more consumers are migrating to smartphones – with Nielsen reporting that smartphones now represent 44% of the market. Learn more about the wireless revolution here.

What was big in 2011? We all know the main news stories-Oprah ends her iconic daytime talk show, uprisings inspire change across the globe, Will and Kate say "I do" at Buckingham Palace.

But what was big for marketers and advertisers this year? Our friends from the AOL Advertising Blog are launching a series of posts highlighting the biggest stories in the industry.

Each day this week they will explore what was big this year for consumers and advertisers in different industries-retail, technology, finance and autos to name a few. Check out the AOL Advertising blog or look for a recap here later this week.

To see what we thought were the biggest news events this year, check out 11in2011.aol.com.

Wondering what the key stories in the advertising & marketing fields were this year? Find out what was #Bigin2011 here: aol.it/svnZIx

- AOLPR (@AOLPR) December 19, 2011