While many have hailed the iPad as a future mainstay of targeted mobile marketing campaigns, no shortage of advertisers are taking a wait and see approach with regard to the new Apple tablet. However, if the pre-order stats from this past weekend are any indication, the iPad could very well have a much larger than expected audience right out of the gate.

The unofficial count of first day orders for the iPad presents an estimated 120,000 tablets were sold. And according to the information and sources cited in a multitude of media reports, that estimate could very well be a low-end conservative one.

A truly remarkable fact about the iPad’s pre-order explosion is that tens of thousands of consumers are purchasing a device that they have never before seen, touched, or experimented with in person. But if the tablet resonates with consumers as the iPhone has, it’s easy to understand why many industry analysts predict millions of iPads could be sold before the end of 2010.

With the iPad’s already established popularity will come an array of unique digital content offerings to the tablet, like the freshly announced Barnes & Noble e-book reader app. An application designed exclusively for the iPad, the e-reader app will provide access to the B&N eBookstore as well as any ebooks already located in the user’s digital library.

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While many have hailed the iPad as a future mainstay of targeted mobile marketing campaigns, no shortage of advertisers are taking a wait and see approach with regard to the new Apple tablet. However, if the pre-order stats from this past weekend are any indication, the iPad could very well have a much larger than expected audience right out of the gate.

The unofficial count of first day orders for the iPad presents an estimated 120,000 tablets were sold. And according to the information and sources cited in a multitude of media reports, that estimate could very well be a low-end conservative one.

A truly remarkable fact about the iPad’s pre-order explosion is that tens of thousands of consumers are purchasing a device that they have never before seen, touched, or experimented with in person. But if the tablet resonates with consumers as the iPhone has, it’s easy to understand why many industry analysts predict millions of iPads could be sold before the end of 2010.

With the iPad’s already established popularity will come an array of unique digital content offerings to the tablet, like the freshly announced Barnes & Noble e-book reader app. An application designed exclusively for the iPad, the e-reader app will provide access to the B&N eBookstore as well as any ebooks already located in the user’s digital library.

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In the past, CBS has invested heavily in the development of their mobile sports presence. And building upon last year’s successful mobile coverage and corresponding iPhone app for March Madness, CBS is rolling out a host of new developments for the CBS mobile sports platform.

Chief among such noteworthy developments is the addition of 3G/EDGE support, which will bring live streaming video to the “CBS Sports: NCAA March Madness on Demand” iPhone/iPod Touch application.

The app in question debuted last year to much fanfare and was created with the help of mobile video solutions provider MobiTV. In 2009, however, the application’s enjoyment was limited to those capable of securing a WiFi connection.

The 3G support add-on is certainly a welcome addition, although the upgrade comes with a substantial price increase. Last year’s $4.99 has been replaced by 2010’s new price tag of $9.99.

CBS says their NCAA March Madness on Demand will provide the most comprehensive coverage possible, including all tournament games from the opening round to the Final Four. That means basketball fans can stream 63 live games in all right from their mobile device.

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Although mobile apps are clearly all the rage, Shaun Gregory, the managing director of O2 Media, says it’s important not to place apps ahead of sound mobile marketing practices when it comes to utilizing the mobile space most efficiently in the promotional process.

Gregory advised firms to avoid the temptation of becoming wholly preoccupied with creating their own apps. Instead, he advised spreading one’s focus across a broad spectrum of opportunities in the mobile realm.

“Brands need to work out how apps fit into their wider mobile marketing strategy but many want to launch one before considering the alternatives,” Gregory told his audience at the FT Digital Media and Broadcasting Conference.

According to coverage of the event from New Media Age, Gregory revealed his view that applications “come into the advertising conversation far too early.” Rather, he offered, it’s vital to remember that traditional mobile marketing strategies like SMS marketing remain the most efficient and effective way to connect with mobile users.

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The first-ever National Retail Federation Innovation & Marketing Conference, taking place in San Francisco this week, is all a-buzz about mobile. From mobile checkouts to mobile voting at the conference for favorite marketing campaigns chosen by attendees, innovation in retail is at least in part synonymous with mobile innovation.

This year, the annual Racie awards were included in the conference. The Racies award the best creative work for retail advertising and marketing. Each piece of work submitted is judged on creativity, strategy, results, and, new this year, innovation. Also new this year, Racie categories included a new Mobile Apps category, as well as new digital categories in motion design, website experience, in-store experience, rich media online advertising and promotion, and social commerce.

Taking home 1st Place in the Mobile App category was 1020 Placecast, the first location-based platform for digital marketing in physical environments, with its ShopAlerts mobile marketing solution. The service enables customers to opt-in to follow a brand they care about and alerts them to valuable information when they are near a retail location or relevant point of interest for the brand. Using “geo-fencing” technology, the ShopAlerts program lets retailers talk to their customers when they are on the go, with customized messages based on place and time. Earlier this year, Placecast won The BIG Minute of Innovation award, lead by the San Francisco Bay Area Interactive Group. In November, the company raised $5M from Quatrex Capital, Onset Ventures and Yoyagers Capital.

Today at the conference, AisleBuyer, a mobile app that is attempting to revolutionize the in-store shopping experience, is showing off its wears in the “Brick and Mortor 2.0″ session. The app is offered to iPhone and Droid owners, giving shoppers the power to scan items for product information, reviews and more. When shoppers are ready to purchase items, they can checkout instantly using the AisleBuyer application in their phone. While never waiting in lines again is something I can personally stand behind, I’m not sure how store security will handle self-service checkout from anywhere in the store. But in the store of the future, perhaps the mobile phone could send a message to an RFID tag that the product is paid for and able to leave a store without setting off an alarm.

At the conference, attendees are also making use of mobile technology to rate presentations and keynote speeches in real time. Knotice, a provider of software and services for direct digital marketing, is the provider of mobile polling services for the inaugural event. Using the opportunity to market its on-demand direct digital marketing platform to senior retail marketing, eCommerce and Technology professionals with a keen interest in retail marketing innovation, Knotice picked the right crowd to showcase one of its mobile features.

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