As a registered member of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), I receive daily e-mails with articles related to current issues and trends within the field. This morning I came across an article published in “Mediaweek” announcing the Digital Hot List 2008. While the list once touted the top Web sites of the year, the authors have now realized that there is increasingly more to the digital world than Web sites—everything from “search, networks, applications, games, virtual worlds, mobile and other forms” play a role.
The criteria for the list incorporates both consumer use and advertising, which provided me with a different perspective of many of the companies. There were some no-brainers on the list, but there were also a few names that I have actually never heard as well. And, interestingly, seven of the top 10 are new to the list this year! If that doesn’t indicate how quickly things change in the digital world, I don’t know what does. It is important to note that the list was previously known as the AdweekMedia Web Site Hot List, largely focused on the top Web sites of the year, so next year’s list may show a more accurate picture of the rapid speed of development and change in the digital arena. But, below are the top 10 digital media platforms for the year 2008:
1. Google
2. Facebook
3. iPhone
4. Hulu
5. Glam
6. YouTube
7. Xbox Live
8. The Huffington Post
9. Imeem
10. Stardoll
Please see the full article for a brief analysis of each organization and the authors’ justification for its ranking. Do you agree with the list above? Do you think there is someone missing or an outlet that is ranked too high or too low? I’d love to hear your opinions!
New Media = New Ideas 