NEW YORK, Feb. 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Advertising Age editors threw in a few surprises with the 2013 Digital A-List, out today in print, online and on the AdAge iPhone and iPad apps. The list is the centerpiece of the annual Digital Issue, the most comprehensive resource for the digital industry and a hallmark of AdAge's analytical approach to news.

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"What a difference a year makes," said Abbey Klaassen, editor of Advertising Age. "The digital ability of our industry is finally maturing. A year ago, things felt dark. Breakthroughs that were supposed to be big didn't turn out that way, and business models that were supposed to save the world didn't. Google was the only one making money in digital and our A-List pretty much wrote itself. This year, things have settled. And it's clearer where the real value is."

Also in the seventh annual Digital Issue:

• An exclusive look at marketers' sentiments toward Facebook;
• How Twitter is finally coming of age;
• Why simmering tensions between Google and Samsung are showing signs of boiling over.
• A look at the best digital hires made over the past 12 months;
• A look at whether China's upstart WeChat could jump to the U.S.; and
• The 10 start-ups to watch for 2013.

Each year, the closely watched Digital A-List names the companies, things, and one person the AdAge editors believe drove progress for digital over the past 12 months. The list for 2013 comprises:

• The Onion
• The Weather Company
• Nate Silver
• Oreo
• General Electric
• First Round Capital
• Google Apps
• Deadspin
• 3D printing
• Samsung Galaxy

Deep Dives on Facebook, Twitter, Google & Hiring

The issue also includes AdAge's second exclusive assessment of marketers' sentiments toward Facebook. A series of charts and other analytics show that most brands have yet to sample things like Sponsored Stories or use the Facebook Exchange.  "We can see that as either an indictment or an opportunity," summed Michael Learmonth, assistant managing editor at Advertising Age.

Also in the issue, a look at Twitter's coming of age.

"Twitter created a new real-time window for marketing and they own it, but until this year, there was a real question of whether the company would be able to capitalize on the business opportunity," added Learmonth. "We now see brands' newsrooms operating continuously, and going into high alert around things like the Grammys, the Academy Awards and the Super Bowl. Nothing existed with this urgency before Twitter. It's an amazing opportunity for Twitter, and there are real risks. The value of real-time content expires very quickly compared to search's very long tail and permanence."

In a third look at leading digital platforms: the story of the tensions brewing between two longtime Silicon Valley allies, Google and Samsung. In the wake of Google's hiring of Samsung's top marketer, the story delves into how the relationship has turned acrimonious.

"There are real indications that the united front of these two companies is crumbling and that united front is vital to competing with Apple," added Learmonth.

New to the Digital Issue for 2013 – and providing some of the most interesting twists to the issue's coverage: The Eight Best Digital Hires over the past year.

"You'll see people you'd expect on the list, like Marissa Mayer. But you'll also see people you've never heard of," Learmonth said. "It gives you a sense of who to watch in 2013."

About the AdAge Digital A-List

The Advertising Age Digital A-List has been celebrating the most innovative and effective digital players and events in the advertising and marketing business for seven years. The full Digital A-List can be found here and in today's issue of Advertising Age. For reprints of the issue, please contact Laura Picariello at lpicariello@crain.com.

The Digital A-List is the centerpiece of the highly anticipated Digital Issue. And AdAge also runs the companion AdAge:Digital Conference, the most important event of the year for marketers. This year, the conference runs from April 16-17, 2013 at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York.

About Advertising Age

Advertising Age is the leading global source of news, intelligence and conversation for the marketing and media community. Ongoing coverage of strategic topics like CMO Strategies and data-driven marketing is complemented by breaking news on digital, social media, and more. The 83-year-old media group produces more than 15 original rankings each year, including the 100 Leading National Advertisers and 100 Leading Media Companies lists, the Digital A-List, and the annual Agency Report.

Digital subscriptions to Advertising Age are $49.95 until March 1, 2013, and include unlimited access to digital content, including Web, iPad, smartphone and weekly digital editions.

SOURCE Advertising Age