Join us as we take a look back at mobile’s massive growth this year as a way to forecast 2012: the year in which mobile takes over and rules the world.

This past year, brands and mobile apps tapped into the nation’s consciousness as never before, perfectly fulfilling people’s desire to share, connect and consume. Will mobile rule the world in 2012? If these highly influential apps have anything to say about it, the answer’s a resounding YES.

1. Instagram

Instagram was a shining star in the sharing department. Created little more than a year ago, this photo-sharing application now boasts more than 13 million registered users and more than 200,000,000 photos, the latter being fundamentally social. This growth is explosive, especially considering that the app is available only to iPhone users. In fact, Instagram is now the biggest mobile-only platform.

Brands are coming on board by the dozen; Starbucks boasts 92,000 followers, while fashion brand Bergdorf’s has shared more than 900 photo uploads with followers. Instagram’s unique idea and clean execution set the standard for mobile technology: a simple, easy-to-use interface, exceptional capabilities and great connectivity with existing networks. Now that the developer has announced that a new, Android version of Instagram isn’t too far off, the potential of the social-photo-sharing outlet, and other one-off sharing apps like it, as a marketing tool can be ignored no longer.

2. NBC and Foursquare

While Instagram is a hit with the tech conscious, mobile is moving into the spotlight for mainstream consumers. Case in point: NBC’s recent announcement that it will use the location-based social site Foursquare to map the 2012 campaign. This marriage of national news media and location-aware software to produce a sort of new-age social reporting, embraces what we’ve lately come to know: that consumers, armed with simple, always-on mobile software, are the best reporters out there. (image)

3. Google Wallet; Converse

On the mobile-to-physical-purchasing front, tech companies and multinational brands alike are searching for ways to make the experience smooth, simple and uninhibited. Google Wallet and its use of Cloud technology are but one of this year’s attempts to make the phone-as-wallet concept feel more natural. Count also the continued proliferation and acceptance of QR codes in 2011 brand campaigns.

Some brands are taking a more tongue-in-cheek approach when it comes to mobile as a means of bridging the physical and digital worlds. The Sampler iPhone app by Converse lets you “try on” a new pair of Chucks digitally, just by supplying a quick shot of your legs and current kicks needs.

Endless Possibilities

A new breed of mobile-focused startups is making Apple’s iconic tagline “There’s an app for that” ring truer than ever before. As silly as it may sound, there will soon be a special something on your mobile device for anything and everything you can dream up.

More and more we’re coming to view our mobile devices as our social lifelines, not unlike how we saw newspapers, radio and television in the past. It’s no stretch to say that the mobile device is coming into its own, finding its role as the conduit for consumer journalism and content generation, and as the key to bridging the gap between online and in-person worlds.

Our prediction:

The year 2012 will be the tipping point for mobile—a watershed year for the medium as we know it and for its expanding capabilities. Widespread acceptance will be realized and critical mass reached for brands, which will begin using mobile as the core component of new campaigns.

What was your favorite mobile moment of 2011? What does 2012 have in store for mobile technology?

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Converse’s story began with great success. With a distinct American image and near stranglehold in athletics — particularly basketball — Converse ruled the feet of teenagers and young adults in the ’50s and ’60s. But new players like Nike, Puma, and Adidas appeared, slicing at its market share and innovating the field to the point that Converse lost its NBA sponsorship and ultimately was forced to file for bankruptcy in 2001.

Usually this would be the death knell for a shoe company — but not for Converse. In 2001, Converse was purchased by Footwear Acquisitions (and ultimately sold to Nike). From what must have seemed like the depths of despair, Converse embraced music, arts, and skateboarding and “celebrated the sprit of rebellion,” elevating the brand so high it became an icon of pop culture.

To honor this rebirth and the music and arts community that now embraced a once-fledgling basketball sneaker, Converse built Rubber Tracks — a state-of-the-art community-based recording studio in Brooklyn, N.Y., that let new bands the record their songs in a high-quality studio at no cost. Artists could even promote their music on converse.com and through the brand’s social media channels.

At Story, we encourage our clients to become the content channel instead of sitting adjacent to it. It’s the keystone of content marketing. However, there’s content (like this blog post), and then there’s content (like building a recording space and creating music that will change lives). Wow.

Even before Rubber Tracks, Converse has done a great job solidifying its social footprint. You might expect the brand to be content with its top-quality content spread across multiple channels and more than 19 million Facebook fans. But Converse wouldn’t settle.

Instead of reclining in the La-Z-Boy, Converse invested back to the same community that helped shape its brand story as we know it today, which ultimately is helping it shape its own story moving forward. It created an ultimate owned channel that will, undoubtedly, attract and charm new fans.

In the introduction video below, artists, producers, and engineers talk about their first experiences in music recording. It brings to light the wild juxtaposition of most bands’ forays in music recording and the opportunity that Converse now provides emerging artists.

We can’t know yet if Rubber Tracks will produce chart-topping hits, but it really doesn’t matter. Converse has given musicians the chance to create the best art they can…and simultaneously is creating passion-filled branded content.

What do you think? Was this a smart investment? Can you name any other brands that have created owned channels like this?

This year at MIDEM, a gathering in France for the music industry elite, a number of panels focused on branding. Execs from Converse, NASCAR, PepsiCo, and Carhartt shed some light on the current state of music-based branding efforts. Advertising and the music industry are getting in harmony, Brandweek explains.

Another highlight is Converse’s Connectivity series. With the help of Pharrell Williams, Santigold and Julian Casablancas, it released its popular, exclusive track, “My Drive Thru,” which illustrated the brand’s originality and rich cultural history.

Both projects work with artists to push relationships past logo-slapping or product-placement—together they create something real.