Street Fight Daily: Groupon Rolls Out Search, Google Preps Maps for Apple
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.
Goodbye to Daily Deals? Groupon Emphasizes Always-On Deals (AllThingsD)
Groupon is rolling out a new deal structure and homepage redesign today that will allow consumers to search and find offers for things they are immediately interested in buying, instead of having to wait for a coupon to arrive in their in-box. In New York and Chicago, consumers will start seeing a new homepage, where offers will be browsable and searchable — and won’t disappear.
Google Preps Maps App for Apple Devices (The Wall Street Journal)
Google has distributed a test version of its new mapping app that will work on Apple’s iPhones and iPads to some individuals outside the company, said a person with direct knowledge of the matter. Google has been putting the finishing touches on the app before submitting it for approval to the Apple iTunes store, this person said, though it is unclear exactly when that will happen.
Daily Deals Dead? Zulily Says No, Raises $85M from Andreessen (GigaOm)
Deals site for moms, babies and kids Zulily raised a whopping $85 million in a Series D round led by Andreessen Horowitz. While daily deals sites like Groupon are struggling, Zulily is growing and now has 10 million daily users.
New Banjo App Aims To Become a True Browser for Location, a Much Bigger Opportunity (TechCrunch)
With its latest version, Banjo hopes to become a new kind of location-driven browser which lets the user look at what is happening at any point on the globe in real time. The sinuous new interface allows you to see your social graph as mapped against cities worldwide, and surfaces the most relevant posts, such as seeing your friends’ posts more visibly based on a location.
Google Introduces Targeting Improvements To Help More Marketers “Get Local” For Holidays (Search Engine Land)
In recognition of the “online-offline” consumer shopping pattern (and especially for Q4) Google is introducing a range of improvements and upgrades to its location targeting capabilities. Among those, Google is launching airport targeting to reach business and leisure travelers.
Ben & Jerry’s to Run Fans’ Instagram Photos in Local Ads (Mashable)
Ben & Jerry’s is jumping on Instagram-mania with a promotion that challenges fans to take photos that capture “euphoria.” The winning photos will be featured in B&J ads in that person’s neighborhood.
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