Street Fight Daily: Layoffs at Gannett, OpenTable Buys Rezbook
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology
More Than 150 Layoffs at Gannett (Gannett Blog)
With ad revenue losses accelerating, the nation’s biggest publisher has started another round of layoffs and other cost-cutting moves, according to readers and several of my sources. It’s not clear how many newspaper jobs are being eliminated because Corporate’s trying to keep this secret, but I expect it will grow well beyond 100 — and possibly much higher — in the days ahead.
How to Sell Hyperlocal Into Chambers of Commerce (Street Fight)
Sean Barkulis: After lots of research with local chambers, I’ve noticed that the chambers provide minimal resources to local businesses on how to navigate hyperlocal and which tools are the most valuable. In my opinion, that really should be a key responsibility of the Chambers. They should be vetting and approving the technology that will help their members to grow their businesses.
OpenTable Buys Rezbook, Teams Up With Urbanspoon (San Francisco Business Times)
Restaurant reservation system OpenTable bought Rezbook, another reservation management system used by its competitor, Urbanspoon. San Francisco-based OpenTable didn’t say what it paid in this deal, but it did say it won’t be competing with Urbanspoon anymore. Part of the arrangement is for OpenTable to take over the restaurant reservations part of Urbanspoon’s business.
Openings & New Hires at Groupon, Locu, Bit.ly and Radiate Media (Street Fight)
Every two weeks, Search Influence’s Kelly Benish — who knows practically everyone in hyperlocal — covers some of the latest job changes taking place in this dynamic industry. Moves this edition include new execs at SIM Partners and Accordant Media, plus job openings at AOL, JiWire, Weather Channel and more.
Wall Street Gives Yelp Five-Star Review as Stock Soars 23 Percent (AllThingsD)
One day after Yelp easily beat Wall Street analysts’ expectations for the second quarter, the online review site’s stock climbed 23 percent, to $51.50. Cantor Fitzgerald maintained its “buy” rating and bumped up its price target to $47, while RBC and Mark Mahaney maintained its “market perform” rating, but admitted, “We clearly have been wrong so far.”
Guns and Booze Become a Daily Deal Headache For LivingSocial (Wall Street Journal)
Enticing consumers to mix guns and alcohol has landed LivingSocial in hot water with a group that last year approved a hefty tax break for the Internet coupon company. The Gun Truth Project recently published a July 17 letter to LivingSocial chief executive and co-founder Tim O’Shaughnessy that calls on the company to stop offering deals combining shooting range excursions and alcohol.
Nokia’s Here Team Helps Qualcomm Find Its Way On Indoor Positioning (GigaOm)
Google has offered indoor mapping to Android users for coming on two years now; Apple bought WiSlam to boost its own efforts earlier this year; and now Nokia is partnering up with Qualcomm on indoor mapping too. Qualcomm’s IZat platform, which involves location technology hardwired into the company’s mobile chipsets, will draw on indoor mapping data derived from Nokia’s Here team.
When Mobile And Social Meet (Guardian)
Mobile’s “dip and sip” usage model means that for the first time, marketers can contact consumers wherever they are. Customers may not spend an hour poring over a car manufacturer’s website on their smartphone before choosing between a Ford and a Volvo, but they might quickly glance at their phone and decide that now’s a good time for a choccy bar.
Rather Than Lament The Death of Retail, Let’s Celebrate The Rebirth of Customer Service (PandoDaily)
Nathaniel Mott: AT&T announced this week that it plans to replace its hellish stores with new, customer-focused stores replete with the white walls, wooden tables, and personable employees that Apple popularized and Microsoft co-opted for its own stores. Soon you won’t be able to walk into a consumer electronics store without being confronted by smiling, knowledgeable employees who are willing to work with you instead of simply prodding you to make a purchase. Or that’s the idea, anyway.
CityMaps Announces $1.5M In Additional Series A Funding From A-Grade Investments, Endeca’s Founder & Others (TechCrunch)
CityMaps has raised an additional round of $1.5 million in outside funding – an extension of its earlier Series A, this time bringing in new investors. CityMaps has several upcoming features on the horizon, including a developer API, as well as features that could better connect local businesses to mobile consumers by alerting them to deals, promotions, nearby events, daily specials.
LBMA Podcast: Timehop, AudioVox and Factual’s Tyler Bell (Street Fight)
In this week’s episode, YFind is acquired by Ruckus Wireless; Weston Expressions launches Linkett to connect smartphones with dumb screens; Cineplex expands their out-of-home reach by acquiring EK3 Technologies; Timehop raises $3 million; Imersia brings Epic to life in New Zealand; Garmin brings HUD to the dashboard; and AudioVox partners with AT&T for on-board auto diagnostics