Street Fight Daily: Why Hyperlocals Flop, Everyblock Launches Ads
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.
The Neighborhood Watch: Why Do Community News Sites, Once Hailed as the Future of Journalism, so Often Flop? (AdWeek)
Janet Stilson: Some of the bigger news operations that got in the hyperlocal media game with so much fanfare now find themselves reassessing their approaches to community news. Others are waiting to see whether hyperlocal will, in fact, prove to be the future—or a noble but ultimately unsustainable experiment.
PayPal Media Network’s Doyle on eBay’s Local Push and ‘Closing the Loop’ (Street Fight)
Walt Doyle, who was CEO of Where at its acquisition, now serves as general manager of PayPal Media Network. Street Fight caught up with Doyle recently to talk about “closing the loop,” building a local marketplace and rethinking advertising’s role in the hyperlocal space.
EveryBlock Launches Native Ads (Everyblock Blog)
Brian Addison: We don’t know of another self-serve way to truly target ads at the neighborhood level. And while most geographically targeted ad options are tied to a user’s current location, ours deliver the message to their neighborhood of interest.
Street Fight Poll: Consumers May Pay Extra for Same-Day Delivery (Street Fight)
In a recent Street Fight poll, 64% of consumers said they might be willing to pay a few dollars extra to receive retail goods faster, though for many it depends on the order. In a poll of 500 anonymous U.S. consumers,14.8% said they’re very likely to pay extra for same-day retail delivery, and 14.8% said they’re somewhat likely.
Far Fewer People Are Using Facebook Offers Than Facebook’s News Feed (Business Insider)
Facebook tells users that their friends “claimed” a Facebook offer even when they didn’t actually redeem it, Business Insider has learned. The confusion appears to stem from the words Facebook uses in your News Feed to indicate when a user has clicked on an offer.
Street Fight Poll: Consumers May Pay Extra for Same-Day Delivery (Street Fight)
In a recent Street Fight poll, 64% of consumers said they might be willing to pay a few dollars extra to receive retail goods faster, though for many it depends on the order. In a poll of 500 anonymous U.S. consumers,14.8% said they’re very likely to pay extra for same-day retail delivery, and 14.8% said they’re somewhat likely.
Marriott Chain Adds Some Local Flavor (AdWeek)
To increase its social quotient, the hotel chain is letting locals participate in its Navigator program, Renaissance’s take on the hotel concierge. Tipsters who are so inclined can add their favorite haunts to the hotel’s online database of restaurants, services, stores and entertainment culled by hotel-trained ambassadors, who are called navigators.
6 Tools Local Publishers Can Use to Build Business Directories (Street Fight)
Directories give publishers a way to target local advertisers with a low-cost, self-serve alternative to traditional banners and display ads. Just as important, they provide instant value to readers interested in learning more about the merchants in their hometowns.
Why Hyperlocal Won’t Save Newspapers (and what will) (Per Square Mile)
Time De Chant: Too many newspapers have placed their bets on intensely local coverage, or hyperlocal as they call it in the biz. That’s a mistake. To remain profitable, they need to concentrate on a particular topic instead of a geographic region.
Think Tank Slams Location-Privacy Bill (MediaPost)
Late last year, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved a privacy bill by Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) that would require app developers to obtain users’ explicit consent before collecting or disclosing their geolocation data. The think tank Information Technology and Innovation Foundation is arguing against the legislation, which it calls “particularly problematic for apps that are supported by location-based advertising.”
Yiftee Raises $850K For Local Business-Focused Gifting Service (TechCrunch)
Yiftee, a gifting service that aims to drive business to local merchants, has raised $850,000 in seed funding from Scott Cook, Mohr Davidow Ventures, and other angel investors. Yiftee allows you to give gifts from local businesses to friends via a mobile app.
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