Street Fight Daily: YP Buys Sense Networks, Taskrabbit Delivers Cold Medicine
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology.
YP Buys Sense Networks (New York Times)
YP, the local search and advertising company owned by Cerberus Capital Management and AT&T, said on Monday that it had acquired Sense Networks, a mobile ad company. Acquiring Sense Networks, which mines location and behavioral data, will allow YP to provide more accurately targeted search and display ads.
Is Newspapers’ Falling Knife Finally Starting to Rise? (Street Fight)
Jason Klein: Wall Street thinks the long-term decline of newspaper revenues may be near bottom as print losses are close to being outweighed by consumer and digital revenue increases. With Warren Buffet and Jeff Bezos buying into the industry as a long-term play, the broader financial markets are following suit. The newspaper industry is getting some of its most positive signs in years.
Walgreens Taps TaskRabbit to Deliver Cold Medicine to Shut-Ins (Mashable)
The national drug chain is partnering with TaskRabbit, the online mobile marketplace, to allow deliveries of over-the-counter cold medicine in any of the 19 cities in which TaskRabbit is available. Such deliveries can be made via TaskRabbit’s iOS app or on its website. Standard TaskRabbit rates apply including a 20% service charge and a runner’s fee.
5 Revenue Diversification Strategies for Hyperlocal Publications (Street Fight)
Revenue diversification is a hot topic within the hyperlocal community, as publishers seek out new ways to generate income without sacrificing the quality of the products they provide. Some publishers are gaining audience share by partnering with other local media, some are focusing on mobile ad strategies, and others are competing for grants as non-profit organizations. What they all have in common is an interest in finding new ways to expand beyond traditional banner ads.
Facebook WiFi Comes to Some Netgear Routers, Allowing Small Businesses to Offer Free WiFi Access (The Next Web)
Netgear has teamed up with Facebook to let small businesses offer their customers free WiFi access in exchange for checking in to a business Facebook Page. Once enabled on the router by the business, customers accessing the service are automatically taken to that business’s Facebook Page, where they are given the option to Like the Page if they want to carry on browsing the Internet for free.
Twitter Inches Closer to the Local Ad Market (Digiday)
While Twitter, which declined to comment, asserts that Nearby is merely one of its many “experiments,” agency execs believe it could help the company compete with Foursquare, Google and Yelp for local advertising dollars. Twitter could easily generate ad revenue from Nearby by allowing local businesses — or national business with local outlets — to promote their tweets within Nearby’s map.
Your Car’s Navigation System Is Sharing Your Data Too (Adweek)
A new government report concludes that in-car navigation systems may be driving away with too much data about drivers’ whereabouts. The report on in-car location-based services like Garmin, OnStar and Google Maps found that while such companies are taking some steps to protect consumers’ privacy, they need to do more to inform consumers how they use and share location data.
Google Teams With GM, Honda, and Audi to Bring Android to Cars (Bloomberg Businessweek)
Google announced the Open Automotive Alliance, a group of technology and automotive companies, including General Motors, Honda Motor, Audi, Hyundai, and chipmaker Nvidia, that want to customize Google’s popular mobile operating system for vehicles. The technology companies get a chance to place their wares into hundreds of millions of cars.
A Makeover for Maps (New York Times)
Nowadays, devices and people are unceasingly uploading all kinds of information about the economy, locations, weather and even what sweater makes them happy. With this flood of data, some believe traditional ways of displaying information do not work well anymore.
Google+ Local Must Be Simplified Before It Can Dethrone Foursquare (The Next Web)
By splitting its check-in, discovery and social features, Google has made it difficult for anyone to fall in love with Google+ Local. All of the features are in place, but Google has spread them out across too many services and created an inconsistent experience across key platforms.
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