Street Fight Daily: Google’s Plan for Mobile Search, Uber’s “Lead Generation” Defense

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology…

Reinventing Google for a Mobile World (New York Times)
Amit Singhal, Google’s search chief, oversees the 200 or so factors that determine where websites rank in the company’s search engine, which means he decides if your website lives or dies. His current challenge: figuring out how to spread that same fear and influence to mobile phones. With mobile, “…you have to rethink what search means pretty much from first principles,” Singhal said.

Uber: We’re Not a Taxi Service, ‘We’re a Lead Generation’ App (Business Insider)
In the lawsuit that aims to reclassify Uber drivers as employees, one of Uber’s primary defense strategies is to categorize itself as a“lead generation” app that connects buyers and sellers — in this case, people who want rides and drivers who sell them. So instead of a transportation service, Uber is more akin to eBay and Etsy.

Boston-Based Dispatch Retains a Startup Mentality as It Sets Its Sights on Big Growth (Street Fight)
Dispatch grew from three employees to 25 in the past 10 months, and the company is on an upward trajectory. As it scales, the executive team is hoping to maintain the small-time ambiance of a startup while segmenting responsibilities.

Location Is Everything: Talking Mobile Programmatic With Avazu’s Yi Shi (AdMonsters)
Localization has been a cornerstone in mobile DSP Avazu’s strategy since it refocused completely to mobile. Founder and CEO Yi Shi talks about how technology like beacons is transforming location-based advertising, the potential for mobile web inventory, and much more.

Raise Roundup: New Funding for Yieldify, Zosi, Adored, and Airbnb (Street Fight)
Every two weeks we round up some of the biggest fundraises taking place in hyperlocal marketing, commerce, and tech. In this edition, new investments include big votes of confidence for Onefinestay and UrbanClap.

Uber’s Istanbul Boat Service Started as a PR Stunt, But Is So Popular It’s Now Permanent (Washington Postt)
The point of offering on-demand rides across The Bosphorus was to show off Uber as a software company; Uber wanted to highlight how it can be used for more than just ordering a car. The company envisions being used for a broad range of services, essentially becoming UPS for the Internet.

It Has 40 Million Subscribers. Now Amazon Prime is Eyeing the Competition (Fast Company)
As Wal-Mart, eBay, Jet.com, and more introduce new and improved delivery projects, Amazon Prime tries to follow through on Jeff Bezos’ not-so-secret goal: to convince customers to buy from Amazon instead of journeying to their local supermarket or big-box store.

ChefsFeed, An App For Dishes Recommended By Top Chefs, Gets A New Look (TechCrunch)
Users can dive into a neighborhood and swipe through various restaurants with recommendations from chefs, and also view recommendations of specific chefs at restaurants.

Mobile Not a Customer Service Priority (eMarketer)
Nearly as many companies use the web for customer support as phone and email, but mobile still hasn’t cracked the halfway mark. That’s expected to change: 48% forecast an increase in the number of customer service questions they would get via mobile in the future, including 10% who thought it would be a significant increase.

LBMA Podcast: Beacons on Buses, Apple’s New Patents (Street Fight)
On the show: Selfridges’ Tiffany & Co. brings flagship store to augmented reality; Starbucks taps Lyft for free Frappucino deliveries; Uber acquires mapping team from Microsoft; TCS acquires Loctronix. Special guest is Jeff White of Gravy.

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