Street Fight Daily: Signpost Brings AI-Driven Ads to Facebook, Snap to File Publicly for IPO This Week

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

Signpost Integrates AI Tech with Facebook for More Effective Advertising (MediaPost)
After a brand serves an advertisement in Facebook, Signpost’s Mia sends a follow-up message that might contain a discount or special offer to the consumer with an option to claim it by providing their contact information. The offer is then sent to them via email. The software automates the process.

Apple Gets Into Position for the Voice Search Revolution (Street Fight)
As voice search becomes more prevalent, Apple will “retain an advantage over Amazon in ‘on-the-go’ searches, since our phones are always with us,” David Mihm tells Mike Blumenthal. “Unfortunately for Apple, people overwhelmingly conduct voice searches at home.”

Snap Plans to File Publicly for Its Much-Awaited IPO This Week (Recode)
According to sources, Snap Inc. plans to publicly file for its much-anticipated initial public offering late next week. That means the company will likely go public sometime in March, after a typical road show schedule that lasts nine weeks.

Three Ways Location Marketing Is Changing in 2017 (Street Fight)
Jon Schepke: People are searching differently. They’re using emoji, voice commands, and social media to find what they want on demand through a variety of channels and devices. As a result, businesses need to be more nimble and imaginative in the way they convert online searches into offline sales.

How Automakers Are Cashing in on Connected Cars (VentureBeat)
The Internet of Things has created a new market in the automotive industry, one which is showing no signs of slowing down. Connected cars and their associated services are expected to grow from $13.6 to over $42 billion by 2022.

Cafe X Opens in San Francisco, Bringing Robots to the Coffee Shop (TechCrunch)
Opening in San Francisco today, the startup is opting instead to have a large robotic arm craft your caffeinated potions. At scale, Cafe X should be able to increase margins within the industry while reducing wait times for hurried patrons.

How The Washington Post Uses Newsletters and Alerts to Reach Readers (Poynter)
Readers are inundated with content nowadays, which puts the onus on journalists to reach them where they’re actually paying attention. That’s why many news organizations have begun hiring editors who deal exclusively with email and push notifications, journalism that audiences can’t easily tune out.

App Success is Shifting from Downloads to Engagement (AdWeek)
As app downloads slow down due to a maturing ecosystem (dropping 20% among the top 15 US pubs, according to a mid-2016 Nomura/SensorTower report), developers are turning to a new success metric: usage.

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