Street Fight Daily: Uber Launches In-App Tipping, Study Finds Email Still Best for ROI

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

Uber Launches In-App Tipping Feature in Over 100 Cities (The Verge)
The inclusion of in-app tipping is a major reversal for the embattled ride-hail company. For years, Uber has resisted including a tipping option in its app, even as major rivals like Lyft boasted of the millions of dollars in tips that was being distributed to its drivers.

Comparing Enterprise and SMB Attitudes on Local Tech (Street Fight)
David Card: In recent Street Fight surveys, both brands and local merchants reported that they are increasing the digital portion of their marketing spending. Over half (57%) of local merchants surveyed said that was the case, and 40% of the enterprise local marketers agreed.

Email Still the King of ROI, Says DMA (MediaPost)
Email marketing remains the best digital marketing channel for return on investment, according to the Data & Marketing Association’s (DMA) latest Response Rate Report.

Street Culture: A Look at the Spinoff Culture at Conichiwa (Street Fight)
A spinoff company from a larger mothership might already have culture built in. At Conichiwa, a Berlin-based proximity agency and beacon company, that’s not quite what is happening.

You Can Now Reply to Instagram Stories with Photo and Video (TechCrunch)
Instagram has updated its Stories feature with the ability to reply to stories with either photos or video. This means you can use all the creative tools found in the Instagram camera, including filters, Boomerang, rewind and stickers to show the original poster exactly how your really feel about what they’re sharing. Mashable: Buying Nikes on Instagram is also now possible.

Is There Room for Both Amazon and Walmart? (Recode)
Jason Del Rey & Kara Swisher: Ask a techie in Silicon Valley and you might think Amazon is unstoppable — even when its “store of the future” is just a concept, the commerce world pays attention to Jeff Bezos & company’s every move. But don’t count out that other commerce giant, Walmart, just yet.

The Failure of Innovation in Ad Tech (AdExchanger)
Paul Bannister: The ad tech industrial complex thrives in opacity because many of its players provide very little differentiated value to their customers. A general lack of transparency masks this, making it harder for customers to understand how little they provide in exchange for their sometimes-considerable fees.

ShareIQ Helps Brands Track Their Product Images Across the Web (TechCrunch)
As more and more product images get shared on platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and Tumblr, ShareIQ says it can help brands understand what’s going on.

Your Social Media Marketing is Only as Good as Your Content (AdWeek)
Larry Alton: While pay-per-click ads, profile designs and strategies for amassing thousands of followers are certainly relevant, they aren’t everything. At the end of the day, your ability to profit from social media will only go as far as your content takes you.

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