Letter From the Editor: How Will 2019 Be Remembered?
As we enter June, we approach 2019’s midway point (that was fast). As a publication devoted to keeping its finger on the pulse of innovation in media and advertising, a key question arises: What will 2019 be remembered for? What are the prevailing topics and events in media and advertising?
You could argue that 5G, IoT, AI, AR, and other interlocking pieces of the acronym-heavy “fourth wave” of computing have made their mark this year. There’s also lots of retail innovation and transformation, as we explored in last month’s editor’s letter and in ongoing Street Fight coverage.
But perhaps the topic we’ll remember most is the rising attention to and hand wringing over privacy. In the media and advertising worlds, especially subsectors that pertain to location data, executives and consumers are feeling the broader privacy discussion acutely. We just passed the one-year mark for GDPR.
Separate privacy legislation now looms with California’s CCPA. This will have a major impact given the gravitational pull of California’s economy. Because media companies won’t adopt different tactics and policies for California and everywhere else, they’ll enact California standards across the board.
Following recent months’ editorial focus including Visualizing Local (May), Automating Local (April) and Targeting Location (March), privacy will lead our coverage throughout June. A deeper dive on the topic and our intentions in covering can be seen here, including the questions we hope to answer.
Elsewhere in Street Fight happenings, we’re excited to announce our 2019 Innovator Awards. Formerly the Street Fight Visionary Awards, we’re resurfacing this awards program to acknowledge and award innovators in the tech, media and advertising spheres that are Street Fight’s bread & butter.
You can find out more about the awards here, including categories, rules, timeline and applications to apply. The awards will be a central part of Street Fight’s plan to continue being an authority on innovation and transformation in the location-based media and advertising worlds. We’re excited to kick off the process.
Stay tuned for lots more as we break down the most impactful trends and market happenings. Reach out to me with any ideas or opportunities about how you’d like to be part of Street Fight’s action. We have developing sponsorship opportunities, event-based activity, opportunities to contribute articles and to be a guest on our podcast Heard on the Street.
We hope to hear from you.
