Street Fight’s June Theme: Mapping the Future
This post is the latest in our “Mapping the Future” series. It’s our editorial focus for the month of June.
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This year, June not only marks the first days of summer but also the return to normal. Though Covid-19 certainly isn’t eradicated and is raging in certain parts of the world, it’s largely in retreat in most of the U.S. And many states are opening back up for business this month.
The new month signals that it is also time for a fresh Street Fight editorial theme. As these themes often reflect the macro environment, we’ve chosen one that’s endemic to (renewed) physical-world interaction: mapping. We’ll see increased usage of mapping tools as consumers emerge from their homes and return to the pastimes of local commerce.
Street Fight Editorial Themes
Local search and mapping are also more important than ever. As businesses reopen, they’ll have to communicate dynamic business details such as mask policies and other variables. These details will have to be a core component of the local search and mapping experiences — at least for businesses that do it right.
Mapping is also a foundational “meat and potatoes” topic in Street Fight’s local coverage. It’s one of those tentpole topics in our repertoire that buttresses local commerce. So as the world returns to normal, we thought it would be fitting to return to a core topic that got more airtime before Covid hijacked the collective mindset.
Beyond mapping’s status as central to local, it’s also seeing continued advancement and evolution. Late last month, Google announced new Maps features including more intelligent directions and area busyness indicators. That was followed by Snap’s Partner Summit where it likewise announced several Snap Maps updates.
We also continue to see the emergence of “visual search” for more intuitive front-end mapping experiences. This includes holding up your phone to see 3D directional arrows and informational overlays for storefronts along your journey. This will continue to evolve from Google and others to meet the visual-first proclivities of the Snapchat generation.
Connecting the Dots on Google’s Visual Road Map
How will all of the above play out in the near term? We’ll tackle this question throughout the month. So look out for the tag “Mapping the Future.” We’ll label posts so you can discover them or actively browse them. Coverage will include our own daily reporting as well as that of our growing network of columnists and contributors.
Speaking of which, we’ll take this chance to remind you about our editorial contributor program. If you have unique perspectives, we’d love to hear from you. We’ll prioritize submissions that make concrete assertions about the future of the industries we cover, especially the monthly theme.
We’ve also begun a new ritual in 2021. Each month, we’ll be aggregating comments from thought leaders that align with the monthly theme (like this). If you’re a local search and mapping expert or enthusiast, we’d love to include your voice in the chorus.
Reach out to us with suggestions for monthly themes, opportunities to contribute, or to amplify your brand messaging alongside this thematic coverage. This includes Street Fight’s new Thought Leaders program. Meanwhile, we’ll continue bringing you insights and market coverage on Streetfightmag.com and Street Fight Daily.
