Heard on the Street, Episode 11: Pivot Dynamics with Gravy Analytics’ Jeff White
“As an entrepreneur, they always say you have to be gritty and tough, and the world’s going to kick you in the teeth, and you have to keep going and persevere,” said Gravy Analytics founder and CEO Jeff White, our latest guest on Heard on the Street. “But sometimes that comes at the expense of having a vision that’s blinding. So you can’t not take your head up and realize, we may be off course.”
Heard on the Street, Episode 10: Apple, Amazon, and Localized Brand Marketing
How are multi-location businesses shifting their local ad spend? What do Apple’s latest mapping moves mean for local search? And what’s Amazon’s master plan for advertising and commerce? These are a few of the topics we bat around in an analyst roundtable for the latest episode of the Heard on the Street podcast.
Will Apple Help Assemble the ‘Internet of Places’?
The AR cloud is the missing piece in the vision we all have for how AR should work. It’s the spatial map of the world that will let AR devices understand their surroundings. Taking this into account, the news that Apple is collecting its own data for Apple Maps may have implications for AR.
Heard on the Street, Episode 9: Running Lean with Stadium Goods CEO John McPheters
VC funding is sexy, but sometimes it’s better not to take the money. Operating lean can train founders for optimal practices and efficiencies that will serve them well in the long run, says Stadium Goods co-founder and CEO John McPheters, our latest guest on Heard on the Street.
Heard on the Street, Episode 8: ‘Engineered Casual’ with Broadly CEO Josh Melick
Word of mouth has been a leading form of local marketing for more than a century. But in a digital age, the name of the game is harnessing it by combining “IRL” chatter with the power of software and network effect. This is the bread and butter of Broadly, whose CEO and founder Josh Melick is our latest guest on our podcast Heard on the Street.
Heard on the Street Episode 7: Defying the Hyperlocal Graveyard, with NextDoor
One of the imperatives for fledgling sites with hyperlocal aspirations that NextDoor co-founder and chief architect Prakash Janakiraman points to is dedicated focus on neighbor-to-neighbor communications and engagement. Though not as big or culturally embedded as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, NextDoor is exclusively devoted to local community interaction.
How AR Will Fundamentally Change Search, Participating in an ‘Internet of Places’
Online-to-offline (O2O) commerce is one area where AR will find a home. Just think: Is there any better technology to unlock O2O commerce than one that literally melds physical and digital worlds? AR can shorten gaps in time and space that currently separate those interactions (e.g. search) from offline outcomes.
Heard on the Street, Episode 6: Engineering, Surfing, and Acting with Frost Prioleau
How do you bring brand-like programmatic advertising to local advertisers who spend less than $4 per day? It takes good software and partnerships to hit the sweet spots of automation and customization, according to Simpli.fi co-founder and CEO Frost Prioleau, our latest guest on Heard on the Street.
Heard on the Street, Episode 5: Bringing Apple-like Quality Standards to Local Ads, with Lynn Tornabene
What do you learn from going through two major tech acquisitions? It’s all about having a firm strategy, says Affinity X CMO Lynn Tornabene, our latest guest on Heard on the Street. In Tornabene’s varied career leading projects at top tech firms, M&A lightning struck twice—at DoubleClick (acquired by Google), then Quattro Wireless (acquired by Apple).
SMB OS Operators, Part IV: Peter Krasilovsky
“We like to cite $500 billion as the broad SMB OS opportunity—roughly 3.5 times the size of local advertising,” veteran industry commentator Peter Krasilovsky says. “But I think the end number has got to be many times larger.”
Heard on the Street, Episode 4: Growing the SMB Pie with Ilir Sela
What are the nuances and tactical imperatives of selling pizza locally? For one, it compels a highly verticalized approach: It’s all about focus and specialization on the sector’s unique operational challenges, according to Slice Founder and CEO Ilir Sela, our latest guest on Heard on the Street.
SMB OS Operators, Part III: Booker
Recently acquired by MindBody, Booker has been living out the principles of SMB OS long before we started calling it that. In this interview, Booker CEO Josh McCarter explains how his business helps SMBs go beyond typical marketing tactics to attract and keep customers coming back.
Heard on the Street, Episode 3: Sport Bikes, Pool Hustling, and Marketing Innovation with Walt Geer
What does sport bike racing and pool hustling teach you about being a good marketing exec? It’s all about focus and quick thinking, according to Walt Geer, our latest guest on Heard on the Street.
Who’s Using Local AR? And How Often?
According to a recent survey, AR users like what they see, with a whopping 73% reporting high or very high satisfaction. But non-users report explicit disinterest, with the biggest reason being the rather daunting “just not interested.” This presents a big hill for AR app developers to climb.
Report: Smartphones, Developer Kits Drive Local AR and Visual Search
A new white paper from Street Fight examines how developer kits from Google and Apple have jumpstarted approaches to AR and visual search and sketches strategies for developers, marketers, and media companies hoping to tap into an exciting new trend.
Heard On The Street, Episode 2: Jiu Jitsu and the Art of Content Marketing, with Monica Ho
“I’m a big believer in a value exchange,” says Monica Ho of SOCi. “Whether you’re a brand or an agency, or maybe you’re an entrepreneur, everyone is starved for more data on more information on certain things that are affecting the landscape.
Heard on the Street, Episode 1: Career Wisdom from Randy Parker
We talk to Brevi CEO Randy Parker in Episode 1 of our new podcast series about SMB-oriented marketing tech and several other matters—everything from company culture to what it’s like to operate a business and live in Boston.
Is Voice the Future of Local AR?
Visual AR won’t go away and is aligned with several use cases like gaming. But audio could get here sooner and take over a certain share of micro moments like getting informed about people or surroundings. We’re talking local discovery, shopping, and proximity-based social media.
SMB OS Operators: Part II: Slice
Having raised $15 million in funding just last year, Slice is a prime example of what we call SMB OS operators: companies helping SMBs compete in today’s digital economy with a full suite of solutions beyond core advertising and marketing.
Who Will Own Your Augmented Reality?
Questions about AR ownership will be particularly contentious wherever money is changing hands, such as in AR advertising. Courts will face questions such as ownership of digital ad inventory when there are AR overlays on private property (or on other ads). There could be similar gray area in retail & commerce.