Retailers Use AI to Combat Shrinking Seasonal Workforce, Surging Customer Demands
Increases in customer service tickets are expected to come just as seasonal workforces are hitting all-time lows. According to Puneet Mehta, founder and CEO of the AI platform Netomi, about 25% fewer agents are working in seasonal customer service roles now than before the pandemic. Customer service accounts for a lot of the seasonal roles retailers have traditionally hired for, and now retailers are looking at leveraging technology to fill that labor gap.
What’s Behind Google’s Fake Review Problem?
In an analysis of more than 4 million store reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp, and TripAdvisor, Uberall and The Transparency Company found that Google has the highest average percentage of inauthentic reviews across business categories. More than one in 10 reviews on Google’s platform was identified as fraudulent or fake in Uberall’s analysis. The category with the highest percentage of fake reviews was locksmiths, while pharmacies came in as the category with the lowest percentage of fake reviews.
Why Are So Many Chatbots Missing the Mark?
The use of chatbots for retail customer service has been on the rise for years. According to a report by Drift, use of chatbots as a brand communication channel increased by 92% between 2019 and 2020. Nearly one quarter of consumers used chatbots to communicate with a business last year. But how many of those interactions were positive, and how many customers left those interactions feeling like their issues were resolved?
Inside the Last-Mile Delivery Crunch
High shipping costs, late deliveries, and lost or stolen packages aren’t uncommon during the busy holiday period, but this year feels different. The so-called shippageddon that retailers are bracing for is creating new worries and new opportunities for creative brands to rise to the top.
What Does the Arrival of Approximate Location Mean for Granular Ad Targeting?
Tucked into Android’s latest privacy update is a change that many marketers didn’t see coming. Smartphone owners with Android 12 or higher now have the option to share “approximate” location instead of precise location, restricting app developers from accessing their exact whereabouts in real-time.
Heap’s Journey Maps Show How Consumers Navigate Digital Experiences
Heap is rolling out a new data science tool designed to help teams understand how users navigate digital experiences. The “Journey Maps” tool is the latest addition to Heap’s suite of data science tools, designed to surface high-impact insights about user behavior on consumers’ websites and digital products.
Will Audio-Only OOH Be 2021’s Biggest Ad Trend?
The Trade Desk’s recent decision to expand its omnichannel demand-side platform (DSP) to support audio out-of-home (AOOH) through partnerships with Vistar Media and Vibenomics is just the latest in a string of high-profile moves in the audio marketing space. With an extension of OpenRTB integrations to include audio-only OOH, The Trade Desk is moving into the forefront as the first omnichannel DSP to support the extension and allow advertisers to programmatically purchase audio inventory from networks like Vibenomics.
6 Ways Brands Are Leveraging Human-to-Human Marketing in 2021
The ultimate goal with human-to-human marketing is to tap into consumers’ emotions by using real people to engage potential customers. Advancements in technology, and growth in the gig economy, have made human-to-human marketing a more realistic—and affordable—option for brands this year. As the holidays draw closer and brands rethink how they’ll connect with targeted consumers in the coming months, this is a strategy more brands are considering.
5 Headless Commerce Solutions for Retailers
Headless commerce is one of the latest innovations to hit the retail industry, offering both online and offline retailers the opportunity to decouple the purchasing and payments experience from their websites while also giving shoppers the ability to complete transactions from almost anywhere.
Cidewalk Expands to Bring Mobile Marketing to Local Businesses Overseas
In response to growing demand for digital marketing services outside the U.S., Cidewalk is extending its platform reach to cover all countries. CEO Venkat Kolluri says the decision to expand globally was made in response to the growing demand from businesses for lightweight, easy-to-use digital marketing channels to target consumers online at any location.
Yelp Introduces Guest Manager, A Front-of-House Operations Tool for Restaurants
Yelp today introduced a new, comprehensive solution for restaurants to manage their front-of-house operations. With online searches for takeout remaining above pre-pandemic levels, the new Yelp Guest Manager is being billed as a comprehensive solution that brings together many of the digital tools restaurants have been using to manage digital ordering, reservations, takeout, guest loyalty, and table management.
Merchants React to New Data Theft Concerns
As more digital marketing and customer management solutions come online, security breaches are happening with increasing frequency. The threat is becoming a real issue for merchants, who are now faced with growing concerns among consumers and tightened privacy restrictions from government controllers.
Convenience Stores Adapt Marketing Efforts for EV Era
The market for electric vehicles is growing steadily, with automakers like Tesla, Ford, and VW helping to boost demand across much of the country. As consumer habits in the auto industry evolve, and the share of fossil fuel-powered cars on the road decreases, gas stations and convenience stores are adapting their marketing strategies for a new electric-first future.
GoDaddy’s Marketing Planner Helps SMBs Prepare for Holidays
The holidays are still months away, but GoDaddy is betting that more small and mid-size businesses will be taking a proactive approach and starting their seasonal marketing campaigns earlier this year than in the past. The company recently launched a new marketing planner designed to make it easier for businesses to keep track of holidays and promotional opportunities.