News and Analysis
BOOM: Dina Mitchell Launches a Gluten-Free MULO Brand
Dina Mitchell was the brain behind The Tropical Smoothie Café brand in Nevada and Southern California. Starting with only 23 locations, the brand grew to 1,300 and Mitchell’s stores clinched several Franchise of the Year awards and she became the Area Developer of the Year. After fifteen years of growth (including a $22 million year) […]
Digital Advertisers Suit-Up for the Big Game
Is Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas REALLY almost here? Yep. On February 11th, teams (and the digital advertisers that leverage the game) will run onto the field and play to win. As we know, Super Bowl advertising has transformed from the early days of big 60-second TV spots to fully integrated campaigns that are […]
4 Bites of the CosMc’s Launch
Trade and consumer media was buzzing last week with news of the new brand launched by 68-year-old McDonald’s. This new beverage brand, CosMc’s, (that also serves a limited food menu) declares on its website: “At CosMc’s, you’ll find exactly what you need to take you to your happy place. And you’ll feel rejuvenated by more […]
Commentary
LBMA: 605 and PlaceIQ Partner Up
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers 605 and PlaceIQ’s partnership, Logiq introducing a geofencing platform, Robomart launching a mobile store-hailing platform, and MoodMedia acquiring PlayNetwork.
How Brands Can Rock TikTok to Reach Gen Z
The bottom line for brands is that by being strategic about platform priorities, emphasizing authenticity, and nurturing organic social, marketers can reach the influential Gen Z audience they need to survive and thrive.
Google Local Search Trends III: Socialization
In this third of four installments in my series on recent and ongoing trends in local search, I want to focus on signs that Google’s local platform — comprising Google My Business, Google Maps, and the local component of Google Search — has become, under our noses, a massive social network. Google has achieved this status not through traditional methods of connecting users to each other, but by allowing and encouraging users to share their experiences, questions, and opinions about local businesses in a variety of forms and at a massive scale.
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Google Local Search Trends III: Socialization
In this third of four installments in my series on recent and ongoing trends in local search, I want to focus on signs that Google’s local platform — comprising Google My Business, Google Maps, and the local component of Google Search — has become, under our noses, a massive social network. Google has achieved this status not through traditional methods of connecting users to each other, but by allowing and encouraging users to share their experiences, questions, and opinions about local businesses in a variety of forms and at a massive scale.
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.
Broadening Local: Expert Roundup
A trio of local search experts expound on the latest in the industry. Claire Carlile proposes Google My Business as a CMS and covers how businesses should approach the channel; Miriam Ellis explores the increasingly blurred lines between different categories of sites and businesses; and Damian Rollison delineates the major trends shaping the trajectory of local search, especially on Google.
How Consumers Feel About First-Party Data
More than 90% of marketers believe leveraging first-party data to better understand their customers is critical to growth. But how do consumers feel about sharing their personal information — which is how marketers capture first-party data?
Now’s Not The Time To Cut Back On Marketing. Here’s What To Do Instead
Businesses that withdraw from marketplace visibility have a much harder time, and find it far more expensive in the long run, to regain customers once they start re-engaging, with market share declining even after they resume advertising. So, while cutting back marketing spend can help address some short-term bottom-line issues, it will create significant challenges to long-term sustainability.
New Year, Same Challenge: Content is the Key to Another Digital Holiday Season for Retailers
With the Delta variant bringing a second unwelcome wave of apprehension and disruption, the vision we all looked forward to a year ago — the return to a normal holiday season — is dissipating before our eyes. Online shopping will be the main go-to again this time around, with businesses and consumers facing many familiar, and a few unfamiliar, factors this year.
How Apple’s Latest Privacy Changes Will Affect Email Marketing
Last week, Apple rolled out iOS 15, which brought more privacy changes that could undermine tracking and disadvantage digital marketers. Most notably, the company’s Mail Privacy Protection policy will ask iOS device users whether they want to “protect” their mail or not, preventing marketers from determining whether consumers who “protect” their email opened messages.
Privacy versus Paid Content: What Are We Willing to Sacrifice?
To the naked eye, technologies and laws allowing consumers more control are absolutely and unequivocally good. Who would oppose privacy protection laws and self-imposed regulations apart from those who are exploiting the lack of privacy, right? But what is the end goal we are trying to achieve, and what is the price we are “paying” in the process?
Snap Scan Shines New Light on the Company’s Local Discovery Ambitions
Snapchat’s ambition to become a socially fueled local discovery engine recently got a boost with Snap Scan, a visual search tool that makes the world searchable and shoppable. Connecting dots over several years, Snap’s geo-local efforts include Geofilters, Snap Map, Local Place Promote, and Local Lenses.
5 User-Generated Content Platforms for SMBs
As Google expands the local search experience to encompass more aspects of the customer journey, user-generated content is coming into play as one of the most important ranking factors for small and mid-size businesses.
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Meta Is Automating Ads, But Brands Still Face a Bigger Problem