News and Analysis
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 […]
Retail 2024: What’s Hot?
It’s that time of year. The predictions for the next 365 days have started popping up throughout business and consumer media. But what about retail? We’ve seen some major retailers file for bankruptcy this year. Many of them have been covered in the BOOM & BUST series in Street Fight and we’ll continue to analyze these […]
Commentary
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.
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?
Latest Posts
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.
3 Steps Brands Can Take to Build First-Party Data Practices
Brands must ensure that the first-party data they are assembling is properly permissioned, meaningfully collected across channels, unified, and organized. Getting started comes down to breaking down these goals into manageable projects and timelines that ensure first-party data sets are unlocking all the doors by 2023.
Agency Relationship Status: It Doesn’t Have to be Complicated
Your new agency relationship can blossom into a true partnership if you’re transparent and set clear expectations. As someone who’s worked on the client and agency side, I’ve seen firsthand how a partnership can lead to success. Like many situations in life, doing this right involves managing the people and numbers side of the equation with deftness and clarity.
Brands Rethink Return Policies to Build Customer Loyalty
If generous return policies aren’t sustainable from a financial perspective, and restrictive return policies lead to high rates of customer churn, what’s the solution?
Personalization is Transforming as Privacy Forces a Consumer Data Drought
Facebook’s strategy change points to a much broader shift in digital marketing. The disappearance of third-party cookies and mobile IDs — and the granular customer data they supply — is forcing businesses to rethink how to ‘personalize’ marketing strategies. Facebook’s strategy suggests the future of personalization in marketing could hinge more on customer experience and less on ads.
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.
Fintech Startup Fast Changes How and Where Customers Shop
Fast’s payment button processes orders in seconds and, in the two-and-a-half years it’s been around, the company has secured $124.5 million in funding.
LBMA: Smart Shopping Carts and DOOH Measurement
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers Facebook rolling out birthday gifting, India’s Neareo releasing a suite of tools for digital engagement, Talon and MadHive partnering to link DOOH and OTT audiences, and Singapore’s Cellarbration using government digital IDs to verify alcohol purchases from vending machines.
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AI Won’t Fix Advertising – It May Scale Its Chaotic Nature