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
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
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.
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.
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AI Won’t Fix Advertising – It May Scale Its Chaotic Nature