News and Analysis
Data Privacy Compliance Report Shows Slow, Positive Movement
Five years have passed since the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) went into effect, and companies across the U.S. are still struggling with compliance. According to a new report on the state of CCPA and CPRA data privacy compliance by CYTRIO, just 13% of non-compliant companies in the first quarter of 2022 moved to manual […]
On and Off the MULO Shelves with Dan Oliver and His Seasoning
We recently saw a LinkedIn post by Tyler Watson, Vice President of Sales for Dan-O’s Seasoning. Intrigued, we Googled the brand and discovered it’s available both online and in MULO (multi-location) retailers. Dan-O’s actually had its roots in social media when Dan Oliver (a former bartender) started making TikTok videos about his seasoning in 2020. […]
BUST: Christmas Tree Shops Declares Bankruptcy and Closes All Stores
We hope the Grinch doesn’t steal Christmas this year, but bankruptcy stole the 82 retail stores of MULO (multi-location) brand, Christmas Tree Shops. The bankruptcy was announced in May, and poor-performing stores were shuttered, but the company recently said that it will close its remaining stores on August 12th, holding a liquidation sale before then. […]
Commentary
Augment My Town: Local’s Next Turf Battle
AR fuses the digital and physical. So, could it assist in the vexing and longstanding challenge of closing the online/offline gap? We’re starting to see signals that it might.
On-Page Content Differentiation: The Benefits of Location-based Messaging
Content consists of more than just your copy block, though it’s a great place to start. Adding product information, featured collections, and highlighted services are all elements that enhance your on-page content strategy. Understanding what’s popular in that specific area and how customers are searching for your products or services in that area can help guide your content strategy to differentiation and success. Therefore, it is key to create content attuned to regional differences, or location.
The Covid-19 Pandemic at One Year: How Payments Have Changed Forever
The payments industry will move forward from the seismic shifts in behavior we’ve seen to new puzzles: how to make a card top of wallet, how to expand the on-demand economy to new product groups, and how the Buy Now, Pay Later space evolves in time. But the changes we’ve seen will impact the course of the industry for years to come. How merchants and payment providers adapt to these changes will have a key part to play in how they recover from the impact of the pandemic.
Latest Posts
Location Weekly: Realworld Launches Adfindr for Local Ads
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers Merrell using voice and location to highlight nearby trails, Burger King’s Scary Places, Foursquare’s Marsbot for AirPods, Realworld launching Adfindr, and a new case study from Oriient on indoor positioning.
3 Reasons Why Marketers Should Care About False App Reviews
Most apps live on Apple’s App Store — home to nearly two million apps and access to 100 million iPhone users. Once a brand joins these ranks, there’s one goal: Drive positive ratings that entice more users to download and try the app. High ratings are critical for app visibility, as a higher rating has a strong correlation to trial, and Apple ranks those with more positive ratings and reviews higher than apps with negative ones.
But this ratings system can be manipulated to create false app ratings and skew scores, and that’s a bigger problem for marketers than they may realize.
Accelerated Digital Transformation Levels Playing Field for Local Businesses
As local businesses and SMBs adjust to their new realities, digital transformation initiatives have surged — namely in the form of pivoting to e-commerce selling and delivery models. Why? It’s no secret that online sales have taken the lead across the business landscape during Covid-19, and that is likely to continue.
How Consumer Behavior Toward Auto Ads Changed During Covid-19
As one of the largest spenders on digital advertising in the U.S., the automotive industry is a bellwether. Prior to the pandemic, the automotive industry had consistent double-digit growth in digital ad spending. That growth was forecast to continue through the end of 2020 — then, in March, everything changed.
Why Your Local Pages Might Be Happier on a Subdomain
Whether to build local pages on a subdomain or within a subfolder has long been a topic of heated debate. I’ve never sought to sway anyone’s religious conviction, nor do I intend to begin doing so. If you’re a devout subfolder-er, then I’m sure you have your reasons, and I look forward to hearing them. I’ll add that I haven’t yet thought of any other instances wherein I’d argue in favor of a subdomain, but I believe local pages are an exception. So, for those of you still open to opportunity, prepare to be opportune.
Prop 24 Could Majorly Impact California Data Privacy. Will Businesses Comply?
All eyes are focused on the presidential election today, but for businesses, a ballot initiative in California could have major implications. Proposition 24, known as the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (CPRA), is seen by many as an even more stringent version of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). That has some businesses rethinking how they collect user data and questioning whether they might be vulnerable to lawsuits if the proposition passes.
Street Fight’s November Theme: Google’s World
Google’s World is shorthand for the fully fleshed-out concept: “It’s Google’s world… we’re all just living in it.” The main thrust is that Google’s search dominance gives it enormous control in impacting the fate of businesses everywhere who rely on search for traffic and customer acquisition.
Google’s ongoing updates to the search algorithm, ranking factors, and SERPs continue to have ripple effects on marketers everywhere. It’s becoming more challenging to follow the moving target of SEO effectiveness. This game has its own set of rules when it comes to local search.
How L’Oréal and Other Innovative Brands Are Reinventing the Store Locator
It’s true that most consumer searches originate with Google and other search engines and that consumers often find the information they need in third-party properties like Google Maps, Yelp, and TripAdvisor without the need to turn to the business website. But these sites and apps have limitations, only making certain fields and features available and generally presenting a uniform, abbreviated view of businesses.
Store locators, along with their companion properties, local store landing pages, offer a far greater degree of freedom for introducing features that differentiate a brand from the competition.
How to Create an Engaging Mobile Ads Strategy in 2020
The median clickthrough rate for ads on Google Display Network has decreased 32% since the last quarter and is 41% lower than this time last year. These figures indicate that audiences just aren’t receptive to mobile ads despite companies’ attempts to target ad messaging to specific groups.
Mobile advertising is not going to go away — the industry is expected to surpass $240 billion by 2022. However, companies need to take a dramatically new approach to see positive returns on their investment. Here’s how to stand out from the crowd and secure better conversions with mobile ads.
Location Weekly: Verizon Deploying Voice-Activated Digital Signage in Store
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers Amazon giving customers money to purchase their data, Verizon deploying voice-activated digital signage in stores, Eight O’Clock Coffee hosting Java Parties, and Telluride converting old gondola cars into dining cabins for winter.
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