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
How Audio OOH Can Withstand Emerging Privacy Regulations
Audio OOH enables advertisers to reach the right audience, and reporting tools can help them decipher how their audio ad influences a customer’s path to purchase. This type of product-level transactional data will be crucial as advertisers continue to clash with harsh but growing privacy regulations.
FocalPoint Raises $8m to Improve GPS Accuracy
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers TmrO app creating connections between freelancers and the music and film industries, FocalPoint raising £6 million to improve GPS accuracy, Chipotle investing in driverless company Nuro, and Whole Foods tapping into AR cosmetics try-on tools.
The Privacy Endgame
There is an endgame that can put a stop to drip-drip privacy changes. A reality in which large corporations go back to not knowing the intimate details of their consumers’ lives and are still able to use technology to provide better user experiences through hyper-personalized engagement. A reality in which consumers can enjoy personalized experiences at exactly the right moment without broadcasting their location to anyone. A reality in which it is technology, not fine print, that protects both consumers and corporations.
Latest Posts
What’s Snapchat’s Local Play?
Snap continues to make moves in local commerce. Historic steps include geo-filters, while more recent activity includes Local Lenses and business listings in Snap Map. These features are notable on their own, but they get more interesting when you view them together and extrapolate to Snap’s local road map.
For example, Snap has more 13-34-year-olds active than any other channel, including Facebook and Instagram. This essentially means Snap can offer SMBs incremental and non-duplicated reach to an attractive audience.
The Brandify Consumer Holiday Survey: Shopping Habits Likely to Shift Dramatically
More purchases will be made online, and when consumers do venture out to stores, they expect thorough, stringent safety practices as well as tools that help to make shopping as efficient as possible. Popular shopping events like Black Friday are likely to capture far less attention from consumers this year.
But on a positive note, consumers generally feel confident that their holiday budgets will be consistent with prior years and that the amount of time allocated for holiday shopping won’t change significantly.
Social Media is Not Enough: 3 Reasons Why Websites are a Must for Businesses
During the Covid era, the value of a website has increased exponentially. According to a recent survey, 82% of US small business owners find their website to be an essential part of their businesses’ success, and 54% reported a boost in website traffic since the beginning of quarantines.
Whether you’re a small business owner or someone with an idea, developing a website as your home base is beneficial to growing your customer base and online brand. Here’s why.
Retailers Embrace Mobile As Pandemic Holiday Shopping Ramps Up
While this holiday season will be unlike any other, retailers have reason to be optimistic. Holiday sales are set to rise 1% to 1.5%, with e-commerce growing as much as 35%. Consumers are expected to spend between $1.147 trillion and $1.152 trillion between November and January. Much of that spending will happen with large retail chains that have omni-channel experiences already set up, and that has smaller retailers rushing to put their own mobile strategies in place.
How To Grow Your E-Commerce Sales Outside of Amazon
I do not mean to suggest that you should stop using Amazon as a means to make a sale – just that investing in a marketplace that you personally have more control over and leveraging an integrated strategy (that will also include your Amazon pages) can prove to be the more lucrative option.
Here’s what you need to do to grow sales on your own website.
How 5 Retailers Are Using AR for Covid-Compliant Try-Ons
With hygiene and customer safety now a top priority, more retailers are beginning to use AR to simulate the try-on experience. Whether they’re “trying on” items at home or in-store, AR tools are giving retailers a way to assist customers in their buying decisions as they virtually test out thousands of products using their mobile devices.
Here are five examples of how innovative retailers are taking full advantage of AR in the Covid era.
As Political Messaging Shifts to CTV, Email Backs Up Campaigns
In a loud election where social media is overrun with fake news and unsolicited user-created opinions, campaigns must communicate in a consistent and streamlined way with voters, serving only ads that they want to see in their preferred channels. Campaigns might not win a voter on one issue but could sway or motivate them on another if they know what resonates with them.
This election year, the power of email should not be underestimated.
Google My Business Posts: Your Unexpected Holiday Hero
We’re in an era that allows enterprise businesses to tap into the API and upload Google Posts at scale (with help from a local platform management partner). Year-round, businesses can feature new product launches, new store openings, in-store events, and more, but perhaps one of the best times of year to leverage this space is during the months of November and December, when shoppers are gearing up for the holiday season.
Let’s walk through the top five best uses for Google Posts over the holiday season.
Foursquare’s New Audio Assistant is a Peek into the Future of Local Tech
Dubbed Marsbot for Airpods, Foursquare’s virtual assistant will whisper insights to users about their surroundings, unprompted, as they move throughout the world. This may be a recommendation for a local coffee shop or a fun fact about a landmark.
For brick-and-mortar businesses and the technology providers that help them connect with customers, the marketing possibilities are tantalizing.
Brands Struggle to Strike the Right Tone This Holiday Season
It’s not even November, but the holiday shopping season has already begun. With nearly two-thirds of consumers saying the Covid-19 pandemic has negatively impacted their attitude toward the shopping season, retail marketers are rethinking their approach this year and focusing more heavily on empathy and values when they target younger shoppers.
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