News and Analysis
Why NYC Needed a Rebrand
New York City is making a strong comeback in attracting business and leisure travelers since Covid-19. On March 28, the organization known for 25 years as NYC & Company, responsible for marketing the many NYC attractions inside and outside of the United States, announced its rebrand. It is now called New York City Tourism + […]
3 Ways AI Will Disrupt QSRs: Perspectives from Susan Sly
Susan Sly, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Radius AI (RAI), grew up in the restaurant business in Canada. That’s one of many reasons she has taken a humanistic approach to artificial intelligence, robotics, and technology, believing that if AI is properly executed it can empower retail, QSR, C-store, and other multi-location employees to become confident and […]
Trader Joe’s Tops Yelp’s Most-Loved Brands
Yelp released its first-ever most-loved brands list, and Trader Joe’s sits atop the 50 businesses. StreetFight spoke to Kadecia Ber, Yelp’s Advertising Trends Expert and Director of Multi-location Solutions, for more insights. Launched in 2004, Yelp.com is a destination for crowd-sourced reviews about various businesses, from restaurants and beauty salons to doctors and gym clubs […]
Commentary
Voice Growth Will Further Amazon and Google’s E-Commerce Dominance
For most people, e-commerce starts with a Google or Amazon search on our computer or phone. We read reviews, compare prices, and analyze how something will look or fit in our lives. We don’t know where we will end up, but we browse options from our favorite retailers until we find exactly what we are looking for.
What happens when we stop using visual cues and start searching with our voice? And what happens when the results that our voice triggers are controlled by the device interpreting those questions or commands?
Latest Posts
Location Weekly: GroundTruth and Yext Partner, Facebook Unveils Shops
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association hosts Mike Peters, CMO, Optimizers, and Head of LBMA Sweden.
The team also covers GroundTruth and Yext announcing a new partnership, Reveal mobile releasing a free version of its Visit Local platform, and Facebook Shops launching in the U.S.
Mobile is Our “Cure for Boredom.” What Does That Mean for Marketers?
A recent survey by mobile app ad firm Digital Turbine found that more than a quarter of consumers open their phones more than 75% of the time without a specific app in mind. Digital Turbine Matt Tubergen checked in with Street Fight to share how mobile app marketers can reach mobile users and the discovery tools those people are seeking.
Brands Are Pushing More Notifications During Covid-19. Here’s Why
According to a benchmark study of more than two billion app installs, recently released by the notifications and customer engagement platform Airship, users are quicker to click on notifications now than before the pandemic began. Thirty-two percent of website visits by opt-in users in March were from direct opens of web notifications, as direct open rates for mobile app push notifications reached their absolute-highest average rate in more than four years.
Heard on the Street, Episode 51: Adding a Third Dimension to Location Data
Bringing new dimension (literally) to location data is the field of “3D location.” This essentially takes typical lat/long coordinates and adds a Z-axis. It brings new meaning in the form of elevation, which comes in handy in places like high-rise buildings and shopping malls.
This is where Polaris Wireless hangs its hat. The company uses several inputs like barometric pressure to pinpoint mobile device locations using all three dimensions. This can have many use cases such as helping emergency responders show up to the correct floor of a building.
Location Data Companies Rise to the Challenge of Covid-19
The location data market has responded to many external pressures in recent years. Guided by new privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA as well as operating system updates by Apple and Android, the industry has put the consumer back at the center. The old days of capturing data and selling to ad tech firms without permission are over.
These shifts are good news for society. But they are also good news for the location industry, which has pivoted to thrive in this new world where squeezed supply impacts the quality of location data.
Now, Covid-19 has presented a new challenge, with movement data restricted to unprecedented levels. So, how are location data companies responding to the crisis?
Essential Business Foot Traffic: U.S. Grocery Store Trends
This article takes an up-close look at foot traffic to what may be the most critical of essential businesses: grocery stores.
Grocery stores are crucial during the quarantine and will remain so as areas of the retail economy reopen and as we enter into a recovery period. According to the National Grocers Association, grocers are especially adept at making and executing contingency plans in the event a disaster strikes. This involves coordination with myriad producers, distributors, and wholesalers throughout the supply chain. It is no small task keeping eggs, milk, butter, and bread in stock and on the shelves of your local supermarket.
GMB Insights Reveal Pandemic Search Trends for Multi-Location Brands
Given the dominance of Google as a tool for local search, and given the fact that Google provides a richer set of search and engagement metrics for each of its business profiles than any other publisher, we thought it would be worthwhile to examine Google My Business data as an indicator of consumer search trends during the time of the pandemic.
The verticals that are booming in the pandemic period, with major gains in overall GMB activity, include pharmacies, banking and finance, hardware and home improvement, general retail, gas and convenience, and grocery. Those whose struggles are borne out by significant GMB activity decreases include restaurants and eateries, branded retail, and hotels and accommodations.
Location Weekly: Google Highlights Curbside Pickup
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association hosts Jed Schneiderman, EVP of growth and marketing for EQ Works.
The team also covers Pedigree getting behind Zoom-based dog adoption in Nashville, Chantel Jeffries throwing a virtual DoorDash dinner party with Chili’s, and Google highlighting businesses with curbside pick-up in local search results.
Why Brands Are Turning to Influencers During Covid-19
Brands are on delicate ground as they look for ways to promote their non-essential products during the pandemic. Stay the course with existing marketing strategies, and it looks like the brand is ignoring a global health crisis. Push too strong with coronavirus-themed ads, and brands run the risk of being seen as capitalizing on the tragedy.
The solution that some brands have come up with is to put the ball in the influencer’s court.
How First-Party Data Can Drive a Comeback for Local Travel
Long live the road trip. Experts predict that people will largely look to visit domestic and drivable destinations because of new health and economic concerns. We’ll see more three- and four-day trips because of finances, work pressures, safety concerns, and changing school schedules. That said, travel companies, hotels, and CVBs are now considering reinvesting in marketing to local audiences. It’s time to hit the gas at this first sign of recovery.
Marketers have to think about geo-optimization because there may be pockets of travel in certain regions and an opportunity to be more fine-tuned. Larger brands that do national advertising may miss an opportunity to be more targeted on a regional basis.
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