News and Analysis

More Drugstores Are Pushing to Incorporate Phygital Experiences — Here’s Why

More Drugstores Are Pushing to Incorporate Phygital Experiences — Here’s Why

They’ve got the data, and they’ve got the customer loyalty. With those key components in place, more retail drugstore chains are looking at how they can blend physical and digital marketing to create personalized and contextualized phygital experiences. The idea behind “phygital” marketing is simpler than it sounds. Phygital combines physical and digital experiences to […]

BUST: Multi-Location (MULO) Restaurants & Retailers Declaring Bankruptcy in 2023

Although we all watched in dismay (and perhaps fear) as Bed Bath & Beyond and Jenny Craig took nosedives this year, reports of other brands facing the multi-location (MULO) “apocalypse” may contain more than a little hype. Here are some facts: More than 2,100 retail locations are expected to close in 2023, but Bed Bath […]

These 5 Retailers Are Investing In Virtual Try-On Tech

These 5 Retailers Are Investing In Virtual Try-On Tech

Virtual try-on is becoming a key differentiator for e-commerce brands, and an opportunity for traditional retailers to bring the in-store try-on experience into the comfort of their customers’ homes. When Parfums Christian Dior launched its virtual try-on solution at Viva Tech 2023 earlier this month, the company joined a growing list of luxury brands leveraging […]

Commentary

How Apple’s IDFA/ATT Change Will Affect App Publishers

If Apple doesn’t change course, we’re in for a possibly very humbling year for SMB app publishers and an App Store that advantages the largest publishers with the biggest wallets

Firefly Launches StreetIQ Platform with Puma Campaign

The Location-Based Marketing Association covers Firefly launching its Street.IQ platform with a Puma campaign, putting automobile advertising into action.

The New Content King: Short-form Audio

With so many hours in the day, people are getting screened out. That’s why audio is coming back with a vengeance.

Latest Posts

Waze Rolls Out Contactless Payments at the Pump

More than half of Americans say they’re concerned about touching cash during the Covid pandemic, and 60% say they plan to use so-called touchless payments in the future. Google’s Waze is leaning into the shift with a new integration and partnership that will enable contactless payments at the gas pump for drivers all across the country.

Location Weekly: Neustar Launches Post-Cookie Measurement with Fabrick

In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers Neustar launching post-cookie measurement with Fabrick, Apple acquiring Mobeewave, United Airlines using a chatbot to ease Covid-19 concerns, and Amazon and Simon Properties endeavoring to transform shopping malls.

Consumers’ Number-One Holiday Shopping Incentive

Don’t think about the price tag. Think about how you’re going to deliver the merchandise.

That is what is on consumers’ minds as they think about upcoming holiday shopping, according to a survey of 17,000 US consumers by shopping rewards app company Shopkick. Last year, consumers’ number-one incentive was low prices. Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, 54% said their number-one priority is free shipping.

How the E-Commerce Wave Is Helping SMBs Increase Revenue

For many of the small businesses that have stayed afloat so far, e-commerce has become the new focus. A quarter of brick-and-mortar retail businesses surveyed in June said they’ve already added an e-commerce channel to their operations this year. Retail SMBs either want a piece of the growing pie that is e-commerce sales in 2020, or they’ve realized they won’t survive without an online sales component.

Whatever the motivation, the uptick in e-commerce sales has set the stage for SMBs to start boosting their revenue. And to complement the current market conditions, the rise of no-code tools is making online retail success more accessible than ever to SMBs. These solutions are proving to be the surfboard that helps small businesses successfully ride that e-commerce wave.

Why You Should Be Using Video Marketing To Connect with Local Audiences

One report from Cisco found that by 2022, internet videos will make up over 82% of all consumer online traffic. Even though the Covid-19 pandemic has slowed down video production and demand somewhat, it still remains a perfectly viable marketing channel. 

People are simply more likely to watch a video than read a blog. By looking at key pillars of online video production as well as what’s worked for other companies, you, too, can develop a stellar strategy. 

Consumer Sentiment Is Shifting Quickly. Here’s How Businesses Are Keeping Up

The same mobile chat-based technologies that brands like Jagermeister and Snapchat have used to access focus groups on demand are now being used to help small to mid-size businesses access the same research capabilities. Using mobile chat-based applications, SMBs can generate authentic consumer insights in real-time, which makes it easier to foster community engagement during a time when businesses are struggling to reach their customers.

7 Order-Ahead Platforms for QSRs

According to a report by Dragontail Systems, 53% of people say they prefer carry-out and delivery during the pandemic. To keep pace with that demand, restaurants are investing more heavily in technology platforms that enhance end-to-end kitchen operations.

Here are seven platforms that restaurants can use to manage online orders and streamline their takeout operations during Covid-19.

Leveraging Cannabis Consumer Data is the Key to Mainstream Acceptance

Thanks to the industry’s meteoric growth and coronavirus-era essential status in many states, cannabis consumers have emerged as one of the most coveted marketing segments, driving even more engagement in data collection and presentation. A rising tide lifts all boats – and data is a powerful tide that can help raise the industry to mainstream acceptance.

Data may be the ticket to legalization, too, if leveraged in a way that considers how this lucrative information can be used by mainstream companies. As cannabis data begins to resemble data from other industries, it is our responsibility as industry leaders to collectively leverage this data and allow legal cannabis to flourish and emerge as a truly established industry.

Location Weekly: Burberry and Tencent Partner for World’s First Social Media-Infused Store

In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers Burberry teaming with Tencent for the world’s first social store, Voxel51 helping to keep stores healthy, Popeyes helping people to “autocorrect” their dinner plans, Foodpanda using traffic and weather data in a DOOH programmatic campaign, and Tapad and Reveal Mobile partnering to launch new audience and attribution capabilities for ad buyers.

Tracing, Tracking, and Trust: Why Tech Is on the Sidelines in Contact Tracing

Mainly, multiple instances of data breaches committed by governments, corporations, platforms, and even data warehouses have eroded the trust citizens have when forking over sensitive and personal information. The resistance only increases as a result of Americans’ strong resistance to being told what to do, which manifested in widespread protests against mandatory quarantine restrictions in several states.    

How can this resistance be overcome? Companies and government organizations asking for personal information must build trust from the very beginning. High rates of consent require clear information to users about exactly what data citizens will share and how this data will be used and protected.