News and Analysis

Amazon Dabbles in Social Commerce

Rather than social channels increasingly morphing into shopping channels, is there opportunity for shopping channels to become more social? This is what Amazon has in mind with its latest move: a TikTok-like feed. This makes it the latest player to copy the red-hot TikTok.

Contact Center Should Be the Marketing Engine

6 Omnichannel Loyalty Platforms for Multi-Location Retailers

In 2022, shoppers want more. The most effective loyalty platforms are going beyond transactional rewards to create unique cross-channel experiences that keep customers coming back for more.

Influencers Struggle with Measurement as Channel Evolves

Many marketers still think of influencers as nascent affiliate partners. But as the channel evolves, influencers are seeking more sophisticated tools to assess their value and substantiate their impact as a marketing channel. 

Commentary

This Election Season, Candidates Should Take Voter Data Privacy Concerns into Account

In the wake of Cambridge Analytica and privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, the advertising landscape has changed, as have consumers’ perceptions about data collection and privacy. Candidates still need ways to reach their target audience effectively, and they should do so while being mindful of compliance issues and Americans’ privacy concerns. 

The 2019-2020 advertising cycle will generate an estimated $6 billion in political media spending, $1.6 billion of which will be spent on digital video, according to Politico’s spending projections. This is up from $0.74 billion on digital video in 2018, so we are talking exponential growth. Many candidates will wash their hands of marketing decisions, entrusting their staff and partners to decide how to best use their campaign dollars. But candidates should use their advertising strategies to make a political statement—to show voters they care about ethical data practices.

Brands Can’t Tell Stories If They’ve Lost the Plot

In 2020, a marketer’s goal should not be to create more content. It shouldn’t even be to create better content. Most brands, after all, are already doing a good job of generating content that provides value, service, comfort, and utility to people’s lives. What’s missing is a fundamental alignment between content and other marketing disciplines. Content, from a metrics standpoint, needs to speak the same language as paid media so that marketers can demonstrate the impact it has to their CMOs.   

How B2B Companies Can Survive in a Clickless Search Ecosystem

The dawn of the clickless world might raise alarms for B2Bs companies, and that’s fair. This trend will likely pose a challenge for companies that rely heavily on Google for new business leads — especially small businesses that generate a majority of leads from search traffic. 

However, the clickless world also presents an opportunity for B2B brands to streamline their online presence. In this new ecosystem, B2B brands can generate awareness and encourage customers to contact their business even before a customer actually sees their website. 

Latest Posts

Raise Report: Frontify, Instacart, Machinify Score New Funding

Every two or three weeks, we round up some of the biggest fundraises taking place in hyperlocal marketing, commerce, and tech. This week includes new funding for Journal, Mapify, Netlify, Paperspace.

Street Fight Daily: GMB Insights Adds Branded Search Reporting; 2/3 Big Businesses Invest in Local Media

TODAY IN LOCAL & DIGITAL MARKETING AND MEDIA… Google My Business Insights Adds Branded Search Reporting… New Hires at S4M, Uberall, Tremor Video… BIA: Two-Thirds of Businesses with 500+ Employees Invest in Local Media Ad Platforms….

No Wallet, No Problem. Yombu Scans Your Fingerprint for Payments, Loyalty Rewards

Credit cards made it possible to leave cash behind. Then, digital wallets like ApplePay let you leave home without your wallet. Now, Washington, D.C., startup Yombu is making it possible to pay and get access to membership rewards with just your fingerprint.

Local News Gets New Resource Center With Special Focus on Social Media

A Local News Resource Center to give publishers direct expertise on the “challenges and opportunities” of social media and other issues that confront the embattled industry has been set up at the Local Media Association.

Street Fight Daily: Facebook May Have Knowingly Inflated Video Metrics, Programmatic Prices Rise

TODAY IN LOCAL & DIGITAL MARKETING AND MEDIA… Facebook May Have Knowingly Inflated Its Video Metrics for Over a Year… No Wallet, No Problem. Yombu Scans Your Fingerprint for Payments, Loyalty Rewards… First-Price Auctions Are Driving Up Ad Prices…

Despite AI Advances, Consumers Crave Human Interactions

Using the latest artificial intelligence technology, brands are finding new ways to streamline and automate the customer experience. But a new report shows that type of streamlined experience might be the exact opposite of what consumers actually want when they interact with their favorite brands.

Street Fight Daily: Mobile to Surpass Traditional Media Combined; Brands: Be Wise About AI Use for Customer Engagement

TODAY IN LOCAL & DIGITAL MARKETING AND MEDIA… Mobile Ad Spending to Surpass All Traditional Media Combined by 2020… Despite AI Advances, Consumers Crave Human Interactions… Google Assistant, Search Add Best Buy and Nike as Shopping Partners…

AUDIENCEX Launches Fund to Accelerate MarTech Innovation, Capture Mid-Market Brands’ Attention

AUDIENCEX announced today that it’s launching a new fund to accelerate innovation in the marketing technology space and encourage mid-market advertisers to try out the latest solutions. The advertising technology and marketing firm is committing $5 million to the fund, with $50,000 in free media and services going to each participant between now and the end of the year.

How AI Can Help CPGs Meet Millennial and Gen-Z Expectations

Last year, almost half of Amazon’s private-label sales were in consumer-packaged goods. Pre-Amazon, legacy CPGs once would’ve been the beneficiary of that demand. CPGs have struggled to evolve with younger consumer preferences. Here’s what I mean, along with ways AI can help them improve.

Street Fight Daily: SMBs to Spend on Social, Location for Holidays; How AI Can Help Revamp CPG Brands

TODAY IN LOCAL & DIGITAL MARKETING AND MEDIA… Reveal Mobile Predicts Big Holiday Season Ad Spend for SMBs, With Social, Location At the Top… How GDPR Helps Consent Management Platforms… How AI Can Help CPGs Meet Millennial and Gen-Z Expectations…