News and Analysis

customer experience retail

Real-Time Data Will Enhance the Customer Experience in 2022

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Digital intelligence platforms like Scuba Analytics and FullStory are expanding rapidly — with funding rounds led by some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley. Big data analytics is expected to grow to $100 billion in the next five years, driven in large part by demand from retail brands for real-time insights and accurate customer engagement data.

mobile payments

How to Build a Modern Loyalty Program in 2022

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Rising prices and ongoing supply issues put brand retailers on the defensive in 2021. Amid shifting goalposts and a quickly evolving retail environment, more marketers are now working to turn their existing loyalty programs into modern membership-based programs that drive long-term relationships with a focus on members themselves.

Integral Ad Science Acquires Context to Power Contextual Video Advertising

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When many in adtech think about contextual advertising, they likely now think about privacy and context’s power to drive advertising based on its relevance to user experiences, not granular and sometimes invasive data on user behavior. But advertisers have also prized contextual advertising for years for its ability to connect them with brand-suitable environments.

Commentary

The Privacy Movement Is Not (Just) About Privacy

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Privacy has been slipping away from us since before then-CEO of Sun Microsystems Scott McNealy said we had none of it in January 1999. Americans still do not understand how companies use their data. While that is a transparency issue incumbent upon businesses to fix — and legislation will to some degree remedy it — I think it more likely than not that Americans will continue to hand over their data to Amazon for two-day delivery and Google for the sleekness of search. What we typically conceive of as privacy itself — concern about how much of our information companies possess — is not the factor that will turn the tides on company practices and legal standards. 

How Engaging Online Games Can Shape Your Rewards Program

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My experience managing product for both the “Farmville” and “Words With Friends” franchises at Zynga afforded me critical insight into the lessons smartphone games offer marketers looking to engage with and create loyalty among all types of people. 

Today, there’s a smartphone game for everyone. Regardless of topic, most games tend to follow a few basic principles that are critical to keeping people entertained, attracting attentionm and incentivizing players to return. Using these same principles, marketers can create campaigns that are more engaging, effective, and enjoyable for the consumer. 

Channels Are the New Citations

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Enter Phase Three. As my column’s title suggests, I would argue that the old concept of citation building has largely lost its relevance, and that thinking of the local network as a system of channels — parallel, somewhat independent sources of consumer traffic — is a more appropriate paradigm for where we are now. 

In all, there are approximately 10 independent sites and site categories that together make up the primary channels where any business should be well represented in order to be competitive.

Latest Posts

How Innovation Is Reshaping the Digital Loyalty Market

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While the number of loyalty program members continues to grow, data from the loyalty, customer engagement, and data analytics firm COLLOQUY indicates the market has slowed. However, a temporary slowdown in membership growth may be setting the stage for the next big innovation.

Street Fight Daily: Google Positions Itself to Challenge Amazon on Voice, New Directions in Loyalty

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Ad Buyers Say Google’s YouTube and YouTube TV Integration Will Help It Rival Amazon on Voice… Waze Ads Head Suzie Reider Sets Her Sights on QSR, Retail, and Fuel… You Don’t Need a Paywall If You Have Cool Ads, Outline CEO Josh Topolsky Says..

Heard on the Street, Episode 3: Sport Bikes, Pool Hustling, and Marketing Innovation with Walt Geer

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What does sport bike racing and pool hustling teach you about being a good marketing exec? It’s all about focus and quick thinking, according to Walt Geer, our latest guest on Heard on the Street.

Report from RhythmOne Illuminates Efficacy of Influencer Marketing

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A recent report aggregating RhythmOne campaign data showed that advertisers who used influencer marketing campaigns in 2017 saw $12.30 in earned media value for every dollar spent.

TripleLift Partners with White Ops to Fight Ad Fraud

TripleLift Partners with White Ops to Fight Ad Fraud

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Native advertising platform TripleLift announced last week that it is partnering with White Ops to prevent fraudulent traffic on its platform. The move marks the first time a native exchange has offered pre-bid fraud prevention across its entire inventory.

Street Fight Daily: Google Steps Up Recommendations in Maps, Walmart Acquires Flipkart

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Google Maps Goes Far Beyond Directions… Challenging Amazon Abroad, Walmart Buys Flipkart… Apple Is Removing Apps That Share User Locations With Third Parties Without Explicit Consent…

Advertisers Clamor for Enhanced Audience Segmentation to Improve Targeting

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Sixty-two percent of advertisers, publishers, and tech developers in a recently released survey said they want better audience segmentation to support ad targeting, and 54% want the ability to map customer behavior across different channels.

Selling to Multi-Location Brands: Streaming Video Is On the Rise

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Suppliers of local marketing technology and services should move streaming video up on their priorities lists and help their brand customers apply it effectively.

Street Fight Daily: Brands Demand Video Strategies, Scandal Doesn’t Affect Facebook Use

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Selling to Multi-Location Brands: Streaming Video Is On the Rise… Poll: Three-Quarters Facebook Users as Active or More Since Scandal… Volvo Cars to Come With Google Assistant, Maps Built In…

Your Voice-First Future is Here

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Digital giants are forging a path to every consumer, looking to win a home automation arms race. You, too, should be considering how to connect in new ways with your customers because voice and speech recognition are ready for prime time.