News and Analysis

5 Next-Gen RFID Solutions for Omnichannel Retailers

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Radio-frequency identification, or RFID, has found new life in the post-pandemic retail space. By attaching small strips of metal that can transmit radio waves with information about any product, retailers are finding that they can accelerate and automate the store checkout process. Unlike barcodes, which must be scanned individually, RFID tags can be scanned together and they hold significantly more information.

Marketers Struggle to Balance Personalization and Privacy

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While consumers are increasingly coming to expect personalization in their inboxes, too much personalization can damage trust and steer customers away. Nobody wants to feel like they’re being watched, but recent surveys show consumers are also growing increasingly frustrated with marketing materials that aren’t targeted enough.

Ad Tech and Privacy

Oomiji Helps Brands “Build Their Own Walled Gardens” of Customer Data

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Zero-party data, or information customers willingly provide about themselves, is gaining popularity as a way of amassing customer data at a time when privacy restrictions are making that more difficult. The platform Oomiji is betting on that trend, differentiating itself from other CDPs by helping its clients ask their customers for data (instead of relying on AI to extrapolate limited data to probabilistic segments and preferences).

Commentary

5 Predictions for Mobile Technology After the Mass Adoption of 5G

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The new 5G standard for phones is just starting to make a splash. There’s a lot to do in the development department and lots of equipment installations necessary before everyone can enjoy 5G hyper speeds.

While there are some predictions on the transition from the current 4G LTE dominance to 5G, nobody really knows how long it will take. But what happens once it does and 5G is the new standard? 

Here are five most likely to happen scenarios that await us in the near future.

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. 

Latest Posts

Street Fight Daily: Square Embraces Sales and Moves Beyond SMBs, The Staying Power of Email

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… As It Grows, Square Deploys Sales Force to Acquire SMB Customers & Bigger Brands… Selling to Multi-Location Brands: Building on Omnipresent Email… Microsoft Acquires AI Company to Make Cortana and Bots Sound More Human…

LBMA Podcast: Google Pay, Rival & Ticketmaster, Sears & Amazon

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On this week’s edition of the Location-Based Marketing Association podcast: Urban Airship + Google Pay, Aceby app, JetBlue’s pizza to LA, Rival takes on Ticketmaster, 7-Elven goes AR for Deadpool 2, Google Duplex, Sears and Amazon team-up.

Openings and New Hires at Verve, Yelp, Star Tribune

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Every few weeks, Geoff Michener takes stock of some of the latest hires and openings in hyperlocal marketing, tech, and media. This edition includes openings and new hires at Digital Remedy, Shoptiques, adMarketplace, and Motista.

Raise Report: JumpCrew, Gamalon, Tailor Brands Score New Funding

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Every two or three weeks, we round up some of the biggest fundraises taking place in hyperlocal marketing, commerce, and tech. This week’s edition includes funding for Good Eggs, MemSQL, Auth0, and Dashdash.

Street Fight Daily: Email Closes Path to Purchase, Ad Tech Courts Subscription-Based Publishers

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Email Lures Back E-Shoppers With Abandoned Carts… Ad Tech Vendors Are Pitching Themselves to Publishers as Subscription Saviors… Facebook Lets Advertisers Target Users Based on ‘Sensitive’ Interests…

Consumers Demand Personalization, Range of Features from Brand Apps

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Consumers demand high and varied functionality from brand apps. About three in five consumers expect promotions and exclusive deals and loyalty programs, and half want to make purchases within the app, a report released this week by digital and mobile development firm WillowTree indicated.

With Rover, David Arkin Takes a Mobile-First, Enjoyable Approach to Local News

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American Hometown Publishing details how the company’s brand-new publication Rover—launched two weeks ago in suburban Nashville—aims to present news to its readers as an “enjoyable experience.”

Street Fight Daily: Consumers Want More from Brand Apps, Google Beefs Up on Big Data Analytics

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Consumers Demand Personalization, Range of Features from Brand Apps… Chasing AWS and Azure, Google Acquires Cask Data to Beef Up on Big Data Analytics… In the Pivot to Paid, Publishers Fear the Churn Spiral…

What Gmail’s Redesign Means for Email Marketers

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Google’s recent announcement that it would launch a major Gmail redesign and roll out new features was met with a collective ‘meh’ from users, but Gmail’s new features could bring big changes for email marketers.

Cousins Subs Leverages Social, Marketing Tech to Stay Local

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Look at the menu board at Cousins Subs, and you’ll immediately notice how important local is to the restaurant’s brand. But the commitment extends beyond the Wisconsin cheddar cheese featured among the Midwest chain’s list of local ingredients—it goes all the way back to how the brand chooses to represent itself on social channels.