News and Analysis
The Local Customer Journey is Omnichannel
A robust online presence is table stakes for even “local” businesses, as the local customer journey is thoroughly integrated into online search and selling. The Uberall study also suggests local businesses should capitalize on the greater trust and emotional connection they command with customers in an era when a product from Amazon is two clicks away.
Snap Doubles Down on Immersive Ads
Snap has been doubling down on AR — mostly seen through updates to its Lens Studio AR development platform and the evolving formats it offers to brand marketers. This recently culminated in two new programs to further stimulate AR marketing: Snap’s AR Lab and its Arcadia creative studio.
Commentary
How Technology Companies Can Establish and Benefit from a User-First Culture
As more and more states pass separate privacy regulations into law, we will likely see an increase of noncompliance and fines across the board. Subsequently, we might see more companies begin advocating for the US to develop its own version of GDPR at the federal level in an effort to simplify compliance for companies nationwide.
To stay ahead of the imminent data privacy regulations, companies need to establish a culture of transparency and compliance. Consumers will be more confident in businesses that offer a clear value exchange when asked to share their data, and marketers and publishers will build stronger relationships with users.
LBMA Vidcast: Google Launches Location Groups, Bumble Explores Physical Space
On this week’s Location-Based Marketing Association podcast: PatientPoint’s proximity in healthcare, Boen Wines using NFC with Guala Closures, Bumble gets into physical space, Puma geotargets on Firefly’s DOOH, Google launches “seasonality” and “location groups”, Groupon acquires Presence AI for voice & text.
Fake Reviews Are Silicon Valley’s Next Fake News Problem
Local businesses are struggling to adapt to a world where online reputation drives offline sales, and fake reviews are making the transition harder. What’s more, the fake review problem is getting worse. A Harvard study found that fake reviews on Yelp grew from 5% to 20% over several years.
There are lots of reasons for this trend, but this is an area where big data can be used to the benefit of consumers and businesses to increase trust. This means it’s on the tech community—not small businesses—to fix fake reviews. Just as media platforms have a moral obligation to avoid the spread of fake news, review sites have a responsibility to their users and businesses to ensure their content is as accurate as possible.
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Street Fight Daily: Google and Target Partner on Voice; Amazon’s Future in Search Ads
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Google and Target Offer the First Voice-Activated Coupon on Google Assistant… Amazon Could Dominate Product Search Ads by 2020… LA Times: ‘Programmatic Is Going to Be a Big Part’ of Publisher’s Future..
How Dunkin’ Thinks About Google Assistant Integration and the Future of Mobile Ordering
“Increasingly, brands are being judged by the experience they deliver as much as the product,” said Paul Murray, Dunkin’ brands director of digital experience. “This is a really good example for us where we’re delivering on a great product and we’re also delivering on the experience, and we’re leveraging new technology to do it.”
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The Road Ahead: What Autonomous Cars Teach Us About Marketing Automation