News and Analysis
2022 Predictions: Immersive Tech Edition
Here are three predictions for what could happen at the intersection of immersive tech and local commerce. And because I often disparage broad predictions that don’t have any teeth, we’ve included action-specific or figure-based statements in each prediction (highlighted in bold).
SOCi Study Finds 62% of Google Reviews Are Written by Local Guides
Local Guides write most of the reviews on Google today — about 62% of all reviews, in fact. In the restaurant category, the dominance of Local Guides is even greater, with Local Guides writing about 69% of all reviews.
2022 Will Reshape the Future of Ad Tech
ID solutions for the open web are going to be invaluable for publisher monetization, so in 2022 collaboration will dramatically increase. ID partners in 2021 operated in the identity arena like a circular firing squad. Everyone claims their privacy is better than others, and everyone who has a solution wants to say theirs is the only one that works. In reality, all have to work together.
Commentary
LBMA Vidcast: Walmart and WhatsApp, Gucci Tries Out AR
On this week’s Location-Based Marketing Association podcast: Walmart Mexico accepts WhatsApp orders, Nex raises £2M for lunch discovery, Gucci lets try on shoes in AR, 7Eleven delivers to beaches & parks, Reveal Mobile launches foot traffic attribution, Trax acquires Shopkick.
Cutting-Edge Cannabis Trends in an Industry That Just Keeps Growing
I make it a priority to stay on top of the ever-changing trends of the cannabis industry. A plant that is no longer being grown roadside and smoked out of fruit bongs (unless you’re into that), the 2019 version of cannabis can seem a little intimidating to the average (Mary) Jane. Below are the top trends that I’ve noticed are gaining popularity with cannabis users.
Transparency and Brand Purpose Dominated Cannes
The big topic of the week was industry change, driven largely by transparency. Agencies are evaluating opportunities and challenges to their business model as buyers demand more oversight of media, fees, and attribution. Increasing interest in ad tech in-housing has also stoked soul-searching.
Every brand also talked about reflecting an authentic, real world in its marketing—from the people in front of and behind the cameras, to creative and targeting strategies. The campaigns that seemed the most likely to succeed were all “purpose-centric,” with the brand rallying around a specific and common cause.
Latest Posts
#SFSW18: Street Fight Announces Winners of the 2018 Local Visionary Awards
Street Fight has announced the winners of the 2018 Local Visionary Awards. The awards were presented in a ceremony at Street Fight Summit West. The 9-category competition honored the very best campaigns, companies, ideas, and individuals working in the local marketing and commerce ecosystem.
Amazon to Launch Delivery Service for Businesses, Challenging UPS and FedEx
Amazon is about to jump into the business of package delivery. The delivery program will launch in Los Angeles in the coming weeks before expanding to additional cities. The move poses a direct challenge to the likes of UPS and FedEx.
Liftoff Dating App Report Shows Cold Seasons’ User Behavior and Geographic Trends
For local marketers, dating apps are prized for their location-reliable data. In a report released last week by mobile app marketing and targeting company Liftoff, the best time to register a dating app user is in August.
LBMA Podcast: SpherePay, Uberall, Walmart, Nissan
This Week in Location Based Marketing is a weekly video podcast from the Location Based Marketing Association with Asif Khan, Rob Woodbridge & Aubriana Lopez. On the show: Untuckit goes RFID, Robomart, Starbucks tests AR, Discover + ApplePay.
Street Fight Daily: Amazon Launches UPS & FedEx Rival, P&G Cracks the Code on Marketing
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Amazon to Launch Delivery Service for Businesses, Challenging UPS and FedEx… Drawbridge Partners with mParticle to Help Brands Deliver Personalized Experiences… Liftoff Dating App Report Shows Cold Seasons’ User Behavior and Geographic Trends…
Drawbridge Partners with mParticle to Help Brands Deliver Personalized Experiences
“Brands don’t want to engage with devices, they want to engage with consumers,” wrote Brian Ferrario, VP of Marketing at Drawbridge. “Devices don’t buy stuff, grow affinity with brands, or help amplify brand messages. People do.”
Ashley Furniture Uses Assistive Web Tech to Reach New Demographics
Selling furniture on the Internet has never been an easy proposition. People want to feel the fabrics on sofas and test the sturdiness tables before spending thousands on furniture purchases, but that hasn’t stopped Ashley Furniture from expanding its digital footprint in recent years.
With 66 Franchises, TAPinto Is Ready to Expand Up and Down Coast
TAPinto has grown into a network of 71 hyperlocal news sites, 66 of them operated by independent franchisees and five owned by CEO Mike Shapiro. Most of the sites are in North and Central New Jersey and five are in New York City suburbs in the Westchester area north of the city.
Street Fight Daily: Amazon Begins Whole Foods Deliveries, SEO Metrics To Bear in Mind
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Amazon Begins Offering Whole Foods Deliveries via Prime… SEO Metrics You Should Be Tracking But Probably Aren’t… A Crazy Idea for Funding Local News: Charge People for It…
SMB Ecosystems vs Universes: What’s the Difference and What Do They Tell Us?
From analyzing the companies that specifically target the SMBs, this space is better depicted by a series of galaxies that swirl independently of each other and offer the SMB a myriad of choice. The upshot of all this work is that some stars are shrinking and others are growing. Bigger companies are actively acquiring and consolidation is increasing.
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AI Won’t Fix Advertising – It May Scale Its Chaotic Nature