News and Analysis
SafeGraph Raises $45M to Democratize Access to Places Data
SafeGraph — which powers analytics for organizations like Sysco, Ares Management, Choice Hotels, US Foods, and Verizon Media — picked up $45 million from Sapphire Ventures, as well as returning investors from previous rounds like Peter Thiel and Alex Rosen of Ridge Ventures. The company plans to use the funds to capitalize on the expanding market of data buyers and offer new ways for customers to buy data. Through a growing partner network and new data delivery mechanisms, SafeGraph will be allowing interested parties to access the exact data they need, wherever they need it.
Google’s Latest Privacy Play Has Big Implications for the Open Web
Google’s recent announcement that it would stop selling ads based on users’ specific web browsing histories was met with enthusiasm among consumer privacy experts. Within the local marketing and advertising community, the reaction was different.
Brand Identity, Privacy, and First-Party Data
Lucid is a research technology, or ResTech, firm that hooks up companies with millions of customers to gauge customer sentiment at scale. I connected with Pauline Wen, chief privacy officer at Lucid, to understand the challenges brands are facing and how they can navigate a rising bar for privacy.
Commentary
Now That We’ve Improved Media Transparency, Let’s Do the Same With Data
In order to be effective, marketers need to know how various segment options stack up and measure up in terms of accuracy. Just like with increasing viewability, the first step toward a fix in data quality is realizing and acknowledging the problem.
Success of Digital Subscriptions Depends on Reader-Focused Newsrooms, Expert Says
“News organizations need to be laser-focused on creating distinctive, unique, valuable content for their readers. And that means they may have to stop doing some things they are doing today,” said reader revenue expert Matt Skibinski.
Latest Posts
Through This Ourglass, Watching TV in Public Is More Fun
“Making TV smarter” has been the mantra for many a failed startup over the years. I won’t tell the sad tale of AOL TV, which I helped build content for. That said, Ourglass is approaching things a little differently: targeting TV out-of-home and looking to make public experiences with the tube more fun and useful.
Street Fight Daily: Uber Fires Self-Driving Car Architect, Google Tests Personalized Search
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Uber Fires Former Google Engineer at Heart of Self-Driving Dispute… Google Tests Personalized Search, Likely a Future Ad Targeting Weapon… How to Differentiate Among the Many Marketing Automation Companies…
Foursquare Extends Industry Reach With New Reddit Partnership
Foursquare is announcing a new partnership with Reddit this morning, as the location technology firm looks to expand its reach within the social technology space. With Foursquare on board, Reddit users will now have the option of adding their real-time location to any mobile post.
Understanding Facebook’s Place as a Small Business Marketing Vehicle
“While [Facebook is] not yet anywhere near Google’s ability to generate leads, I have, over the past 6 months, started to see them surpassing Yelp in driving local key performance indicators on the pre-sale side,” Mike Blumenthal tells David Mihm.
Street Fight Daily: Publishers Grapple with Google’s Algorithm, Facebook Builds Up SMB Marketing
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Publishers Renew Focus on Search Optimization — and Find New Tricks… Hotels, Feeling the Pinch of AirBnB, Promote Local Experiences… Instagram CEO on Stories: Don’t Call It a Copycat…
Openings and New Hires at Facebook, Alphabet, and RingPartner
Every two weeks, Geoff Michener covers some of the latest job changes taking place in this dynamic industry. This week’s edition includes moves and new openings at Womply, Airbnb, and AdRoll.
‘Deep Audience’: Reach, the Location-Rich Media-Mix, and the Whole Marketing Picture
TV and other legacy platforms are evolving to become more precise. These forces reflect brands’ desire to reach the people they’ve identified as most amenable to their products, and they reflect the desire to do so with messaging that is deeply relevant to consumers’ lifestyles and interests.
Street Fight Daily: Amazon Tests On-Demand Grocery, Lyft Launches Luxury Service
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Amazon’s Drive-Up Grocery Stores Are Now Open to the Public in Seattle… Lyft Launches Luxury Service in NY, SF, and LA… Facebook Recruits Its Top Publishers for Exclusive Shows…
Retailers Need to Use Tech to Work Smarter, Not Harder
To have any chance for long term survival, retailers and brands need to bring more technology to bear in operating their businesses, enabling them to work smarter, not harder. Here are some strategic ways big retailers can use technology.
Borrell: Too Many Local Newspapers Remain Stuck in Their Newsroom ‘Church’
Facebook collected $13.6 billion in local ad spending in the U.S. in 2016, according to the report — more than all local media put together — $12 billion. The report says Facebook, Google and other global pureplays will continue to dominate digital ad revenue that comes from merchants and other businesses at the community level.



















































Why AI Describes Locations Differently