News and Analysis

Why SMBs Are Flocking to Martech to Combat Covid Slump

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The old way of doing business isn’t working anymore. As restaurants, retailers, and other businesses work to keep customers updated about shifting hours of operation and in-store social distancing requirements, they are opening up to outside-the-box ideas and becoming more comfortable trying location-targeted marketing platforms.

Data show that digital adoption among businesses and consumers jumped forward at least five years in the first eight weeks of the pandemic. Small restaurants and retailers are eagerly adopting the same tools now that they were hesitant to try back in 2019. That push is leading technology providers to expand their offerings and develop new tools for a growing market.

Mediaocean Acquires 4C Insights. What’s Next for Ad Tech?

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The coronavirus pandemic and ensuing recession have forced tech vendors to step up their games and make a stronger case to advertisers as to why their products and services are essential amid tightening budgets. The year of Covid-19 is also fostering a favorable environment for mergers and acquisitions, as solo players team up to emerge stronger on the other side of a stormy season.

Last week, ad tech got a fresh acquisition, as Mediaocean acquired 4C Insights. I checked in with Aaron Goldman, CMO of 4C Insights, to find out what the acquisition portends for the two companies and how it matches up with broader trends in ad tech.

Retail Prepares for a Covid-Inflected Holiday Season

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The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the shift from brick-and-mortar commerce to digital transactions. It has also forced brick-and-mortars resisting the hybridization of their own businesses to adopt digital methods, turning restaurants and apparel stores alike into both brick-and-mortar establishments and online sellers.

Against that backdrop, retail’s biggest quarter will present novel challenges this year. Retailers will need to optimize for online transactions and contend with fragmented national and global landscapes where it may be safe to go to stores in New York but not in Los Angeles.

Commentary

Gauging the Opportunity to Replace Local Merchants’ Websites

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We asked respondents what they used their sites for, and, considering the functions they deemed most important, whether they could replace them with a list of suggested companies and platforms. Facebook’s company pages and Google’s enriched listings topped the list.

LBMA Podcast: Walmart, Target, LinkedIN

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Featured on this week’s edition of the Location-Based Marketing Association podcast: LEGO + Grand Visual, LinkedIN, Vyking shoes, Walmart, Target, HERE + Decawave, LBMA D/A/CH.

Why Google Decided Phone Calls Are the Key to Google Assistant’s Future Success

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Among all the new AI-driven capabilities Google could’ve bestowed on its powerful Assistant, the company decided to focus on one capability in particular: a phone call.

Latest Posts

Street Fight Daily: How Waze Will Scoop Up Driver Data, News Orgs Stick by Platforms

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Waze Digs into Your Car’s Dashboard… Report: Despite Monetization Concerns, News Orgs Are All In On Platforms… If Anyone’s Going to Buy Directly from a Chatbot, It’s Millenials…

Case Study: Bonobos Integrates In-Store Tech for Seamless Shopping Experience

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In many ways, Bonobos has become a model for e-commerce startups. Although the New York City-based company started out as an online-only men’s retailer in 2007, it has since expanded its physical presence with real world stores spread across the U.S.

Raise Report: New Funding for ReplyYes, Voysis, Bolstra

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Every two weeks, we round up some of the biggest fundraises taking place in hyperlocal marketing, commerce, and tech. This week’s edition includes funding for NewsWhip, uShip, Sun Basket, and TVSquared.

Street Fight Daily: Retailers Sign Up for Texting Via Android, Dash Turns Cars into Data Troves

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Google Wants Businesses to Text with Android Messaging Service… Dash Aims to Turn Driving Machines into Data-Driven Machines… How Retailers Can Best Position Themselves to Thrive in an Age of Disruption…

Investment Firms Come to the Forefront Among Owners of Local Newspapers

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Today seven investment entities control 349 daily newspapers, well ahead of either the 196 belonging to long-established private publishers that include companies like Hearst and Advance Publications or the 161 public publishers that include legacy chains like Gannett and McClatchy.

Marriage of Listings, Data, and Social Drive Better Results, Says SweetIQ CEO

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A long-brewing change is transforming the way local business listings get used, says SweetIQ’s Mohannad El-Barachi. In a recent interview with he tells Street Fight that the integration of more features, such as chat or connections to social media, opens up new ways for businesses to bring in customers.

Inform Your Multichannel Customer Experience Strategy

Street Fight Daily: Viber Launches In-App Shopping, Small-Ball Retailers and Google Shopping

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Chat App Viber to Launch In-app Shopping with Brands Including Macy’s… 7 Ways Small Retailers Can Compete with Retail Giants Using Google Shopping… SocialRank Realtime Helps Marketers Get More Proactive on Social Media…

A New Era for Street Fight

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After nearly six years as a bootstrapped independent business, Street Fight has been acquired by Brandify — and we couldn’t be more excited. The pairing will provide resources to significantly expand Street Fight’s content, events, and research, and will allow us to launch new offerings to create greater value for the industry.

BUST: A Hard Landing as Soft Surroundings Files for Bankruptcy

Urban Outfitters Increases Conversions With Contextualized In-App Messaging

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Urban Outfitters has long used its brand-owned app to deliver messages to customers in the hope of driving conversions. What PlaceIQ and Appboy were able to do was heighten the value being delivered by in-app messaging, using a combination of location and customer activity data.

Street Fight: Amazon Responds to Walmart’s Shipping Challenge, Mobile Engagement Drops in Q4

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Amazon Strikes Back at Walmart’s Free 2-Day Shipping Offer… Mobile Engagement Sees Unprecedented Drop in Q4 2016… Why Facebook and Snapchat Are Spinning Off Mobile Incubators…