News and Analysis
Brick-and-Mortars Pivot to Logistics, Entertainment
Brick-and-mortar retailers are using storefronts as warehouses, logistics hubs, and entertainment venues in the wake of Covid-19 disruption.
After E-Commerce Gains, Retailers Struggle with Return Logistics
$70.5 billion worth of holiday purchases this year are expected to be returned, and 400 million square feet of additional warehouse space could be needed just to process those returns. For retailers already facing a deluge of products coming back into their warehouses, it could already be too late.
Commentary
Will Apple Help Assemble the ‘Internet of Places’?
The AR cloud is the missing piece in the vision we all have for how AR should work. It’s the spatial map of the world that will let AR devices understand their surroundings. Taking this into account, the news that Apple is collecting its own data for Apple Maps may have implications for AR.
LBMA Podcast: GetMiles, GrubHub & LevelUp, Jido Maps
On This Week in Location Based Marketing: Jido Maps, the National Park Service, VR waterslide in Germany, GetMiles, Guess? + Alipay, GrubHub buys LevelUp.
Stronger Bklyner Helps Keep ‘News Desert’ at Bay in NYC’s Biggest Borough
In this Q&A, Liena Zagare tells how Bklyner came back from the abyss this year and why, after flipping her business model to rely on her readers for revenue, she’s confident the digital pure-play she founded and edits will stay strong and help maintain Brooklyn as a news oasis.
Latest Posts
Two Mobile Marketing Studies Sketch Location Data’s Role in Cross-Channel Measurement
The reports released last week by industry organizations provide useful advice on mobile marketing tactics and using location data. Both studies point to the need to apply integrated, cross-channel measurement techniques, and to use location data for targeting, customer segmentation, and attribution.
Street Fight Daily: How Amazon Shipping Impacts Small Retailers, Facebook Updates Instant Articles
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Amazon’s Free Shipping Pushes Small Retailers, Delivery Firms to Compete… Facebook Updates Instant Articles, Encourages Email Sign-Ups… Native Ad Spend Increased 600% in 3 Years, But Early Adopters Are Bailing…
Case Study: Convenience Store Chain Streamlines Mobile Offer Creation
Switching from paper to digital coupons usually saves businesses time and money, but that’s not always the case. For Mike Templeton, digital marketing manager at Kum & Go, a convenience store chain with hundreds of locations, personally designing and managing the distribution of digital coupons quickly became a hassle.
Raise Report: New Funding for SOCi, ActionIQ, Chute, Looker
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 Bus.com, JoyRun, Picnic, and Snowflake.
Street Fight Daily: Lyft Raises $500 Million, Facebook’s M Suggests Local Services in Messenger
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Uber Rival Lyft Raises $500 Million in Funding… The Public Debut of Facebook’s M is a Step Toward a Do-It-All AI Assistant… It’s Time for Google and Facebook to Freak Out About Amazon…
3 Location Marketing Lessons That Healthcare Brands Can Teach Other Industries
When the location marketing experts discuss best practices, they often focus on industries like retail. But the healthcare industry can teach us a lot about location marketing. Partly because healthcare faces constant turmoil, healthcare is a source of constant reinvention.
LifeStream’s Personalized News Empowers Users, Protects Their Privacy
The soon-to-launch news service from Graf Mouen and Bill Densmore plans to deliver highly personalized news and other information to consumers, while still maintaining the privacy they don’t currently have on the rest of the Web.
Street Fight Daily: Facebook Challenges Slack, Deliveroo Launches Platform for Delivery-Only Kitchens
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Facebook Looks to Seize Control of the Workplace with Free Offering, Workplace Standard… Deliveroo Launches Platform for Restaurants to Open Delivery-Only Kitchens… Audience Measurement Struggles to Keep Up with Changing Viewing Behavior…
The Coming Polarization of the SMB Software Market
Strangely, despite the size of the opportunity you don’t find too many SMB companies in most VC portfolios. You see plenty of consumer and enterprise-focused startups, but much fewer on the SMB side. The reason for this is that it’s “hard” for companies serving SMBs to grow at the rate that can deliver “venture” returns.



















































AI Won’t Fix Advertising – It May Scale Its Chaotic Nature