News and Analysis
Why SMBs Are Flocking to Martech to Combat Covid Slump
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?
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
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.
Latest Posts
Case Study: Brick-and-Mortar Shop Looks to Compete with Online Sales
At Nutrishop in San Francisco, Jason Miller is using a digital platform called Pointy to automatically publish his products online and also drive customers into his store. By integrating Pointy’s box with his Lightspeed POS system, Miller has been able to scan products with a scanner and have those products appear on his store’s Pointy page online.
Street Fight Daily: Facebook Looms Over Snap IPO, Inside a Local Publisher’s Rise
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… A Rival’s Shadow Looms Over Snapchat IPO… How Local Publisher Technically Media Is Diversifying Its Business with a Community Focus… Marketo CEO on the Company’s Big Plans to Take On Big Marketing Clouds…
Street Culture: How Some of the Most Successful Startup Leaders Motivate Their Teams
New tech startups might not have a formula to create culture, but many leaders consider culture an important component for success. Though every company is different, some trends emerge: leaders must be transparent, they must hire for fit, and they must give employees a way to feel that they partially own the company.
Street Fight Daily: SMBs to Prioritize Social Marketing, Snap Files for IPO
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… U.S. SMBs Plan to Prioritize Social Media Spending Over SEO and Email in 2017… Snapchat Parent Snap Inc. Files for IPO… Data Management Platform Adoption Is on the Rise, but Challenges Remain…
Case Study: East Coast Wings Uses Localized Ads to Fight Against Post-Super Bowl ‘Wing Fatigue’
Fast-casual dining franchise East Coast Wings + Grill created locally-relevant social media campaigns to target consumers and gauge foot traffic results during last year’s Super Bowl. Now one year later, Director of Marketing Maria Capparelli says East Coast Wings plans to continue delivering locally targeted ads and posts.
Moz Local Incorporates Google My Business Insights Into Platform
The company announced this morning that it is integrating Google My Business insights data into the Moz Local platform. The platform, which allows businesses to post listings across the major aggregators of location data, will offer information about how and where customers optimize their Google listings.
Street Fight’s Big 3
Street Fight Columns
Street Fight Categories
Beyond Likes: Win Hearts with Emotional Marketing