News and Analysis

As Agencies Feel the Squeeze, Covid-19 Reshapes the Martech Industry

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One in four small businesses has temporarily shut down, and 43% believe they have fewer than six months until permanent closure is unavoidable. With the small business community in panic mode, budgets for digital marketing have been slashed, and agencies are feeling the pinch.

“Everyone has been in panic mode, and rightly so. Businesses are worried about who might have to be furloughed [or] laid off, getting their PPP loans, what kind of regulations do they need to comply with, [and] what their contingency plans are for keeping any amount of revenue coming in,” says Simon Schwartz, founder of Locasaur. “Businesses are not interested in being pitched new marketing tech.”

5 Retail Tech Solutions Keeping Shoppers Safe During Covid-19

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Beacons, sensors, security cameras, and touchless payment solutions are all being used in ways they haven’t been before. Technology vendors are even changing up their offerings, or in some cases pivoting altogether, to better serve the retail market during this ongoing pandemic.

Here are five examples of technology providers offering innovative solutions for enhanced social distancing and improved shopper safety during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Curbside Pickup Moves Into Primetime, But Retailers Struggle With Implementation

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Petsmart and Kohl’s have it. So do Best Buy, GameStop, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and dozens of other national retailers. With social distancing orders in place across most of the country, curbside pickup is becoming an increasingly popular checkout option for retailers. Integrating curbside technology into existing ecommerce fulfillment programs hasn’t been without its challenges, though, especially given how hastily many of these programs have been rolled out.

Commentary

The Biggest Roadblocks to Building a Top Loyalty Program

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To build a successful loyalty program, make sure that customers can see what points and rewards they’ve earned without making them jump through hoops. Make your system as transparent and frictionless as possible, and try to communicate via each member’s preferred channel.

LBMA Podcast: Google’s Just A Line, Walmart & Handy, Snapchat

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Also on the show this week: Drive Time Metrics, VisuWall, the Church of England, Macy’s, Home Depot + Pinterest, Philips Lighting.

‘Ads.txt’: How a Little Bit of Code Is Putting a Big Dent in Ad Fraud

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The ad fraud crisis finally is beginning to be addressed at least partly through an initiative from the Interactive Advertising Bureau bearing the nerdy name “ads.txt.”

Latest Posts

Foursquare Data Shows Shopping Patterns for Star Wars Fans and Trekkies

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Marking the release of the new Star Wars movie, Rogue One, today, Foursquare has put together an interesting infographic analyzing data from people who checked into Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Trek Beyond.

SweetIQ Launches Next-Gen Listings Network

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Local search marketing platform SweetIQ is releasing its “next generation” listings network today, enabling marketers to list businesses across more than 100 search and discovery websites.

Brandify Launches Mobile-First Incubation Lab

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Multi-location digital marketing platform Brandify announced this morning that it’s debuting Brandify Labs, a mobile-first incubator focused on innovation. “The local marketing ecosystem is consolidating,” says Brandify CEO Manish Patel. “After 20 years in this market I predict there is going to be a vacuum, one that is going to call for more intelligent and sophisticated […]

Street Fight Daily: Microsoft Partners With Here, Uber Self-Driving Ops in SF Halted

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Here and Microsoft Expand Mapping Deal, Expanding Into Connected Car Data… California DMV Orders Uber to Stop Operating Its Self-Driving Cars In SF… Google’s Share of Referrals to Publishers Drops Significantly…

How Facebook Finally Reconciled Commerce and Connections

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The social media giant recently rolled out a suite of new experiences for Facebook Pages — most powered by third party technologies. These collaborations mean more engagement, visibility, and revenue for the companies that provide them; but what does it mean for Facebook?

How Will Email Marketing Change in 2017?

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In a survey of more than 500 email marketers, Campaigner found that the top email marketing challenge in 2016 was increasing open rates, followed by creating compelling content and earning new subscribers.

Street Fight Daily: Uber Launches Self-Driving Cars in SF, Yelp Starts Cash-Back Program

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Uber Takes Self-Driving Cars to San Francisco… Yelp Launches Cash-Back Program… Can Google’s User Reviews of Local Businesses Beat TripAdvisor At Its Own Game?…

Vistaprint Continues Push Into Digital with Focus on Micro-Business Market

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As the company’s platform expands beyond print to include a full-service digital marketing suite, it’s working overtime to change public perception and expand its role as an all-in-one service provider for small and mid-size firms.

How One International Juice Company Takes Its Marketing Local

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Even though Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company has customers around the world, its marketing strategy is focused on reaching local markets. Street Fight recently caught up with CMO Natalie Sexton to talk about the company’s approach.

Street Fight Daily: Foursquare and Nielsen Team Up on Attribution, Moz Local Partners with Yelp

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Foursquare, Nielsen Team Up to Map Digital Ads to In-Store Visits… Moz Local Offers New Capabilities in Partnership with Yelp… Facebook’s Latest Measurement Error Irks Marketers…