News and Analysis

Brands Are Struggling with Customer Loyalty in 2020. Here’s Why

The pandemic has sparked changes in consumer behavior. Some changes are predictable, like people stocking up on toilet paper when lockdown orders first went into effect.

But other changes occurring over the past seven months have been more slight and easier to miss. Now, with the holiday shopping season getting into full swing, brands are discovering that these minor shifts in consumer behavior have the potential to wreak havoc on their seasonal marketing strategies.

How Consumer Behavior Toward Auto Ads Changed During Covid-19

As one of the largest spenders on digital advertising in the U.S., the automotive industry is a bellwether. Prior to the pandemic, the automotive industry had consistent double-digit growth in digital ad spending. That growth was forecast to continue through the end of 2020 — then, in March, everything changed.

Prop 24 Could Majorly Impact California Data Privacy. Will Businesses Comply?

All eyes are focused on the presidential election today, but for businesses, a ballot initiative in California could have major implications. Proposition 24, known as the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (CPRA), is seen by many as an even more stringent version of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). That has some businesses rethinking how they collect user data and questioning whether they might be vulnerable to lawsuits if the proposition passes.

Commentary

LBMA Podcast: Walmart, Target, LinkedIN

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

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.

Listen Up! Voice Makes Itself Heard in Delivery of Local News

“Voice is still in its early innings, but Edison Research data on smart speakers shows that the top things people are calling for is news. That’s enough for me to know that the time to get moving on this is right now,” says Amplifi Media CEO Steve Goldstein.

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

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

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

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

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…

How Does Google Determine the Authority of Local Entities?

“Each of these sites that Google trusts might calculate authority in a different way, but if Google can verify the relationship to the local entity, they can apply that authority to the ranking of the local listing,” writes Mike Blumenthal to David Mihm.

6 Ways Merchants Can Prepare For the Rise in Voice Search

Forty-two percent of U.S. consumers already say they’ve used voice assistants in the last three months, and industry forecasters are predicting that 20% of all user interactions with smartphones will take place through these assistants within the next three years. Here are six ways that local businesses can start preparing.

Street Fight Daily: Retailers Emphasize Mobile Web Over Apps, Verizon and Yahoo Close Revised Deal

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… The Mobile Web is Quietly Killing Off Retail Apps… Why Verizon Decided to Still Buy Yahoo After Big Data Breaches… ‘More Options and Misunderstandings’: Media Buying on Snapchat Confuses Advertisers…

Openings and New Hires at Lyft, DAC Group and Placed

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 Navads, Brandify and Foursquare.

Street Culture: Sitter.me Puts Company Culture of Trust and Respect First

“The culture starts at the top and stays with the top and there is nothing more important than leading by example in that respect,” says CEO Kristen Stiles. Her company, Sitter.me, connects parents with local babysitters.

Street Fight Daily: Google Home Enables Retail Purchases, IBM and Visa Partner for IoT Payments

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Google Home Can Now Buy You Stuff from Over 50 U.S. Retailers… Visa, IBM Team for Consumer Payments through IoT Devices… Facebook Isn’t Going After LinkedIn, It’s Chasing a Much Bigger Jobs Market…