News and Analysis
Location-Based Search Disrupts Brand-Centric Theory of Marketing
Building a brand will never stop being essential for companies with brick-and-mortar locations hoping to secure the dollars of nearby consumers. But a new report from location marketing firm Uberall suggests the rise of location-based or “near me” search is undermining the power of branding alone, increasing the importance of optimizing for searches in which consumers are simply looking for the closest, most convenient option while on the go.
Covid-19 Accelerates Online-Offline Retail Convergence
The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated the offline-to-online convergence in retail, leading to a huge shift in the way people shop over a short period of time. Shelter-in-place orders have forced shoppers to purchase the majority of their goods online, and it’s made retailers rethink the way they’ll operate in the post-pandemic world.
Big0-box retailers have beefed up their ecommerce divisions, and we’ve seen dozens of major chains with new curbside pickup options. Some types of retail environments have done better than others. Hardware stores, like Home Depot and Lowe’s, have found themselves categorized as “essential” businesses, and they’ve been able to remain open in many areas with little adaptation necessary. The transition has been harder for retailers in high-touch categories, like clothing, and for those independent operators that didn’t have websites with ecommerce capabilities in place before the pandemic began.
What Comes Next For Businesses After Covid-19 Shutdowns?
As states around the country begin to reopen their economies, local businesses are looking anywhere they can for guidance. County health departments are issuing advisories about proper social distancing and sanitation practices, but what about the technology upgrades businesses might need when they reopen after their pandemic shutdowns? How might business contend with changes in optimal inventory levels if shoppers continue to buy in bulk?
Latest Posts
Street Fight Daily: Google My Business Tests Chat Feature, M-Commerce Sees Conversion Issues
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Google My Business Tests a Messaging Feature to Enable Business-Customer Communication… Mobile Smartphone Shoppers Struggle with Navigation… E-Commerce Won Black Friday Weekend. Now Walmart Really Has to Compete on Amazon’s Turf…
What Is the Essential Digital Marketing Bundle for Local Businesses?
Where should small businesses be spending their money (or energy) right now to maximize their digital investment? Mike Blumenthal and David Mihm say it all starts with a website and listings management, and includes a variety of services like email newsletters, reviews management, and even Facebook ads.
Street Culture: How Placeable Employees Own the Company’s Culture
The company offers a number of perks, including membership stock shares making each employee an equity owner. “That’s the kind of tactical ownership that we’re going for,” says CEO Ari Kaufman. “Make everyone own a piece of the company. This is your company. Give a sh*t about it — it’s yours.”
QSRs Are Thriving With Location-Based Data, But There’s a Caveat
QSRs have successfully forged ahead with location-based ad strategies. Not only have we seen an influx of case studies asserting as much, but also a recent report from xAD inferring that foot traffic has spiked for QSRs thanks to location-based marketing, and, perhaps more importantly, the data mined from those efforts.
Moms and Dads Do the Crowdsourcing at New Hyperlocal Network ParentNation
In September, Renee Levine and her husband Josh launched their hyperlocal parent-recommendations site in the New York City suburbs of Westchester County, N.Y., Fairfield County in Connecticut and North Jersey. Here, Levine talks about the birth of ParentNation and why the company is building their content strategy around crowdsourcing.
Street Fight Daily: Location Behavior Drives Holiday Sales, Top Retailers Use Tech for Success on Black Friday
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… QSRs Are Thriving with Location-Based Data, But There’s a Caveat… How Top Retailers Are Using Tech to Score Points On Black Friday and Beyond… Location Behavior Could Drive Sales Online During Holidays…
YP CEO: Tech Companies Have Required ‘More of Our Clients Than We Need To’
In August, YP announced that former Cox Automotive Media Solutions Group President Jared Rowe would take the company’s helm as CEO. Street Fight recently caught up with Rowe to talk about how he’s found the first few months on the job, how he thinks local is evolving, and when he thinks the last print Yellow Pages will eventually be printed.
6 Tools Merchants Can Use to Implement Surge Pricing
Not only can surge pricing bring in more revenue during a business’ busiest times — like during the dinner hour for restaurants, or on holiday weekends for theme parks — but it can also spread out demand, encouraging customers to visit during times when businesses would typically be slow.
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