News and Analysis
InMarket Buys NinthDecimal as Location Consolidation Persists
The move comes at a time when location marketing competition is heating up as the number of major players in the space winds down. Foursquare is widely recognized as the leader in location, especially after its merger with Factual earlier this year. PlaceIQ acquired Freckle IoT. X-Mode bought Location Sciences’ location data assets.
With the boost of NinthDecimal’s tech, talent, and partnerships, InMarket is better positioned to compete.
KickCOVID.us Crowdsources Business Safety Data
KickCOVID.us is one part business directory, one part safety monitor. The hyperlocal mobile website allows consumers to read and rate the relative safety of businesses based on the precautions they are taking around Covid-19.
Look up Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant, for example, and you’ll see that social distancing is being enforced and some masks are being worn, but no temperature checks are taking place. At Matchbox, a restaurant in Ashburn, Virginia, most people are wearing masks and no-contact delivery is currently available.
How Are Brands Preparing for Native Ratings in Apple Maps?
A foundational element of local marketing strategy could be changing. Rumors began circulating last week that Apple would be giving users the ability to add ratings and photos to local business listings on Apple Maps when iOS 14 releases this fall. That could mean big changes are in store for brand marketers who’ve grown accustomed to monitoring reviews and ratings on a core group of third-party platforms.
Apple’s move into the ratings and review space isn’t totally unexpected, but it’s still causing the local marketing community to question how the update will impact local search and discovery.
Commentary
Square’s Acquisition of Weebly and The Battle for the Modern Merchant
Square’s acquisition of Weebly, its largest to date, signals the beginning of a consolidation wave that we have been expecting at SurePath for some time. It also suggests the beginning of a competition to see which tech company can become the first all-in-one small-business solution.
Report: Smartphones, Developer Kits Drive Local AR and Visual Search
A new white paper from Street Fight examines how developer kits from Google and Apple have jumpstarted approaches to AR and visual search and sketches strategies for developers, marketers, and media companies hoping to tap into an exciting new trend.
Top Experts Hold Conclave in Major Effort to Save Local News Industry
“The news industry now has to be very much focused on understanding users and delivering to them a very powerful, useful experience so they will be happy to pay for it,” says veteran journalist Bill Densmore.
Latest Posts
Street Fight Daily: Uber to Disclose Traffic Data, Waymo Creates Its Own Sensor Unit
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Uber Extends an Olive Branch to Local Governments: Its Data… Waymo Creates Its Own Sensor Unit… Despite New FCC Rules, Verizon Plans ‘Aggressive Path’ on Ad Targeting…
Street Culture: Year-Old JumpCrew Builds for Scale, Eschews ‘Startup Culture’
“There has to be a process around the strategy to support the goals of others,” says founder David Pachter. “The people driving innovation are the ones on the front lines, working with clients and products. That groundswell of direction and changes, they don’t happen if you don’t have open channels of communication.”
3 Mobile Changes That Will Affect Marketers in 2017
In 2017, the total number of worldwide mobile users is expected to surpass 6 billion across 11 billion mobile devices. So, what does the future of mobile look like for marketers? More specifically, what data-related trends will dominate in the coming year?
Street Fight Daily: Voice Assistant-Enabled Cars Steal Show at CES, AR’s Retail Potential
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Auto Makers Showcase Cars Equipped with Virtual Assistants… Can Augmented Reality Bolster Retail Sales?… Chefs+Tech: The Restaurant Bubble Inches Closer to Bursting…
USA Technologies Links With Apple Pay to Offer Rewards on the Go
USA Technologies, which serves cashless and mobile transactions in self-serve retail, announced this morning that it has integrated its rewards program with Apple Pay. Now when consumers use Apple Pay at a self-serve vending machine, they will be able to instantly enroll in USAT’s MORE loyalty program.
Jersey’s New Brunswick Today Punches Its Way to a New Model for Local News
Does Central New Jersey’s New Brunswick Today represent the future of local news? The local site has made inroads in its community, supporting itself with a “three-legged stool” combining reader memberships, foundation support and site advertising.
Street Fight Daily: Alexa Enables Voice-Ordered Meals, Boston Globe’s Digital Revamp
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Amazon Prime Members Can Now Voice-Order Meals Through Alexa-Enabled Devices… Boston Globe Undergoes Major Overhaul to Compete in Digital Age… Lyft More Than Doubles Fourth Quarter Ridership Year Over Year…
Pingup Extends Reach With New Bing Integration
Consumers searching for local businesses on Bing will now be able to seamlessly schedule appointments, book services, and place restaurant orders online via Pingup’s local services transaction platform.
5 Ways Brands Are Using Voice-Controlled Systems for Consumer Marketing
For brand marketers, voice-based personal assistants represent a major opportunity in a largely-untapped space. Consumers are forming intimate relationships with these new technologies, providing major brands with the opportunity to interact with and learn about consumers in a way that hasn’t been possible before.
Street Fight Daily: Brands Cash in on Mobile Search Ads, Amazon Aims to Put Alexa Everywhere
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Brands See Big YoY Jumps In Revenue on Mobile Search Ads During 2016 Holidays… At CES 2017, Amazon Revs Alexa Everywhere Strategy… Marketing Automation is Powerful, But It Can Limit Internal Visibility for Brands…
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Meta Is Automating Ads, But Brands Still Face a Bigger Problem