News and Analysis

As Delivery Market Consolidates, Affiliate Marketing Gets Sophisticated

Uber’s recent decision to acquire Postmates for $2.65 billion was just the beginning. As the delivery market consolidates, there will almost certainly be rising demand for pay-for-performance marketing products that help these companies strike a balance between volume and profitability.

One of the latest examples of this is the launch of Actionable Intelligence, a product by Button that gives marketers the ability to target and test high-value audience segments with personalized offers.

6 Ways to Use Martech Tools for Covid Compliance

Different industries are looking to manage the spread in different ways. For retailers, that might mean using artificial intelligence to make sure customers are following social distancing rules inside their stores. It might also mean using location data, beacons, and other mobile technologies to track where consumers are going during shutdowns or monitor employee compliance with local Covid regulations.

It’s worth noting that this is a sector that is evolving at breakneck speed. These are just a few of the ways the martech community is using its technology for Covid compliance right now.

Apple and Snap Signal Local AR Commerce Ambitions

Recent announcements from Snap and Apple at their respective developer conferences point to future connections between AR and local commerce.

Snap’s Local Lenses will let developers create geo-anchored persistent content that Snap users can discover through the camera interface. This will also include the ability for users to leave persistent AR graphics for friends to discover. The use case that Snap has promoted is more about fun and whimsy, including “painting” the world with digital and expressive graffiti. But the development could also include local storefront information.

Moving on to Apple, it similarly continues to show its AR aspirations. The latest is GeoAnchors for ARkit, announced at WWDC.  These evoke AR’s location-based potential by letting users plant and discover spatially anchored graphics that are persistent across sessions and users.

Commentary

SurePath Capital Breaks Down Last Year’s Money Moves in SMB Software

Last week, my firm SurePath Capital Partners released its annual State of SMB Software Report, which looks at fundraising and exit activity in the SMB software space in North America. 

Taking Control of the Control Group: How to Collect Reliable Data

Only when marketers account for the totality of their consumer data and account for it in an integrated way will the data actually offer visibility and control.

Turmoil in Local TV, But Brands Still Like It and New Tech Gains Momentum

TV remains a popular and effective local marketing tactic for multi-location brands, and there are signs that technologies for more precise targeting, media planning, and buying are finally reaching critical mass.

Latest Posts

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.

Street Fight Daily: Google Beefs Up Data on Foot Traffic, Consumers Plan Holiday Shopping Online

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Google Adds Store Visits Data to AdWords Distance and Location Reports… Consumers Turn to the Web to Plan Out Black Friday Shopping… Brick-and-Mortar Retailers Can Take Back the Holiday Momentum…

Study Points to Opportunities to Help Big Marketers and their Affiliates

Brandmuscle’s analysis of its own customer base shows that co-op support is not aligned with digital and social media marketing. Nearly 60% of them manage their marketing themselves, though their digital efforts are more effective if they outsource management to agencies or vendors.

Will the New Political Landscape Reinvigorate Local News?

My look at some local coverage of the election offers encouraging clues to how good journalism can have a positive impact on the business models for local news. It also implies that the coming Trump era is very likely to accelerate the industry’s transformation.

LBMA Podcast: DineHero, Walkbase, and UrbanAirship

This Week in Location Based Marketing is a weekly video podcast from the Location Based Marketing Association with Asif Khan and Aubriana Lopez. On the show: HIA Qatar, Kellogg’s, GeoSlam + BlackDog Robotics, PlaceIQ + Nielsen Catalina, Twitter and Intel Drones. Guest: Christiana DiMattesa — Under Armour Resource: Proxbook Report.

Street Fight Daily: Lyft and Uber Deploy Targeted Ads in Cars, Marketers Eager as Spectacles Hit NYC

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Lyft and Uber Deploy Targeted Advertising on Screens in Back Seats of Rideshare Cars… As Snapchat Spectacles Hit East Coast in NYC, Marketers Like What They See… How Frequently Do Millenials Transact Via Mobile?…

Openings and New Hires at Belly, Criteo, Endurance, TruMeasure

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 SpotHero, Acquisio, Walkbase, eZanga.

Raise Report: New Funding for xAd, Glint, Periscope Data

Every two weeks, we round up some of the biggest fundraises taking place in hyperlocal marketing, commerce, and tech. This week’s edition includes funding for Womply, Musement, TrendKite, and Job Today.

Street Fight Daily: Uber Uses Ride Data for Restaurant Recommendations, AirBnB Launches ‘Trips’

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Uber Uses Ride Data to Compile Guide on Local Restaurants… AirBnB Is Transforming Itself from a Rental Company Into a Travel Agency… World’s Leading QSR Uses Tech to Revolutionize Service…

5 Ways to Use Social Media to Drive More In-Store Sales This Holiday Season

’Tis the season for brick-and-mortar businesses to figure out their digital marketing strategies for the holidays, if they haven’t already. With holiday sales coming up next week, here are some ways that businesses can use social media marketing to get more foot traffic into their stores.