News and Analysis

Valuing Diversity, Gen Z Searches for Tailor-Made Holiday Experiences

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Gen Z shoppers, in particular, have more friends with different races, gender identities, and sexualities than previous generations. They are more likely to be influenced by social media stars, who come from a wide variety of backgrounds, than traditional Hollywood celebrities. As a result, members of this generation value diversity more than other generations, and that value influences their purchasing decisions year-around.

“If you look at baby boomers from this lens, they’re far more homogenous. Millennials and Gen Z are the antithesis [of] homogeneity,” Hebets says. “Brands need to understand that millennials and Gen Z don’t want to be put in the traditional box with respect to marketing or otherwise. They want brands to embrace and recognize their diversity.”

Retailers Wooing Holiday Shoppers Try AI On for Size

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What if e-commerce retailers could use technology to replicate the role of the in-store sales associate, providing people at home with the type of personal attention that really drives sales?

Technology vendors are working feverishly to make that a reality. Using artificial intelligence and voice assistants, like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Home, and Siri, online retailers are beginning to imagine a world where shoppers can ask their voice companions for recommendations on product fit or gift suggestions in specific price ranges. There may even be a time, not too far in the future, when shoppers can get personal feedback during try-ons inside their own closets, thanks to “smart” mirrors and other virtual reality technology.

Holiday Discounts Don’t Necessarily Lead to Loyal Customers — Here’s Why

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When brands go in on discount-focused events like RetailMeNot’s Cash Back Day, which was held earlier this month, there’s concern that the long-term impact might be negative and that brands might be training customers to expect discounts. That expectation can reduce the perceived value of the brand’s products, and it can diminish brand equity over time.

Commentary

Taking the Pulse of the Location Data Ecosystem

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Companies selling location and proximity data and services themselves concede that it’s a pretty small market, but that location data is an increasingly critical signal for a variety of marketing, operations, and product features well beyond mobile advertising.

Where Will VR Fit Into Local Advertising?

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How will advertising play out in (admittedly nascent) VR, especially in local? We’ll likely see the same early and ongoing misfires, such as banner ads. Or, as in video experiences, we’ll likely see a fair share of legacy formats — like pre-roll ads — ham-handedly shoehorned into VR.

The New ‘Location, Location, Location’ in Retail

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“The new consumer (and search) paradigm favors small-scale, hyper-focused boutiques close to population centers as opposed to horizontal big box retailers on suburban commercial strips,” David Mihm says to Mike Blumenthal in their bi-weekly conversation.

Latest Posts

Street Fight Daily: Attribution Tech’s Star Is Rising, Mall Operator Enlists Local Startups

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… What Yext’s Snapchat Integration Means for Brick-and-Mortar Biz… Attribution is Becoming More of a Priority for Marketers… Giant Mall Company Enlists 10 Tech Startups to Drive Brick-and-Mortar Business…

Survey: Demand for Multichannel Programmatic Is Promising

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Nearly one-third of the respondents in Street Fight’s survey who also said that local media and content was important for their marketing were thinking about such cross-channel programmatic. Interest appeared highest for marketers who found local TV effective, but also played strongly with radio and print fans.

7 Retention Marketing Platforms for SMBs

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As small and mid-size businesses move away from the once-ubiquitous daily deals platforms, they’re now funneling a great portion of their budgets toward retention marketing solutions. Here are eight examples digital platforms, each taking a unique approach to customer retention.

Street Fight Daily: Uber and Didi Close $35B Deal, Most Businesses Still Lack Mobile Strategy

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Uber Sells China Operations to Didi After Losing Billions… Even as Mobile Gobbles Up Web Traffic, 80% of Businesses Lack Long-Term Mobile Strategies… Excited about Google’s New Map Ads? You Should Be!…

Openings and New Hires at Zenreach, Rocketspace, TruMeasure

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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 SweetIQ, AdviceLocal, and more.

Raise Report: New Funding for Kiip, Sprinklr, Shipt

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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 Civil Maps, Brandcast, Peek.com, and Density.

LBMA Podcast: Snapchat, Life 360, McDonald’s, Google Nearby

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Welcome to This Week in Location Based Marketing, a weekly video podcast from the Location Based Marketing Association with Asif Khan and Aubriana Lopez. On the show: Uber + Digital Globe, Placed, Samsung LANdry, Snorelax Alarm Clock, Vivid VR Cinema.

Street Fight Daily: Amazon Posts Record-Shattering Q2, Whole Foods Enters Meal-Kit Delivery

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Amazon Beats Expectations with $857 Million in Profits Driven by AWS, Prime… America’s Meal-Kit Craze Attracts a Big New Competitor… GrubHub Announces More Investments Following Strong Q2…

Report: Beacons a Slam Dunk for Sports, Recouping Over $1B in Ticket Sales

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The Q2 2016 report by Proxbook shows that since then, there’s been a 33% increase in global sensors since the beginning of the year. And according to the new report, proximity technology has enabled sports teams and their venues to reclaim ticket revenue at a time when fewer fans are going to stadiums.

Parse.ly’s Audience Analytics Help News Sites Make Stronger Case to Advertisers

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Audience analytics firms Parse.ly aims to give community news sites the same kind of in-depth information that platforms like Facebook provide about how users are responding – and not responding – to content. The company aims to help editors and reporters make decisions that can go right to the bottom line, leading to higher revenue.