News and Analysis
Womply, FundRocket Launch SMB Stimulus Program
While Congress continues to deliberate on a stimulus package that will provide as much as $400 billion in aid and loans for small businesses, tech companies that serve SMBs are stepping in to offer their own assistance packages. Among them is reputation management, CRM, and email software firm Womply, which has launched an SMB stimulus program in collaboration with its capital partner, FundRocket.
Location Leaders Step Up to the Plate
During the Covid-19 outbreak, we’re seeing tech companies step up to the plate in a mixture of altruistic and opportunistic moves. That’s everything from Comcast removing data caps to Amazon removing its paywall for streaming kids shows. But what about local specifically? Again, that’s where businesses are getting hit most.
We’ve seen moves in the local space over the past week from Facebook, Yelp, and Foursquare. Though there are several others, we’ll drill down on this representative sample. We’ll also give a shoutout to Google for its work to free up human and compute resources for local listings updates, covered Monday by Damian Rollison.
Loyalty in the Time of “Near Me” Searches, Omnichannel, and Covid-19
In addition to the opportunities and challenges that come with an omni-channel commercial ecosystem, 2020 brings to businesses the challenge of mobile search, which leads people on the go to search for “X near me” and pick the closest possible option. The new year also brought, as hardly anyone would’ve predicted months ago, an impending recession as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
I caught up with Nicole Amsler, vice president of marketing at loyalty tech firm Formation.ai, to garner her insights on loyalty strategy this year.
Commentary
Why DNAinfo’s Shuttering Isn’t a Reflection on the Hyperlocal Digital Opportunity
The shuttering of these sites was a failure of a business, not a failure of opportunity. The opportunity is there. A multi-billion dollar opportunity. It just needs the right model and good execution to grasp it.
Local Marketing on Alexa? The Real Estate Industry Gives It a Shot
There are almost 40 real estate “skills” currently listed in Alexa’s directory. This is greater than those related to lawyers/attorneys, doctors/dentists, and a host of other SMB categories, and overall there doesn’t yet appear to be much adoption of voice technology at the local business level.
Why Carrier Data Is the Key to Unlocking Mobile Verification
Brands like P&G are placing new demands on agencies and media providers for increased transparency and accountability, which in turn has led to significant advances in areas like viewability. The next battleground is clearly verifying the data accuracy of the underlying ingredients – namely the quality of data used for targeting and measurement.
Latest Posts
Reserve and Deliver: Waitr Acquires Restaurant Booking App Requested
Restaurant booking app Requested has announced that it has been acquired by Louisiana-based food delivery and restaurant management company Waitr. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Requested will keep its California office and its team will remain intact in the transfer.
Placing a Bet on Apps for Local Businesses, Advice Local Acquires Scanther Mobile
Advice Interactive Group will acquire the app tech company founded in 2012 by brothers EJ and Austin Archuleta. Scanther’s team will join Advice as part of the deal, and the company will be rebranded as Advice Mobile and integrated within the Advice Local product suite.
Geoscape’s New Digital Platform, AudienTivity, Helps Brands Connect With Multicultural Shoppers
The Miami-based company is dedicated to providing data and analytics systems centered around the U.S Hispanic population along with other “new mainstream consumers,” says CEO Cesar Melgoza. This includes consumers from various culture backgrounds, as well as age-based shoppers like millennials, and also the LGBTQ community.
Street Fight Daily: Lyft Reportedly Rejected $6B Offer, Uber-Google Rivalry Heats Up
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Lyft’s $9 Billion Price Tag Was Too High for GM… Uber and Alphabet Rivalry Heats Up Over Self-Driving Vehicles, Mapping Tech, Ride Hailing… Square Forges Relationships with Competitors to Expand its Business Opportunities…
On-Demand Services and Apps Becoming Inevitable Tools for Reaching Customers
Plenty of companies claim to be the “Uber of” their respective markets, but there is more to making it in this scene than just getting goods to customers fast. And not every company gets it right immediately; there is a steep learning curve for handling the logistics behind on-demand services.
Can Augmented VR Turn Window Shoppers Into Buyers?
The technology is here — if not packaged yet — and ultimately the costs to manufacture will likely fall enough to allow SMBs to participate. But until that day arrives I guess we’ll have to hold up our smartphones or don bulky headsets to experience the future.
Street Fight Daily: Marketing Tech Brings in Big Bucks, Consumers Still Unsure About Mobile Wallets
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Why Venture Capitalists Are Betting on Marketing Tech Over Ad Tech… How Connected Cars Are Turning Into Revenue-Generating Machines… Brands Debate Pros and Cons of Reaching Consumers via WhatsApp…
Openings and New Hires at YP, RetailNext and TigerPistol
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 Yodle, Infogroup, Bridg, and Valpak.
Raise Report: LendUp, DroneDeploy, Vettery Secure Fresh Funding
Every two weeks, we round up some of the biggest fundraises taking place in hyperlocal marketing, commerce, and tech. This week’s edition includes new rounds for Simbi, Dexter, MediaBrix, and RedShelf.
TripAdvisor Acquires Social Mapping Service CityMaps
TripAdvisor has announced the acquisition of New York-based social mapping startup CityMaps. The company launched in 2010 as map-based aggregator of third-party data and later evolved into a navigational tool and guide for travelers. TripAdvisor spokesman said the company will continue to operate as a standalone business.
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Meta Is Automating Ads, But Brands Still Face a Bigger Problem