News and Analysis
These Chatbots Are Helping Brands Respond to Covid-19 Queries
Chatbots could help fill the gap in business-to-customer communication capacity during the Covid-19 outbreak. Although there will always be a need for human customer service agents, even when chatbots with AI are deployed, the coronavirus outbreak is demonstrating just how valuable this automated technology can be for brands working in a time of crisis. Already, chatbot companies like LivePerson say they’re seeing significant increases in volume on their platforms. As the pandemic widens, even more companies are likely to start integrating chatbots into their customer service systems.
Here are six chatbot solutions that brands can start using right away.
Tech Companies Respond as Workers, SMBs Face Covid-19 Pressure
Google’s sister site Verily launched a site, albeit with logistical difficulties, to help Bay Area residents find testing options, and Verily isn’t the only tech company facing or alleviating coronavirus concerns. As a possible recession looms, consumer spending dips, and employees are sent home for public safety, some vendors are stepping in to help workers weather the storm. Others are boosting small businesses, hiring and increasing pay for workers, and suspending precarious services.
Freckle, AdSquare Team Up on Privacy-Compliant Geo-Contextual Advertising
For years, geo-contextual advertising focused on targeting consumers for specific products or services at specific locations. The strategy has delivered impressive results for many brands and agencies. But with privacy restrictions on the rise, the time has come to start reimagining geo-contextual advertising in a way that brings brands together with on-the-go consumers in a privacy-safe way.
While many vendors are looking at how to expand into privacy-safe geo-targeting, Freckle and AdSquare are getting out ahead of the pack. Just this morning, Freckle and AdSquare announced a collaborative effort to improve geo-targeting capabilities for brands and agencies across North America. Through the collaboration, Freckle will layer its privacy-safe visitation data into AdSquare’s platform.
Commentary
So Long Local Search — Hello Machine-Directed Discovery
Whatever you thought you knew about getting your business found online and on mobile, or whatever you are currently learning, is already obsolete. The way consumers interact with search technology today is on its way out. Why? Autonomous cars, artificial intelligence and voice commands are all transforming search into something we can only begin to imagine.
The New Local Ecosystem: An Interview With Darren Shaw
As of this year, the task of updating the Local Search Ecosystem has been handed to Darren Shaw of Whitespark, who also inherited David Mihm’s other well-known brainchild, the Local Search Ranking Factors report. Last week, Darren released Local Search Ecosystem 2017, a bold departure in visual design and a much-needed update to the last edition, from 2014.
Google Elevates Local Marketing to Prime Time
Many industry watchers and practitioners correctly perceived the GMB API as a sign of how important it is for businesses to manage their location data properly. But the progression of the API represents something even bigger: empowering businesses to elevate and measure the value of local search marketing.
Latest Posts
New Data Shows National Marketers Want to Place Dollars in Local Media
National marketers care an awful lot about local media, and they put stock in some of the traditional channels such as radio and print, but they’re shifting dollars and interest toward digital innovations. Local media have a big opportunity to leverage their local context and relationships, and lead national marketers into digital waters. In other words, they can take the dollars for local media, plus capture the continued expansion of budget for online initiatives…
Street Fight Daily: Lyft Seeks a Buyer Without Success, Google Expands Local Business Cards
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Lyft is Said to Be Seeking a Buyer, Without Success… Google Local Business Cards or Posts About to Roll Out to Thousands of SMBs… How the Wall Street Journal Plans to Reach 3 Million Subscribers…
Case Study: Harley-Davidson Dealers Push to Grow Mobile Database
When marketers discuss the effectiveness of email and SMS campaigns, the size of a company’s customer database can play just as significant a role in the success or failure of a given campaign. That was one of the challenges faced by Calculated Risk Motorcycle Group, a management company for six Harley-Davidson dealerships.
Give Placed Your Location, and the Company Will Give You Frequent Flyer Miles
Location analytics firm Placed today is launching a new app that allows consumers to share their location data in exchange for frequent flyer miles. The Frequent Flyer app, with its explicit value exchange for consumers, has the potential to show how effective mobile ads can be in driving in-store purchases.
LBMA Podcast: Jack Daniels + Facebook, Bloom for Publishers, Mastercard + PlaceIQ
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: Dixons Carphone, ZoneTap, LinkNYC, Brightsign + MoodMedia for Costa Coffee, Swirl + Oracle Marketing Cloud, Comqi + Panasonic.
Street Fight Daily: YP Names New CEO, Uber Offers Self-Driving Car Rides for Free
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Ex-Cox Exec Jared Rowe Named YP CEO… Travis Kalanick on Uber’s Bet on Self-Driving Cars: ‘I Can’t Be Wrong’… The New York Times Shutters NYT Now App…
John Oliver Delivers a Valentine (And a Warning) to Newspapers — But Will They Listen?
John Oliver’s tribute to newspapers on HBO’s “Last Week Tonight” highlighted the challenges for the country’s dailies, as well as the dangers of making online news all about clickbait. To combat this dismal future, publishers should focus on making their sites as engaging as possible, which could ultimately help sell digital subscriptions.
How Online Lenders Can Refine Their Targeting of SMBs
The combination of doubling down on the minority of SMBs that are most likely to be receptive to capital and making it easy to engage these SMBs across on/offline channels with personalized, automated campaigns can make all of the difference.
Street Fight Daily: Gannett Ups Offer for Tronc, QSRs Boost Business with Mobile
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Gannett Sweetens Bid for Chicago Tribune Parent Tronc… Quick-Serve Restaurants Use Mobile to Boost Order Value… Why Local Auto Dealers Are Steering Marketing Budgets To Digital…
Tech Takes the Battle for SMBs to Your Appointment Book
The unassuming calendar is emerging as a multi-billion-dollar gateway for companies trying to capitalize on the giant business of processing payments for small and medium-sized businesses.
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AI Won’t Fix Advertising – It May Scale Its Chaotic Nature