News and Analysis

Captivate and Hivestack Partner to Expand Programmatic DOOH Ads

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Location-based digital video network Captivate and location-based mar tech company Hivestack are teaming up to expand access to programmatic digital out-of-home ads, the companies announced.

Hivestack’s marketplace and ad exchange will allow customers to buy video inventory on Captivate, which will bring engaging video ads to offices across North America. Captivate offers a professional audience of particularly high interest to marketers.

retail store

How Retailers Use AI, Mapping to Boost ROI on Store Remodels

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Walmart, Walgreens, and Sephora are all using artificial intelligence technology to improve the retail experience. While the majority of use cases for AI in retail have focused on enhancing the shopping experience for customers, forward-thinking analytics firms are innovating and developing new uses for their existing AI technology.

The analytics firm Fractal Analytics is pushing forward in the retail space with its own solution that relies on AI to forecast the cost of retail store remodels, as well as determine the ROI from large-scale renovation projects. Although Fractal works solely with Fortune 500 companies, the solutions it is developing could be adopted more broadly throughout the retail space.

Google Hit With Another $500+ Million Fine

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Google is in the news for the wrong reasons again. The search giant agreed to pay a 500 million euro fine (about $550 million) to settle a French fiscal fraud probe after investigators in the country accused it of dodging taxes, Reuters reported.

Google’s headquarters are in Dublin, Ireland, where it settles all sales contracts to avoid paying higher taxes in the rest of Europe. Alphabet isn’t the only company to take advantage of tax loopholes to avoid paying its fair share; Apple and Facebook also have large operations there.

Commentary

Comparing Enterprise and SMB Attitudes on Local Tech

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In recent Street Fight surveys, both brands and local merchants reported that they are increasing the digital portion of their marketing spending. Over half (57%) of local merchants surveyed said that was the case, and 40% of the enterprise local marketers agreed.

One Size Does Not Fit All in the SMB Digital Market

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“At the very least you have to recognize your day-to-day experiences both discovering and interacting with small businesses are wildly different from customers in rural markets,” David Mihm tells Mike Blumenthal in their biweekly chat.

Dead Fingers Still Walking?

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While Google and Facebook may have a lock on consumers and big advertisers, in no way do they have a lock on SMB advertisers. If Dex Media/YP can provide a better experience for its advertisers, it’s got a real shot at keeping those fingers walking well into the future.

Latest Posts

Raise Report: Fresh Funding for YotPo, Amplitude, When I Work

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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 Recharge, ShipBob, Qloo, and Performance Horizon.

5 Locally-Focused Meal-Kit Delivery Vendors

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Meal-kit delivery services are a segment of the food market that’s expected to grow to between $3 and $5 billion over the next decade. Companies deliver individually wrapped ingredients, along with plain-simple recipes, to their customers’ doors for a premium price. Here are five examples of meal-kit vendors taking a localized approach.

Street Fight Daily: Uber Pouring Profits into China, How Siri Third-Party Dev Works

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Profitable in Most Markets, Uber Is Spending Big to Win China… Here’s How Siri Will Work for Third-Party Developers… Washington Post Puts Branded Content on Facebook Instant Articles…

Targeted Ads Can Miss Targets — But They Still Keep Coming

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Over the past few weeks, I’ve received a barrage of ads for storage centers in St. Louis despite the fact that I live in South Carolina. I’m also seeing ads reminding me to “finish your trademark” event though I’m not interested in trademarking anything. I asked experts about why mis-targeted (and wasteful) ads like these persist, and what the ad industry is doing about them.

Street Fight Daily: Uber Partners with Factual, YouTube Lends Hand to SMBs

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Why Uber, Apple, and Facebook All Want Data From This Startup… YouTube Starts Producing Free Video Ads for Small Businesses… AirBnB Secures $1 Billion From U.S. Banks to Fund Growth…

Placed Connects Voting Patterns to In-Store Visits

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According to a new study by the location analytics firm Placed, there was zero overlap in the most popular businesses for Trump and Clinton supporters to visit. In order to come up with these results, Placed tracked the offline behavior of roughly two million opted-in consumers.

xAd Unveils Location Intelligence Platform for Brick-and-Mortar Businesses

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The New York-based location data company announced a new tool called MarketPlace Discovery on Wednesday. The platform will provide brands with insights about where consumers active in their industries are shopping.

How Local Publishers Can Make the Most of Non-Local Traffic Surges

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When local stories go viral, the often do so at the expense of local advertisers who see no added value in this influx of poorly targeted leads. So how do local publishers benefit from the periodic bonanza of visiting traffic without alienating their base?

Street Fight Daily: Facebook Tracks Offline Commerce, Uber Seeks $2 Billion In Leveraged Loans

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Facebook Taps GPS, Square to Track Your In-Store Visits and Purchases… Uber to Raise Up To $2 Billion in Leveraged-Loan Market… Pinterest Takes a Page from Facebook’s Playbook and Steps Up Its Ad-Targeting Game…

Why Attributes and Identities Matter in Local Search

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Google continues to remind businesses that location data is the foundation of their brands. The question is whether your business is taking advantage of the opportunities Google is creating to use location data to build your brand.