News and Analysis
Retailers Find New Marketing Opportunities with Wearables
A recent announcement that Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance are working on an open-source network standard is likely to lead to even more investment in connected devices among retailers. The open-source network that the group is working to develop is supposed to make life easier for IoT hardware vendors and software developers, but it also serves a secondary purpose of assuring retailers investing in connected technology that their budgets aren’t being wasted. With a common IoT communication and control standard, smart devices will be even more reliable and seamless to use in the coming years.
“Open source will bring businesses more agility and enable them to process data quickly while simultaneously producing valuable insights,” says Heikki Nousiainen, chief technology officer at Aiven, a firm that develops managed cloud service hosting for software infrastructure services.
Blending Online and In-Store: The Boom of BOPIS
BOPIS — buy online, pick up in store — has become a fixture among cutting-edge retailers over the past several years. But this holiday season has made 2019 the breakthrough year for BOPIS. There’s rising demand among consumers for this handy shopping option. And retailers, seeing how the tactic benefits them as well, are stepping up to meet that demand.
Centro Teams with CannaVu to Bring Geo-Targeting to Cannabis and Normalize the Sector
Centro develops enterprise-class software for digital advertising organizations. CannaVu operates an ad exchange for cannabis and CBD marketers. Together, these two companies are working to change the way cannabis brands advertise online and break down the barriers that have slowed industry growth.
Commentary
Facebook’s Self-Serve Ad Creative Can’t Be SMBs’ Only Choice
By removing some of the barriers to ad spend for small businesses, Facebook is trying to become a one-stop shop for their ad dollars. SMBs are likely aware of the problem, but they shouldn’t be willing to rely on Facebook exclusively for their marketing and advertising needs.
Podcasting Won’t Replace Local Radio Soon
As a local advertising medium, podcasting shows promise, but it has a very long way to go. The medium is fresh and growing, and ad inventory is far less cluttered than radio, although a little pricey at $18 to $25 CPM.
Google’s Product Bid for DIY Wallet Share
“Google has been on a tear this past month in the DIY realm,” notes Mike Blumenthal in his bi-monthly conversation with David Mihm. “Three major product rollouts in a 30-day span; Websites, Posts and now SMS messaging. And Google only needs uptake on one of them to get a chance to sell Adwords Express.”
Latest Posts
Street Fight Daily: Uber Phasing Out Surge in Favor of Upfront Pricing, Apple’s Reply to Echo
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Uber Switches Out Surge for Price Transparency… Why We Might Not See An Echo-Like Device From Apple… Google Takes Steps to ‘Democratize Programmatic’ for Buyers…
How Community News Can Win Respect — And Bring in Revenue
“You can’t always focus on monetization,” says 30A’s Mike Ragsdale. “You have to focus on what’s good for the community and for your audience. In my experience, if you do that, the money will eventually follow. Put others first, and they’ll inevitably support you.”
#SFSW16 VIDEO: The Virtual Reality Revolution and Its Implications for Local
With the rise of Oculus and a host of other new companies, there has been lots of talk this year about the potential local and retail implications for virtual reality and augmented reality. At Street Fight Summit West in San Francisco earlier this month, a panel examined how brands and retailers see the VR/AR opportunity.
Street Fight Daily: Ads Coming to Google’s Local Pack, xAd Partners with ComScore for Attribution
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Google Confirms Ads Are Coming to Local Pack… ComScore is Working with xAd to Measure Foot Traffic From Online Ads… How a Publisher’s New Trend-Predicting Platform Will Benefit Advertisers…
Your Local Broadcast: Centric Finds the Cameras in Your Neighborhood
The new service is a video discovery app and broadcasting platform that enable users to browse, view and interact with video that’s being shared around them. “It’s like being handed a new map to your neighborhood that has all sorts of stuff you didn’t know existed before,” said CEO Vincent Gibson.
#SFSW16 VIDEO: How On-Demand Is Changing the Way Brick-and-Mortar Businesses Compete With Ecommerce
While ecommerce companies have doubled down on taking their chunks out of the local pie, some on-demand services are trying to find ways to use their immediacy to help brick-and-mortar businesses fight back. At Street Fight Summit West earlier this month, a panel looked at this tension between ecommerce and brick-and-mortar.
Street Fight Daily: Startups Tackle Local News, Facebook Partners With Undertone Networks
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Yahoo Launches Chatbot-Equipped Mobile Travel Guide… Undertone Partners with Facebook Canvas for Faster Mobile Ads and Better Targeting… Neighborhood Watch: Online Startups Tackle Local News…
Openings and New Hires at AOL, Swirl, Web.com
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 Lavu, Blueshift Labs, and Placed.
#SFSW16 VIDEO: Connecting the Dots on the Path to Purchase
To many in the industry, the idea of making connections between marketing impressions and dollars spent seems like it could be the holy grail — giving proof positive to businesses that their marketing dollars are well-spent, and unlocking further budget.
Street Fight Daily: The Voice Search Explosion, Publishers Tap Into Location-Based Programmatic
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Even Facebook Can’t Just Waltz Into the Location Data Space… How the Voice Search Explosion Will Change Local Search… Condé Nast, The New York Times, and Forbes Tap Into Location-Based Programmatic Platform…
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Meta Is Automating Ads, But Brands Still Face a Bigger Problem