News and Analysis
Report: Location Targeting Ecosystem Suffers from Inaccuracy
Location Sciences analyzed 500 million digital location-targeted impressions in the US and UK in the first half of 2019. It concluded that for every $100,000 spent on location targeting, $29,000 fuels targeting outside the desired geographic range, and $36,000 in targeting does not produce strong enough signals to ensure accuracy.
6 Automotive Data Services Platforms
In order for consumer-facing companies and outside technology firms to take complete advantage of the data that’s being generated by automakers, the data coming from today’s connected vehicles needs to be aggregated and normalized.
Automotive data services platforms are stepping in with technology designed to take connected vehicles to the next level. By ingesting and cleansing data from connected cars, these platforms are helping minimize the development work that’s needed to launch a wide variety of third-party apps and services.
Here are six companies that are innovating in the space.
Waymo Releases Data Set to Catalyze Autonomous Driving Research
Why should local search specialists care about autonomous vehicles? The same way mobile, with its natural on-the-go use cases, has become the hub of “near me” searches that lead consumers into local businesses, cars will become the next mobile device, catalyzing the next wave of “near me” queries. Self-driving cars are not tangential to the future of local; they are central to it.
Commentary
Apple Gets Into Position for the Voice Search Revolution
As voice search becomes more prevalent, Apple will “retain an advantage over Amazon in ‘on-the-go’ searches, since our phones are always with us,” David Mihm tells Mike Blumenthal. “Unfortunately for Apple, people overwhelmingly conduct voice searches at home. “
Three Ways Location Marketing Is Changing in 2017
People are searching differently. They’re using emoji, voice commands, and social media to find what they want on demand through a variety of channels and devices. As a result, businesses need to be more nimble and imaginative in the way they convert online searches into offline sales.
Google Maps Holiday Controversy Reflects Deeper Issues in Local Search
In cases where community values are not unanimous, public companies are faced with an ethical question, and their answers can help to shape perceptions among users. For many, the removal of a Confederate holidays from Google Maps signals that it is truly a thing of the past.
Latest Posts
Raise Report: Blippar, AppCard, Ninjacart Reel in Fresh Rounds
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 cash infusions for ICX Media, Staff Finder, and Mariana.
Street Fight Daily: Google Experiments With Local Services Concierge, Yext Reports 48% Revenue Growth
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Yext Sees $88.8 Million Revenue, 48% Growth for Location Data (TechCrunch)… Don’t Call a Plumber — Call (or Text) Google Concierge (Blumenthal’s)… Yahoo Labors to Carry On With Core Business While Exploring Sale (New York Times)…
Yelp’s Head of EU Public Policy: Europe Strategy Depends on Google Antitrust Case
Yelp has been vocal in its disapproval of Google’s handling of search results and is one of the complainants in the European Union’s antitrust lawsuit against the search giant. Street Fight recently caught up with Yelp’s head of EU public policy, Kostas Rossoglou, to talk about the case as well as the challenges faced by European companies hoping to break into local markets.
Case Study: Chicago Photographer Generates Leads with Paid Search Campaigns
As the digital marketing manager for Christine Waller Photography, a small photography business based in Chicago, Illinois, Conor Keenan uses many sources of traffic to generate leads. His monthly search budget runs between $250 and $500, depending on the services he’s focusing on that month.
Street Fight Daily: Amazon Building Delivery Network, ‘Research Online, Buy Offline’ Economy
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Amazon Leases 20 Cargo Planes to Build In-House Delivery Network (Business Insider)… Report: For Every $1 Online Influenced by Reviews, Offline Impact At Least $4 (Marketing Land)… Square Posts Mixed Q4 Results, but Promise of Future Profits Boosts Stock (Recode)…
5 Staffing Marketplaces for On-Demand Vendors
The on-demand economy relies on a steady stream of self-employed workers who are willing to trade steady paychecks for flexibility and autonomy. But as the number of on-demand platforms increases, it’s becoming more of a challenge for companies to hold on to qualified workers.
UrbanSitter Leverages Online Connections to Ensure Trust in Childcare
Who can you trust to babysit your 5-year-old? For parents, finding someone reliable and trustworthy can be quite daunting. Urbansitter CEO Lynn Perkins grappled with these issues of trust and referral as she’s grown her local commerce service into a national vertical player.
When Will We Be Able to Say That Cashless Payments Have Finally ‘Arrived?’
The ubiquity of smartphones, new payment technology platforms, and ease of use have clearly caught the eye of many technology innovators and consumers. But why is this the year that cashless payments will go mainstream?
Street Fight Daily: Pinterest Opens Ad Platform to SMBs, Thumbtack Sees $1B in Local Services Spending
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Pinterest Fully Opens Its Ad Spigot to Every Small and Medium-Sized Advertiser (Adweek)… $1B in Local Services Spending Runs Through Thumbtack (LSA Insider)… Facebook ‘Amazed by Volume of Valueless Inventory,’ Abandons New Ad Buying Platform (AdAge)…
Booker Acquires Frederick, Expands Marketing Automation for Service Businesses
The two companies had an existing partnership in place, and Booker has already rolled out Frederick’s marketing services to 200 of its existing customers. Following the deal, Frederick will retain its brand and will continue integrations with other business management systems.
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Meta Is Automating Ads, But Brands Still Face a Bigger Problem