News and Analysis
Fresh Chalk Has a New Take on Local Reviews
Despite digital change, recommendations from friends remain one of the most credible forms of marketing. Now, a new startup called Fresh Chalk is aiming to capitalize on that, giving consumers a way to find local professionals with help from their friends.
Like Yelp, Facebook, Google, and other local business directories, Fresh Chalk is aiming to help people source recommendations from reliable, qualified businesses in their own communities. But unlike most other competitors in the market, Fresh Chalk is keeping a tight focus on personal connections.
This Largely Brick-and-Mortar Industry Is Resisting Digital Disruption
Despite Amazon’s high-profile acquisition of Whole Foods in 2017, grocery is the bastion of brick-and-mortar shopping proving unusually resistant to a takeover by digital channels. At least, that is the vision of consumers, only 15% of whom say they are excited about the technical “revolution” in grocery, according to a new report on the future of retail by Walker Sands.
Startups Adapt to Shifting Privacy Standards
Two steps forward, one step back. That’s what it can feel like to be a technology provider in the location marketing space right now, struggling to strike a balance between the demands of brand marketers and growing concerns over consumer privacy and data regulation.
That push and pull is challenging vendors in the location marketing space. At the same time their firms should be seeing exponential growth, data regulations—including the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California’s forthcoming Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)—are establishing new rules for innovation.
But some companies are embracing the regulation as a challenge to innovate in its own right.
Commentary
Survey of Mobile Marketers Highlights Growing Focus on Location Data, Social Media
A new industry-sponsored study of mobile advertisers and agencies offers guidance for hyperlocal marketing providers. Big brands and their agencies are increasing their mobile marketing efforts, with a keen focus on location data and social media integration. The Mobile Marketing Association recently released a report sketching out the key findings from a survey it conducted this […]
State of Hyperlocal Report: What’s Hot in Local Marketing and Commerce
social media, data and analytics, and mobile—especially geotargeting—are the hot technology investments for marketing and commerce. The investment in data and analytics is in part driven by the biggest overall industry challenge, online-to-offline attribution measurement, and one of the most difficult issues facing individual companies, proving ROI to customers.
How Brands Can Get More Out of Their Brick-and-Mortar Marketing
Marketers that fail to see local storefronts as a critical channel are missing out on a rich sales opportunity. Brands invest $70 billion in local markets each year, but a significant portion of that spend often goes to waste because they fail to work collaboratively with their local partners.
Latest Posts
5 Proximity-Based Deal-Finding Apps for Retail Brands
With distractions around every corner, savvy retailers and brands are using location-based apps to put limited-time offers in the hands of consumers who just happen to be nearby. Here are five examples of proximity-based deal-finding apps available to consumers right now.
Street Fight Daily: AOL’s CEO Reportedly Leading Verizon/Yahoo Talks, Yelp’s Earnings Leak Early
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Verizon Said to Enlist AOL CEO Armstrong to Explore Yahoo Deal (Bloomberg)… Yelp’s Earnings Report Leaks, Reveals CFO Is Stepping Down (Fast Company)… Factual Enables Private Marketplace Deals with InMobi, Rubicon (GeoMarketing)…
How U.K.’s Trinity Mirror Negotiates the Intersection of Journalism and Local Tech
Trinity Mirror, the largest news publishing company in the United Kingdom, launched a hyperlocal mobile ad platform called pinpoint in 2014 that allows brands to send highly targeted campaigns to smartphone users. Street Fight recently caught up with the company’s director of new businesses, Matthew Colebourne, to talk about how business models for local journalism are evolving.
Is Apple Quietly Assembling an SMB Trojan Horse?
Apple is co-promoting Square’s NFC reader for SMBs. and selling the readers in Apple Stores. The $49 reader accepts Apple Pay, which significantly lowers the barrier for SMBs to get in the game. The move should boost Apple Pay, but there also may be much bigger ambitions to lock in market share in new areas.
Sponsored Content: One Fitness Brand Flexes Mobile Muscle to be Found by Local Customers
Growth in health and fitness related apps is 87% faster than other industries and because of the New Year, overall search traffic is at a high. We compared 24-Hour Fitness and L.A. Fitness to see which brand could best KO Local.
Street Fight Daily: Bing Emphasizes Local With Updated Mobile App, Investors Bet Blind on Uber
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Bing’s New App Focuses on Finding Deals, Local Offers (TechCrunch)… Deal Shows Investors Are Willing to Make a Blind Bet on Uber (New York Times)… Yelp Needs Some Help (Wall Street Journal)…
Street Culture: Parking App SpotHero and Employees Working Out the Kinks
SpotHero, an on-demand app that helps drivers find parking spots, is at a turning point in its growth. The company grew from 35 employees to 75 in 2015, and is currently hiring for about 20 positions. The company is working to create policies that will keep everyone engaged and the business moving forward.
How the SMB/Local Advertising Community Can Avoid ‘Bad Ads’
Google’s recent “Better Ads” report demonstrates that while digital is a great channel for reaching consumers, a positive experience is perhaps the most crucial component of a successful ad campaign, especially for advertisers using programmatic to buy and serve their ads.
LBMA Podcast: Miami Heat Taps AisleLabs, UberRush Delivers for Nordstrom
On the show: Coors Light brings local music tastes to your ears with help from Shazam; Wells Fargo and BoA welcome ApplePay; PeopleCount launches PlacesCount; Best Buy brings in Slyce; ViaDirect partners with Broadsign; ShopperTrak launches Advanced Analytics offering; and more.
Street Fight Daily: GrubHub to Rebrand, New Stats Show Importance of Mobile to Physical Shopping
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… GrubHub Q4 Financials Show Growth as Company Plans a Rebranding (Chicago Business Journal)… More Than M-Commerce: Mobile Is Part of 46% of All Shopping Journeys (GeoMarketing)… Internet of Things Is Changing How Media and Entertainment Companies Operate (eMarketer)…
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Meta Is Automating Ads, But Brands Still Face a Bigger Problem