News and Analysis
These 6 Location Data Providers Are Changing the Way Brands Target Consumers
Location data providers power the vast majority of mobile targeting strategies we’re seeing brand marketers implement today. An incredible 80% of marketers say they plan to boost their use of location data over the next two years, and in the U.S. alone, it’s expected that location-based advertising spend will reach $38.7BN by 2022. In order to achieve those goals, marketers will have to work closely with top location data providers. Here are six companies they’ll be working with.
At Retail Conference, Google Dangles Shiny New Visual Ad Format
The visual-first ads are here. Google announced at the retail conference Shoptalk on Wednesday that it is launching shoppable ads in image search, propelling the search giant into the center of the visual zeitgeist that has made Pinterest, Instagram, and Snapchat hot targets for advertisers.
Native Ad Industry Booms, Capitalizing on Hunger for Ads That Don’t Look Like Advertising
Native ad firm AdYouLike is staking its reputation on the assumption that the ads you like may not look like ads. That bet appears to be paying off, as a report from the firm shows the native ad industry set to grow to $400 billion by 2025, a 372% jump from the projected size of the market in 2020.
Commentary
Survey: Many Opportunities to Connect Local Media With National-to-Local Marketers
National brands and retailers remain wedded to traditional media and marketing for their local branches, franchises, and resellers. However, they are increasing their spending on digital channels, and over half of them feel it’s important to associate their campaigns with local media and content.
Latest Posts
Street Fight Daily: Yahoo to Discuss Selling Internet Business, Google’s New Pinterest-Like Feature
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Yahoo Board to Weigh Sale of Internet Business (Wall Street Journal)… Google Turns Image Search into Pinterest with New ‘Collections’ Feature (TechCrunch)… Uber Teams with Enterprise to Let Drivers Rent Cars for Ride-Sharing (Denver Business Journal)…
Case Study: Restaurant Increases Visit Frequency with Mobile Ordering Option
Cold-calling techniques have a notoriously low success rate for hyperlocal vendors trying to onboard new merchants, but it was an unsolicited drop-in that led to The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen’s successful three-year relationship with ChowNow, an online ordering system and marketing platform for restaurants.
Holiday Weekend a Big Win for Mobile
If U.S. consumers proved reluctant to spend their Thanksgiving holiday in stores, they demonstrated few qualms about shopping online. Digital commerce was up significantly from 2014 levels. The momentum continued into Black Friday, which also saw brick-and-mortar spending reach its highest totals since 2012. The biggest winner over the holiday weekend was mobile: Its share of website traffic and online sales reached record highs.
LBMA Podcast: Western Union and WeChat Partner for Money Transfers, Carvana to Sell Cars in Vending Machines
On the show: Western Union partners with WeChat for money transfers; Carvana to sell cars through vending machines; Millennial Media working with Rentrak to match TV ad viewing with mobile; RedBox offers free movie rentals for “America’s Movie Night;” National Geographic launches “Find Your Park, Love Your Park.” Plus, news from SenionLab; Gravy + ROIchecker; RoamingAround; Google + Virgin America; and Oxfam America + xAd.
4 Ways You Can Use Google’s Search Analytics Report
Life has not been easy for SEO specialists and webmasters the past few years. Despite Google’s obvious good intentions, the updates it has rolled out, starting with Panda and continuing through to the more recent “mobilegeddon,” have made optimization more difficult for digital marketers. Google’s Search Analytics Report (SAR) is an important step in mending this relationship. Here are four tips to help you get the most out of the new SAR.
Holiday Shopping Data Roundup: $39 Billion to Be Spent Locally This Year
The holiday season isn’t just a big time of year for retail spending; it’s also a big time of year for retail spending data. The stats indicate one common trend: Purchasing is going to be more omnichannel than ever. Here’s a rundown on some key data points for this holiday shopping season.
Streets Ahead: ChatGPT, AI-Generated meta descriptions and AI Mode