News and Analysis

online privacy

Consumers Willing to Forgo Privacy, For a Price

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New research indicates that consumers are actually more aware of how their personal information is being used today than they were last year, with those ages 55 and above showing the greatest level of awareness. These consumers are increasingly willing to share their personally identifiable information with brand marketers—with one caveat. They want a reward for doing it.

Alphabet Plays the Long Game, Expanding and Investing in R&D, with Focus on Video

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Alphabet is investing in its future, spending record funds on R&D and pouring money into non-core businesses such as self-driving cars (Waymo) and its video platform (YouTube). While the company exceeded analyst expectations on the back of ever-strong growth from its core search business, it was actually trading down on Monday, reflecting investor anxiety over the cost and ultimately profitability of its many secondary businesses. 

Google’s Soft-Power Approach to Super Bowl Ads

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When it came to the Super Bowl, Google opted not to put the spotlight on flashy new products but rather to emphasize the good it can do for the world at a time when it’s “don’t be evil” slogan of yore has become prime material for parody. During the big game, ads for products as seemingly disparate as Pringles, tax software, and beer pointed to a present haunted by tech’s infiltration of domestic life and machines’ superiority to humans.

Commentary

5 Steps to Identifying the Channel Partners That Will Grow Your Business

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It’s no surprise they call the golden rule of channel sales the 90/10 rule where 90% of the sales are going to come from 10% of your partners. The best approach to this problem is to come up with frameworks you can use to focus on those most likely to end up in the winner bucket.

Super Retailers Face Super Location Data Problems

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Managing location data across hundreds and thousands of locations requires dedicated resources to scale the data and change it. Just as importantly, a business must treat location data as a competitive asset, organized and managed like inventory.

Is Google Shrinking the Local Pack?

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The reduction of local search real estate represents a huge challenge to marketers, who must work even harder to ensure their clients’ listings can compete in a shrinking field. It also suggests that a strategy combining organic and paid efforts is becoming ever more important.

Latest Posts

LBMA Podcast: Starship Technologies Planning Fleet of Delivery Robots, MediaSignage Geotargets Moving Cars

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On the show: Starship Technologies is planning a fleet of delivery robots; MediaSignage geotargets moving vehicles; LISNR raises $10 million; Amazon kills Amazon Local and Amazon Register. Plus, member news from Facebook; Walgreens; Apple; Google; SweetIQ; what3words + ESRI.

Raise Report: Jet, Swrve, ClassPass Lock Down New Funding

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Every two weeks we round up some of the biggest fundraises taking place in hyperlocal marketing, commerce, and tech. In this edition, new investments include rounds for Jet, Swrve, and ClassPass.

6 Ways SMBs Can Take Better Advantage of Programmatic Ad Buying

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Automated advertising solutions that simplify media buying seem like they would be right up the small business owner’s alley, however it’s still much more common for national marketers to utilize programmatic advertising than independent merchants. Here are six strategies that small and medium-sized businesses can use to take full advantage of programmatic buying.

Street Fight Daily: The Company Rejecting Offers from Amazon and Alibaba, Drizly’s Expansion Plans

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Amazon and Alibaba Have Approached Five-Year-Old Startup Wish, But the CEO Seems to Want More (Business Insider)… Alcohol Delivery Startup Drizly Has Global Expansion Plans for 2016 (Boston Business Journal)… Shopify’s New App Sello Allows Anyone to Create An Online Store from Their Phone (TechCrunch)…

Realtors Can Recommend Their Favorite Local Businesses Using HomeKeepr

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The days of homeowners looking up a local painter or handyman in the Yellow Pages are gone. Instead, consumers are turning to review sites like Angie’s List to find the right person for the job. HomeKeepr takes a different approach. “Rather than crowdsourcing lots of reviews from strangers, we source recommendations from ‘local experts:’ real estate agents,” said co-founder and CEO Rob Morelli.

Webinar: Location-Based Marketing Strategies to Lure Holiday Shoppers

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The busiest retail season of the year is upon us, and it’s shaping up to be a good one. An upcoming free Street Fight Insights webinar, presented in conjunction with Brandify and featuring immr founder Dr. Phil Hendrix, can help local business owners and their marketing and technology partners get ready for the tide of online and foot traffic. Don’t miss out on key insights that can help make your holiday season a success.

The Price of Free Listings Revisited: A Hyperlocal Business Perspective

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The proliferation of online directories and directory services has made the local business owner’s life harder. It means more places to manage vital information and more third-party providers that control access to directories. Between the time and effort required to manage aggregators and the volume of citations, few small business owners do it themselves. As a result, the only stakeholders that truly know what information is authentic often are left out of the conversation.

Street Fight Daily: In-N-Out Burger Sues DoorDash, Uber Partners with TomTom

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… In-N-Out Burger Sues DoorDash for Delivering Its Food Without Permission (Recode)… Uber Signs Digital Mapping Deal with TomTom (New York Times)… Angie’s List Shares Surge After Company Rejects IAC Offer (USA Today)…

In Local Marketing, ‘Obsolete’ Is All Relative

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The pace of innovation is such that many new technologies are deemed “obsolete” before small business owners get the chance to fully understand them, let alone implement them in their business. Many feel left behind the curve as a result. But obsolete is not an absolute condition when it comes to marketing techniques. Where marketing tactics and technologies are underutilized, potential for competitive gains still exists.

Do You Bing? If Not, It’s Time to Start

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Microsoft recently announced that Bing turned its first profit since being launched in 2009. The company continues to extend its reach, grow its share of the search market, and add features that make it a stronger commerce tool. The question businesses should be asking is not whether Bing will catch up to Google, but whether they view Bing as a critical publisher to improve the reach of their location data.