News and Analysis

6 Customer Data Platforms for Brands

Customer data platforms dominated the conversation at the MarTech Conference in California earlier this month, as marketers shared how theyโ€™ve been able to pull data from multiple sources, combine that data into single customer profiles, and then make that data available to other marketing systems.

With so much hype surrounding customer data platforms right now, we decided to dig into the market and learn about some of the hottest players in the space. Hereโ€™s what we found.

Voice-Readiness Study Indicates Vast Majority of Businesses Fail Basic Listings Test

It only takes listing correct and comprehensive information on Google, Yelp, and Bing for a brand or small business to earn 90% on location management solution Uberall’s voice search readiness test. Yet only 4% of the businesses in the company’s latest study, which examined the voice preparedness of 75,000 listings, had correct info on all three of those major directories.

Government Regulation Is Marketers’ Most Common Concern About Data-Driven Initiatives

Changing political headwinds and increased media attention on data collection and privacy are apparently rattling marketers, who named government regulation as an obstacle to data-driven campaigns more than any other single factor. That’s per a survey of U.S. marketers byย Winterberry Group and the Interactive Advertising Bureau, eMarketer reported.

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 itโ€™s important to associate their campaigns with local media and content.

Pokรฉmon Go and Local: Why Now?

The lesson from the phenomenon isn’t for local tech companies to try and build the next Pokรฉmon Go โ€” but rather to build a similarly justifiable value exchange for sharing location. Advertisers and ad networks should likewise work with apps that have that higher likelihood of user opt-in.

Why Local Businesses Should Embrace Google’s New Rich Answers

If you’re concerned about attracting customers through SEO content, you likely have mixed feelings about the recent enhancements made by Google to improve user experience. But here are three ways that Rich Answers can actually improve the quality of your web traffic.

Latest Posts

5 Tools for Display Ad Creation and Distribution

Programmatic-driven ad spend is expected to reach $14.2 billion worldwide this year. However, research by AppNexus indicates 97 percent of programmatic campaigns still lack targeted creative for individual audience segments. To satisfy this need, more hyperlocal vendors now are creating tools that businesses can use to generate targeted ad content without hiring their own in-house teams. Here are five tools for display ad creation and distribution.

Street Fight Daily: Google Gets Mobile Support from Facebook, Apple Maps Adds Foursquare Data

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Google Gets Surprise Ally in Mobile-App Search Push: Facebook (Wall Street Journal)… Foursquare Joins Apple Maps Data Sources as Company Builds Out Ecosystem (Search Engine Land)… Uber Is Creating a Ride-Sharing Mesh Network with Its New ‘Destinations’ Feature (The Next Web)…

Retail, Restaurants, and Roofers: Where Does On-Demand Work (and Not)?

A year into the on-demand revolution, the question persists: Where’s it going next? So far, it’s gone into nearly every local vertical, but there are still areas with the right conditions for on-demand models to take root, some of which remain underdeveloped. These include higher-end professional services like lawyers and doctors, project-based work like design and writing, and, of course, SMBs, especially when it comes to local marketing and advertising.

Report: Executive Survey on Hyperlocal Tech and Tactics

What’s on the mind of technology and marketing suppliers targeting the connected local economy? They’re keen on mobile โ€” perhaps too keen โ€” but struggling with their own companies’ brand awareness. The dichotomy between small businesses and national chains that sell locally is profound, and presents difficult challenges in scaling to support either, let alone both, according to Street Fight Insights analysis.

Street Fight Daily: Google Partners with HomeAdvisor, New Groupon CEO’s Vision

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Google Gets Deeper into Home Services (CNBC)… New Groupon CEO Says the Local Deals Pioneer Is Undervalued, Underestimated (GeekWire)… Foursquare Has Figured Out the Hottest Restaurants Around America Right Now (Tech Insider)…

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

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

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

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

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

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.