News and Analysis
Amazon Plans to Set New Standard for On-Demand by Expanding 2-Hour Delivery
Amazon is planning a substantial expansion of its Whole Foods grocery stores, a move that will aim to put much of the nation’s deep-pocketed customers in range of its two-hour delivery service, Prime Now. Under the proposed changes, reported in the Wall Street Journal, Prime Now would become available from all Whole Foods stores.
What’s Visual Search, and How Will It Play Out in 2019?
While visual search isn’t exactly catching on like fire yet, its evolution is buttressed by powerful developments of late in the tech industry. Among these: smartphones are increasingly ubiquitous, more efficient, and we’re all more accustomed to using them; investment in AI from both big companies and startups is widespread, making machine vision more effective; and augmented reality (AR), a similar modality in which tech overlays graphics onto images captured via camera lens, is taking off. Below are a few ways visual search will play out in local and retail in 2019.
Voice’s Local Impact in 2018 and 2019
Street Fight’s Mike Boland explained in a white paper on voice this year that there’s a number of misconceptions regarding how the medium will play out in local search and commerce, and there’s plenty of research out there to illuminate where voice is really headed. I outline some key insights about voice as brands and SMBs alike make plans to tackle it in the months to come.
Commentary
How Data Is Poised to Significantly Transform Local Marketing
It is becoming clear that this is the year when our industry effectively leverages data integration across the marketing ecosystem. One significant aspect of this industry evolution is the injection of physical-world data with other data sets, as well as mobile. Mobile data is the glue that connects all data with the broader ecosystem.
Latest Posts
LBMA Podcast: Didi Kuaidi’s Massive Funding Round, Estimote’s Nearables, New Research from Zebra
On the show: Didi Kuaidi raises $3B, rebrands, and invests in Lyft; CartoDB raises $23m; Toshiba moves into wearables; “Drive Smart” in New York and get rewarded; Refugees Welcome helps find homes for refugees; new research from Zebra. Plus, news from Estimote, BP, Auntie Anne’s and Postmates, Marriott, and Proxama and Ubiquitous.
Street Fight Daily: Shopify Seizes on Facebook Updates, 56% of Millennials Expect Same-Day Shipping
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Shopify Opens Door for More Shopping on Facebook (Marketing Land)… If You Don’t Offer Same-Day Shipping, You’re Pissing Off 56 Percent of Millennials (Recode)… The Web-Tracking Tipping Point (TechCrunch)…
Locable Zeroes in on Marketing Solutions for Digitally Challenged Merchants
There are 28 million small businesses in America, and Locable considers all of them candidates for its expanded “Main Street for the 21st Century” marketing services. Now Locable is reaching out to those millions of small businesses through its IMPACT Marketing Suite. We caught up with Locable founder and CEO Brian Ostrovsky to talk about his new initiative.
Sponsored Content: With Banks, There’s a Brand Battle on Every Corner
This month’s Brand Battle, in conjunction with Brandify, compares the local-social engagement strategies of two of the U.S.’ largest banks: Bank of America and Chase. The contest was close on several counts, but Chase emerged as the winner, with social engagement the determining factor in this matchup.
Street Fight Daily: Google Goes After Robocallers in SEO Lawsuit, Apple Acquires Mapsense
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Google Files Suit Against SEO Firm Accused of Robocalling, Launches Complaint Center for Users (Search Engine Land)… Apple Acquires Mapsense, a Mapping Visualization Startup (Recode)… Amazon’s Prime Now Expands to L.A., Ramps Up for SoCal Grocery Deliveries (TechCrunch)…
How the Marketing of SMB Marketing Services is Evolving
The marketing of digital marketing services was once built on guarantees of leads, new customers, clicks, and the like. But when it comes to promoting small and medium-sized business (SMB) marketing products and solutions, the rhetoric and tactics have shifted. The new direction is more consultative and driven by content.
Street Fight Daily: Postmates’ Walgreens Partnership, Twitter and Square’s Election Collab
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… You Can Now Get Your Prescriptions Delivered to You Within an Hour from Walgreens (Business Insider)… Twitter Courts U.S. Presidential Campaigns with New Donations Service (Wall Street Journal)… Why Ad Blocking Is Good News for Almost Everyone (Ad Age)…
Executive Survey: What’s Hot and What’s Not in the Connected Local Economy
Preliminary results from our forthcoming executive survey suggest that industry players are investing the most in mobile, followed by data and analytics. Respondents indicated that mobile marketing and managing company websites were the biggest challenges for local merchants, along with SEO and listings management. More complete survey results will be revealed at our upcoming Street Fight Summit in New York City.
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