News and Analysis
Privacy, Poor Management, and Sex Scandals Can’t Touch the Duopoly’s Ad Growth—Yet
It will likely take a significant downturn in spending or overall economic well-being for Big Tech to feel some major financial pain. And while great for Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple, that’s got to be concerning for industry watchdogs wondering whether these businesses are too entrenched in digital search, advertising, and commerce to be challenged—because the past year was not hot for Silicon Valley, and yet the presses keep printing dollars.
Williams-Sonoma Sues Amazon, Underscoring War Over E-Commerce Monopolization
Foreshadowing a battle over Amazon’s overwhelming control of e-commerce, Williams-Sonoma filed a lawsuit against Amazon in the final days of 2018, charging that the retail juggernaut used its market power to copy the furniture maker’s products and squeeze it out of the market.
Facebook to Integrate Technical Infrastructure of WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger
While the move indeed indicates that Facebook’s chief executives are looking to centralize acquired properties that once operated with relative autonomy, the integration also marks a response to growing concerns over user privacy. Under this new technical configuration, all the messaging platforms will be endowed with end-to-end encryption, warding off the possibility that people other than those taking part in conversations will ever read messages sent on the platforms.
Commentary
Is Uber Paving the Way Toward Verified Consumer Reviews?
In an atmosphere where fake reviews are all too easy to create, we need tools that help distinguish real opinions from garbage. Moving beyond the limitations of data algorithms, fact-based approaches hold out the promise of grounding review services in observable truth.
For Brick and Mortar to Beat Ecommerce, It Takes Mind, Body, and Spirit
While many onlookers think that increased comparison shopping, faster and cheaper delivery options like drones, and the convenience of shopping at home equal doom for physical stores, the reality is that the economy (like the people behind it) is largely driven by the irrational.
As Local Search Behavior Evolves, Marketing Spending Will Follow
Merchants and marketers have to be findable and present useful information regardless of the searcher’s context. And that’s where the mechanics of local search marketing get messy. It feels like a great opportunity for tools and managed services that help break down those silos, and measure effectiveness across or between them.
Latest Posts
Openings and New Hires at LivingSocial, GrubHub, and RetailNext
Every two weeks, Geoff Michener covers some of the latest job changes taking place in this dynamic industry. In this week’s column, Borrell Associates ups its research director, eBay names a new CMO, and RevMob appoints a co-CEO.
LBMA Podcast: Sensewhere Partners With Tencent, DoubleDutch Raises $45M
On the show: Wrapify wants to pay you when you drive your car; Latis works on smarter notifications; Intellibins locates recycling for New Yorkers; Ahlens of Sweden uses Instagram in a unique way; and ClearChannel promotes Humans TV show in airports.
Street Fight Daily: Square Introduces Mobile Appointments, SF Wants Uber’s Data
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Here’s Why Square Appointments for Mobile is a Big Deal (The Next Web)… SF Seeks Uber Data as Company Touts Commitment to Urban Transit (Recode)… Blink and You Miss It: How Brands Can Capture an Audience in Seconds (Linkedin Pulse)…
How Hospitality Brands Balance Global and Local in Their Marketing
Hotel brands face a marketing conundrum: Though they may be national or global brands, the average consumer experiences them on a local basis. So how should global hospitality brands manage this split?
LION’s DeRienzo: Programmatic Ads Will Be Part of ‘Indie’ Future
Matt DeRienzo, the interim executive director of the Local Independent Online News publishers ‘ association, is getting ready for what looks like a strong annual conference in Chicago this fall. We caught up with him to talk a bit about the state of “indie” local publishing.
Street Fight Daily: Android Pay Launch Date Still Unknown, PlaceIQ Bridging Online-Offline
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Contrary To Reports, Android Pay Not Launching This Week (TechCrunch)… Let’s Get Physical: PlaceIQ Chips Away At Online/Offline Attribution (AdExchanger)… Succeeding In Mobile Advertising: The Journey Begins (Marketing Land)…
Street Culture: SweetIQ Empowers Employees to Drive Independent Progress
Non-structured employee bonding opportunities help provide a new perspective on topics that have often already been discussed at length in meetings and via email. Sometimes the best results happen naturally as employees form relationships with each other outside of work.
Why Mobile Could Make or Break Your Back-to-School Campaign
The school year is right around the corner, which means that back-to-school shopping is already in full swing. Aside from the holidays, back-to-school is the second-largest selling season, so if retailers are not participating, they’re missing out. To be successful this school year, you need to know what trends are affecting how consumers are finding […]
Street Fight Daily: Amazon Tests Restaurant Deliveries, Etsy Highlights Local SMBs
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Amazon Is Quietly Testing a Plan to Take On GrubHub (Business Insider)… Etsy’s Updated Mobile App Lets You Locate Local Artisans (The Next Web)… Lyft Kills Off HotSpots as Uber Launches Copycat ‘Smart Routes’ Service (Recode)…
Moasis Debuts New Ad Platform, Seeks to Connect With Consumers’ Context
Today the company is debuting Moasis for Advertisers, which promises a one-stop shop for collecting and predictively analyzing valuable location-related data like weather, nearby events, and traffic. “Programmatic and mobile are virtually synonymous today,” said Moasis CMO Eric Nielsen.
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Meta Is Automating Ads, But Brands Still Face a Bigger Problem