News and Analysis
As Voice Gets Established, Brands Grapple with Implementation
Consumer demand for voice technology has never been greater, and industry heavyweights like Google and Amazon are gearing up for a platform war as they work to integrate voice assistants into virtually every area of the connected consumer’s life. But behind the scenes, many brand marketers are struggling to connect the dots and design campaigns around a technology they don’t fully understand.
Apple Takes Advantage of Facebook’s Foul Play to Make a Privacy Statement
Not only did Facebook’s “Research” app, which paid 13- to 35-year-old users $20/month to access their search history, emails, and private messages, set off every imaginable alarm on the this-will-look-bad-when-the-exposé-comes-out PR radar (one of the world’s most powerful corporations must be lacking one of those), but the app also blatantly violated the terms of Apple’s Enterprise Developer Program, which proscribes distributing apps to consumers. It probably didn’t help that Facebook was searching tweens’ data for dirt on its competitors.
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.
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
Street Fight Daily: Google’s Home Services Features Are Live, How Effective Are Digital Coupons?
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Google Plunges Into Home Services Market (Wall Street Journal)… Pitt Study Finds Location-Based Marketing a Mixed Bag (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)… Our Marketplace Obsession and Bubble (TechCrunch)…
Case Study: Georgia Candy Shop Manages Off-Site Sales with Mobile Tools
Having a product as small and portable as chocolate candy gives M Chocolat’s owners the freedom to sell outside their brick-and-mortar store. The sisters often use food festivals, local races, wine shops, and gourmet specialty stores to find new customers.
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 […]
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Meta Is Automating Ads, But Brands Still Face a Bigger Problem