News and Analysis

Innovation Pays Off for Nation’s Biggest Retailer

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Walmart posted strong sales in Q3, suggesting that its determination to compete with Amazon by investing in cutting-edge, tech-driven approaches to retail is paying dividends. Read on for some of the top trends Walmart is capitalizing on.

The Secret to Alibaba’s Singles Day Success? Brick-and-Mortar

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We’ve all heard by now that Alibaba’s Singles Day—think of it as the Chinese Prime Day—shattered sales volume records, recording over $30 billion in revenue for Jack Ma’s retail giant. What you haven’t heard is that brick-and-mortar retail played a key role in that windfall.

Infographic: Cyber Monday Goes Mobile

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Smartphones are gaining momentum as the preferred platform for Cyber Monday shoppers. Consumers have their smartphones with them everywhere they go, including work, making it essential for retailers to have a winning mobile marketing strategy.  

Commentary

Did Apple Just Solve Deep Linking?

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One of the coolest things to come out Apple’s September product event was 3D Touch, which lets users indicate levels of intent based on how hard they press apps and links. Beyond the gadgetry of 3D Touch, one thing hasn’t been said: This is essentially deep linking, an area that will be a key battleground in local. 3D Touch could preempt the deep linking dilemma by peeking deep within other apps — a lighter and more elegant solution I’m calling “deep previewing.”

How the Marketing of SMB Marketing Services is Evolving

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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.

Executive Survey: What’s Hot and What’s Not in the Connected Local Economy

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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.

Latest Posts

Beacons Reaching Millennial Moms — But Are They Motivating Them to Buy?

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A new report from beacon proximity platform inMarket indicates that millennial moms in the U.S are getting the beacon message — literally — with more than 38 percent (or 3.4 million out of 9 million) actively using beacon-enabled apps every month.

Street Fight Daily: Yelp’s Struggles Continue, New App Bizibid Wants to Boost Local Economies

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Yelp Traffic Could Decline for the First Time Ever After Google Changed its Search Algorithm (Business Insider)… What Would Happen If Uber, Priceline, and Craigslist Had a Baby? (New York Observer)… Microsoft’s Tossup App Makes it Easier to Meet Your Friends for Lunch (The Verge)…

What Merchants Need to Know About Apple Pay and Loyalty Apps

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Having provided a window into the future of Apple Pay and Wallet, Apple recently left small businesses wondering about how to adapt their mobile strategies to stay competitive. Here’s how the changes could affect merchants.

Local News Sites Need More Than Funding — They Need Vision

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Community news vet Steven Waldman has produced “Report for America,” a brisk blueprint to save what he calls “civically important” news. But if publishers are really going to save local news, they should work on deepening their focus on the demographic shifts in their communities…

Street Fight Daily: Buy Buttons’ Impact, 7-Eleven Launches One-Hour Delivery

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… New, Simple ‘Buy’ Buttons Aim to Entice Mobile Shoppers (New York Times)… Twitter Introduces New Audience Insights for Brands (Twitter)… 7-Eleven Launches One-Hour Delivery in US (RetailWeek)…

Street Fight Daily: Yelp Sale Stalls, Twitter’s New Ads Button

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Yelp Sale Process to Stall as Founder Decides to Wait (Bloomberg)… Twitter Pushes Ads With A New Button Atop Mobile Users’ Profiles (TechCrunch)… An Argument that Newspapers are Missing Out on Reaching Loyal, Local Digital Audiences (NiemanLab)…

Square Launches Payroll, Expanding Suite of Services for Small Businesses

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As part of its push to become a comprehensive platform for small businesses, Square has launched a new payroll management service. The product is targeted particularly at SMBs that pay employees on an hourly basis, but it can also be used for those that have salaried staff.

Openings & New Hires at Lyft, Yext, Twitter, Uber, Invoca & more

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In this week’s column, Twitter sees more high-level departures; Yext brings on a CMO from Salesforce; Lyft acquihires; Uber gets Bing employees; Invoca names a new CEO; and more. Find out what’s behind the moves…

LBMA Podcast: PayPal and Uber, Foursquare’s Mayor Mea Culpa

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On the show: tools, services and technologies that will make your summer vacation better – no babysitting included. Stories about: Google Photos; the KeepTrax app; Google’s Sidewalk Labs; Trending places on Instagram; Samsung’s safety truck; and the Space Case 1

Street Fight Daily: PayPal Acquires Xoom, ReachLocal Could Extend Yahoo Partnership

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… ReachLocal In Talks To Extend Yahoo Partnership Into Gemini Native Ads (Search Marketing Daily)… Zozi Raises $30 Million in Financing (New York Times)… Google Highlights Low Prices, Mimicking Amazon (Wall Street Journal)…