News and Analysis
Despite AI Advances, Consumers Crave Human Interactions
Using the latest artificial intelligence technology, brands are finding new ways to streamline and automate the customer experience. But a new report shows that type of streamlined experience might be the exact opposite of what consumers actually want when they interact with their favorite brands.
Commentary
What Local Marketers Can Learn From the Trials of Google Plus
With Google’s recent announcement that Google Plus will be decoupled from YouTube and other services, industry watchers are predicting that this may be the beginning of the end for the social network. Here are a few lessons a local marketer might learn from the social network’s challenges.
How SMBs Can Respond to the ‘Uber Effect’
If the past 15 years have taught us anything, it’s the resilience of brick-and-mortar businesses. Effective enterprises sense and respond to change by incorporating new technology and business models while relying on their distinct advantages, such as face-to-face service and distinctive ambience.
Latest Posts
#SFSW15 VIDEO: Deep Linking Will Solve Some — But Not All — of Mobile’s Problems
With mobile now accounting for the majority of Google searches, it’s fair to say that the mobile majority has arrived. But the platform still lacks some of the infrastructure that helped the web spawn two decades of unparalleled growth — namely, the ability to easily move from app to app. But a technology known as […]
Case Study: Using Pre-Order Apps to Streamline Lunch Operations
Given its location in the mid-Market area of San Francisco, Alta CA has a unique clientele. The bustling neighborhood restaurant has customers who are willing to try out the latest apps and services, and as a result it’s become a sort-of testing ground for hyperlocal marketing solutions…
What the Rise of Slack and HipChat Mean for Small Business
On the surface these messaging app seem to offer businesses better internal communication. In reality their value is rooted in real-time, contextual streams of business data within an environment that invites collaboration. That’s a fancy way of saying these are chat apps with loads of integrations…
Street Fight Daily: Verve Mobile Buys Beacon Startup, MindBody Files for IPO
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Mobile Wallets, Smart Coupons, And iBeacons: Verve Mobile Acquires Fosbury (VentureBeat)… Wellness Startup Mindbody Isn’t the Cure for This Ailing IPO Market (Pando)… Google’s Amazing Location-Aware Search Finds Answers About Nearby Places (Search Engine Land)…
Street Fight Daily: Apple’s New Software, Facebook Hands Out Beacons
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… With New Software, Apple Looks to Bring Together Local Search and Commerce (Street Fight)… Facebook Is Handing Out Free Beacons to Retailers (Recode)… Google Capital-Backed Thumbtack Hit With Manual Action For Unnatural Links (Search Engine Land)…
Beyond Likes: Win Hearts with Emotional Marketing