News and Analysis
New Hires at TripleLift, Nintex, and S4
Every two weeks, our jobs columnist Geoff Michener provides a roundup of the latest hires in the digital marketing and media ecosystems. This week’s edition also includes new hires in the roles of SVP of product, board members, and chief product officer.
Forget the Alexa-Powered Toilet. The Big Local News at CES is the Amazon Echo Auto
While it may be the Alexa-powered toilet dominating water-cooler conversation this week, the real device to look out for is Amazon’s Echo Auto, an Alexa-powered, voice-activated product that will provide all the utility of Alexa, and connections to other voice-activated devices, from the dashboard of buyers’ cars. The device, which can be requested for just $25 and is available to a limited number of consumers now, has already been requested a whopping one million times—and counting.
Big Data Helps Predict Which Brick-and-Mortar Locations Will Thrive and Fail
While the Gap says its decisions are being made based on traffic trends and profits—the brand saw a 7% decline in quarterly comparable sales—data scientists from top technology firms are working feverishly behind the scenes to use big data to predict which store closures could come next. Having a heads up on which retail locations have a high likelihood of closing could benefit those in the commercial real estate sector, as well as retail brands looking to decide on future store locations.
Commentary
Why 2016 Will Be a Big Year for iOS 9
Apple has established a new standard for conducting “nearby” searches, thanks to an enhancement to the Apple Spotlight search functionality. This moves the consumer down the path to purchase in a few significant ways, including proactive local search content and results that change by time of day.
Black Friday Weekend’s Unreported Story: The Rise of ‘Bricks and Clicks’
The mostly unreported story of Black Friday weekend is that much of the ecommerce growth came from “bricks-and-clicks” retailers, not pure-play e-tailers. The reason: Physical stores offer a critical customer experience and serve as a “brand anchor,” both of which support ecommerce for traditional retailers. Stores drive online sales because they instill a sense of confidence and trust in the consumer.
On-Demand and Deep Linking Becoming More Deeply Linked
The worlds of on-demand and deep-linking took another step closer when ride-sharing giant Uber announced a new mechanism for app developers to incorporate a button for users to request an Uber driver. Expect to see more of this kind of app integration among on-demand services, giving the market leaders greater scale and distribution.
Latest Posts
The Future of Retail: ‘In-Store Mode’ and In-Aisle Payments
Wouldn’t it stand to reason that higher receptivity to promotional messaging comes when consumers are truly in buying mode. And wouldn’t the probability of that mode be greatest when someone is in-store, as opposed to browsing Instagram on their couch?
6 Tools to Merchants Can Use to Quantify the Impact of In-Store Events
Being able to attribute offline marketing to in-store sales closes the loop for retail marketers and generates a better understanding of how various factors can impact sales.
Street Fight Daily: Stripe Scores Major Funding and Visa Partnership, eBay Shutters Delivery Service
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Stripe, Digital Payments Start-Up, Raises New Funding and Partners With Visa (New York Times)… eBay is Killing Its Local Delivery Service and Specialized Apps (The Next Web)… Why PayPal’s Independence Will Have A Huge Effect On Your Business (Forbes)…
Technical.ly Finds Big Revenues in Niche Markets Along the Mid-Atlantic
Growing quickly in five different cities along the Northeast Corridor, Technical.ly focuses its content and events on local tech startups and the personalities driving them. Its substantial revenues have put the company among the top “indie” hyperlocals.
Sponsored Content: Ad Improvements Could Strengthen Local Appeal of Costco, Sam’s Club
Members of the wholesale retail chains Sam’s Club and Costco swear by the low costs that come with buying in bulk, and locations cater their offerings to the local market. But these two companies could take a fresh look at their branding strategies and interactions with customers.
Why the Contractor-Employee Conundrum Isn’t a Fatal Liability for the On-Demand Economy
The recent California Labor Commission ruling, classifying one Uber driver as an employee has led to a lot of chatter about cracks in the business model underlying the “on-demand economy.”
Street Fight Daily: Square IPO Looms, Amazon Plans Drive-Up Grocery Stores
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Square’s Filing Turns Talk to Dorsey’s Juggling Skills (New York Times)… Amazon Planning Drive-Up Grocery Stores (Silicon Valley Business Journal)… Instagram Mobile Ad Revenues to Reach $2.81 Billion Worldwide in 2017 (eMarketer)…
So How Do We Define a ‘Small Business’ Anyway?
Small businesses pack a big punch when it comes to the economy. A working definition that most people and corporations can agree on would aid market interpretations, statistical analyses, and, of course, make it simpler for advertisers to reach the right audience.
Raise Report: New Funding for AdYapper, Cinarra Systems, Granular
Every two weeks we round up some of the biggest fundraises taking place in hyperlocal marketing, commerce, and tech. In this edition, new investments include big votes of confidence for JetSmarter, SuperAwesome, and Made.com.
LBMA Podcast: Google Gets Into Beacons, Amazon Turns 20
On the show: Spotify’s musical map of the world; Enplug’s digital signage app marketplace; CrispMedia partners with Taste Of Home for hyperlocal content in grocery stores; Swrve and Plot Projects partner; NTT DoCoMo helps us shop with our eyes. Special guest is Ian Dallimore, Director of Innovation and Digital Strategy for Lamar.
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AI Won’t Fix Advertising – It May Scale Its Chaotic Nature