News and Analysis
Street Fight Daily: A Major Ruling on Online Reviews; Local Publishers Bet on Marketing Services
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Yelp Can’t Be Forced to Take Down Allegedly Libelous Reviews… Amazon’s Will Supersize Its Second Grab-and-Go Grocery Store in Seattle… Programmatic Guaranteed: A Chance to Rethink Publisher Growth…
Street Fight Daily: Brands Unsettled by Drama at Facebook; IPG Buys Acxiom Marketing Solutions
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Brands More Skeptical of Facebook than SMBs in Wake of Controversies… Acxiom Marketing Solutions Group Sold to IPG; Future of Its SMB Listings Unclear… Gmail App Developers Have Been Reading Your Emails…
Commentary
Yext’s New ‘Pages’ and the Future of One-Stop Solutions for Small Businesses
The first large-scale technology company that can service small businesses in all of the following four industries will have the best opportunity to be the next leading hyperlocal superstar: 1) Website building, 2) email/loyalty marketing, 3) hyperlocal technology and 4) Online advertising, promotion and deal solutions…
As Digital Ascends, Is Legacy Media Becoming a ‘Sinkhole’ for Marketers?
One of the most insightful studies released this year by Boston Consulting Group found that the 23 million small businesses in the U.S. allocate only 3% of their advertising spend to digital. Larger companies spend more, but digital still comprises only 15% of their marketing budgets. Meanwhile, it’s clear that the effectiveness of digital media has surpassed that of legacy — and it’s no longer even close. So marketers are spending the vast majority of their budgets on media that consumers are no longer engaging with…
How Reviews and Ratings are Driving Local Search
Despite the tremendous amount of press we have seen on fake reviews, ongoing interest in reviews by consumers and local search providers make it clear that these services aren’t going away. As platforms give reviews more importance and improve their ability to filter out fake ones — and government officials crack down on dishonest practices — consumer trust and use of reviews can only be expected to grow. This trend will continue to increase the impact they have on local businesses…
Latest Posts
Making the Case for Ambient Services (Again)
The excitement around ambient services has faded as Highlight and others have failed to gain traction. But in many ways the ambient services that failed in 2011 and 2013 are poised for a comeback. Within the next few years, the technology will be in place to make these long sought-after scenarios a reality…
Street Fight Daily: Search’s Mobile Problem, Square Eyes Back-Office
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… First Half Ad Revenue: Search Dominates PC Ads But Not Mobile (Search Engine Land)… Square Testing New Payroll Product as Ambition Grows (Recode)… Gannett Earnings Strong, But Publishing Revenues Continue A Steep Slide (Poynter)…
Six Months After Spin-Off, Gimbal Continues to Grow
It’s been a busy few months for Gimbal, the beacon company formerly owned by Qualcomm. After being spun off from the tech giant in May, the company went on a hiring spree, bringing its team to more than 30 employees. Then earlier this month, the company entered into its first big partnership with push notification company Urban Airship…
Street Fight Daily: Foursquare’s First Brand Campaign, Apple Pay Arrives
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Foursquare’s First Brand Campaign Takes a Foodie Approach (AdWeek)… Google Releases Penguin 3.0 — First Penguin Update In Over A Year (Search Engine Land)… Square Encircled as Apple, PayPal Aim for Mobile Payments (Businessweek)…
How One Gannett Paper Is Reacting After ‘Slow Slide’ From Cost Cutting
In August of this year, the entire editorial staff at the Asheville Citizen-Times was required to apply for re-employment in a reorganization with new job descriptions. Executive Editor Josh Awtry told readers: “It would have been easier to change nothing in the way we operate … but we weren’t ready to accept that fate.” Here, Awtry details for Street Fight his team’s major changes…
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