News and Analysis
#SFSNYC: May AI Help You? The Marketing Opportunities in Intelligent Search
Artificial intelligence is the future of search engines. Increasingly conversational, intelligent, and visual, search engines are adapting to become the centerpiece of consumer engagement, as well as a virtually new tool for marketers. Purna Virji, senior manager for global engagement at Microsoft/Bing, broke down the AI revolution in search at Street Fight Summit Wednesday.
#SFSNYC: Investors on Billion-Dollar Opportunities in Local and Where to Find Them
Long before startups become the “next big thing” the masses talk about, investors have an opportunity to use their wallets to weigh in on the prospects for those emerging companies. At Street Fight Summit Wednesday in New York, investors pointed to voice, VR and AR, and influencers as some hot topics in local investing right now.
#SFSNYC: Verve’s Mark Fruehan Talks Being a Tactician in Location-Based Advertising
Mobile and local offer huge opportunities in potential revenue to advertisers smart enough to capitalize on them. But location data will ultimately hold value for marketers only if its collection and analysis rests on accurate audience identification, said Mark Fruehan, executive vice president of enterprise platforms at Verve, at Street Fight Summit Wednesday.
Commentary
Local Search Is Becoming a Mobile Experience With a Social Layer
One of the more surprising revelations from a recent comScore study is that Facebook is now the #2 mobile app for local search, behind Google Maps. This puts it ahead of Mapquest, Bing, and Apple Maps. Yelp isn’t even in the top five. Are people really using Facebook for local search? This may seem counter-intuitive to some, but consider that Facebook is by far the most popular mobile app in the world…
In Tomorrow’s Retail Universe, the Destination Is ‘You’
Based on clues we can see all around us, it is my belief that retail, as we’ve known it for at least the last two millennia, is coming to an end. It won’t end tomorrow or next week. In fact, it will likely take at least a decade or two. But it’s very clear to me that we are coming to a tipping point and data, processing power and connectedness lie at the center of it all…
The Web Isn’t a Local Broadcast Channel, It’s a Listening Post
Let legacy media be legacy media — but get used to the idea that, in a connected world, the ability to carve out new local news niches and profit centers is based, in large part, on our ability to listen. This is not a skill widely held among those who only “distribute,” but it’s one of the keys to a successful tomorrow in the network…
Latest Posts
An Ex-Patcher Competes in Tim Armstrong’s Town
Leslie Yager, who in three years rose from freelance writer for Aol’s Patch to the local editor of the network’s Norwalk and Wilton sites, was terminated in January as part of the company’s sale to Hale Global. She turned around and, days later, launched her own news site which is already a strong competitor in her former boss’s town…
Case Study: Using Hyperlocal to Get Around Franchise Marketing Restrictions
Rather than feeling stifled by T-Mobile’s promotion restrictions, Robert Keyser, A-1 Wireless’ director of sales and operation, says he challenged himself to find a local marketing solution that would fit. T-Mobile was willing to approve his use of LoyalBlocks because the company didn’t feel that the platform would hurt their brand…
Street Fight Daily: Snapchat’s Local Play, Bonobos Raises $50M For Brick-and-Mortar
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Snapchat goes local: Firm Tests Secret ‘Stickers’ for Popular Locations (DailyMail)… Bonobos Gets $55 Million Investment to Open More Clothing Stores for Dudes (Recode)… In 2014 More Money Will Be Spent on Mobile Ads Than Newspapers, Magazines and Radio (Pando)
POS Startup Shows Cashiers Pictures of Customers Who Check-in
Revel Systems, a San Francisco-based company that makes point-of-sale software, will now notify businesses when someone has checked-in to their venue on Yelp or Foursquare. The feature offers a way to help businesses take a more proactive approach to engaging a vocal minority of users who actively share their opinions…
Unlocking the Power of Passive In-Store Data Analytics
In the world of indoor location analytics there are two types for data collection: active and passive. Retailers have embraced active data via apps and are now testing beacons — but they should also consider the value that passive location data brings to the overall understanding of consumer behavior in-store…
Street Fight Daily: Village Voice Nears Strike, eBay Kills Small Business Product
A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology…. Village Voice employees set strike deadline after negotiations break down (Poynter)… eBay Confirms Shutdown of Small-Business E-Commerce Software Products (Recode)… An Upper Limit For Apps? New Data Suggests Consumers Only Use Around Two Dozen Apps Per Month (TechCrunch)…
In OpenTable Deal, Signs of Deeper Convergence in Travel and Local
Two recent acquisitions by Priceline and TripAdvisor offer an early look into a logic that could drive a more comprehensive consolidation of the travel and local technology sectors. Many of the structures built to help visitors navigate new cities — and implicitly for marketers to reach tourists — might quickly become obsolete…
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