News and Analysis

Street Fight Daily: Amazon Rolls Out Free Whole Foods Deliveries, Google Sells Zagat

Share this:

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Amazon Rolls Out Free Whole Foods Deliveries for Prime Members in San Francisco & Atlanta… Google Is Selling Off Zagat… SMB OS Operators, Part I: Upserve…

SweetIQ Report Highlights Influence of Local Tech on Media Mix

Share this:

Whereas in previous years the goal for businesses was simply to be “found” online, multi-location brands now have to contend with “being chosen” in an incredibly crowded omnichannel space.

Street Fight Daily: Legacy Retailers Struggle on Social, Insecurity Over Consumer Location Data

Share this:

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Can Traditional Clothing Retailers Compete with Digital-Native Brands on Instagram?… SweetIQ Report Highlights Influence of Local Tech on Media Mix… Consumers’ Location Data Is Being Sold Without Their Knowledge…

Commentary

History’s 3 Hints for the Future of Daily Deals

Share this:

The CEO of Tippr thinks Groupon’s success will legitimize the daily industry, encourage other players to stay in the game, and open an opportunity for a top deal commerce technology provider to take the market lead…

What Publishing History Tells Us About Sustainable Hyperlocal News

Share this:

The consistent market opportunity to provide relevant information at a community level dates back thousands of years, and it grows with each technological innovation. Yes, the tools have changed, but with each level of innovation a feasible business opportunity exists…

The Environmental Upside of Hyperlocal E-Commerce

Share this:

Operators of hyperlocal e-commerce platforms provide small businesses an online distribution channel so consumers can shop locally and reduce the carbon footprint of what they consume…

Latest Posts

What Local Causes and Businesses Can Learn From #GivingTuesday

Share this:

Building the advocate network for #GivingTuesday simply entails authorizing and amplifying the social media feeds of #GivingTuesday partners, who were receptive, and often enthusiastic to act as local voices for the movement. The same methodology would be used to develop advocate networks for any cause, by providing a simple means to give local influencers and organizations a way to reach their constituents…

Street Fight Daily: Applebee’s Serves Tablets, Digital Wallets Still Lackluster

Share this:

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology.Applebee’s To Serve Tablets At Every Table (USA Today)… Many Consumers Aware Of Digital Wallets, Fewer Use Option (Media Post)… Main Street Sees $5.7B In Sales On ‘Small Business Saturday’ (New York Post)…

As Digital Ascends, Is Legacy Media Becoming a ‘Sinkhole’ for Marketers?

Share this:

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…

10 Strategies for Choosing the Right Loyalty Incentives

Share this:

Although there are no right and wrong answers when it comes to structuring rewards in a loyalty program, there are some overarching guidelines that merchants should follow to ensure their programs remain profitable. Here are 10 tips from experts in the space on how merchants can ensure they aren’t giving away too much (or too little) in their loyalty programs…

Street Fight Daily: Amazon’s Drone Delivery, Online And Offline Retail Face Off

Share this:

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology.Amazon’s Drones for Deliveries (Wall Street Journal)… Online and Offline Stores Duke It Out This Week (New York Times)… Cyber Mundane: Why Online Shopping Is Overhyped, And What Brands Should Focus On Instead (TheNextWeb)…

Will ‘Indie’ Hyperlocals Go for National Marketers’ Goodies?

Share this:

Most publishers of independent hyperlocal news sites steer clear of national ads. They think messages from national brands can be a jarring presence on a page with neighborhood news or ads for the local yoga center and pizza parlor. They also don’t like the low rates that have often come with national ads. But fast-developing changes in national digital ad marketing have buyers dangling premium rates for high-value placements…

#SFSNYC VIDEO: The Next Billion-Dollar Exit in Hyperlocal

Share this:

With Google’s acquisition of Waze earlier this year, local tech is back in the limelight. During a panel at Street Fight Summit in New York last month, Matt Turck of First Mark Capital, Ben Siscovick of IA Ventures, and Jason Klein from OnGrid Ventures discussed where the best investing opportunities are these days in the local…

LBMA Podcast: Placecodes, Pinterest, Shopkick and Verve Mobile

Share this:

On the show: Placecodes helps you find your Friendly’s ice cream; Macy’s deploys ShopBeacon from ShopKick; PlaceIQ announces PIQ and PreVisit; Pinterest adds Place Pins; Bombsquare opens your city to virtual war against real friends; Philips and Desso create light transmissive carpet…

Street Fight Daily: Retailers Embrace Showrooming, Pinterest Pins Main Street

Share this:

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology.Retailers Seek Partners in Social Networks (New York Times)… Pinterest Piques Interest On The High Street (Financial Times)… Surprise: Everyone Hates Working for the 22-Year-Old’s Mystery Startup (Gawker)…

How Reviews and Ratings are Driving Local Search

Share this:

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…