News and Analysis

Street Fight Daily: Walmart Still Hungry for Startups, Kohl’s Makes Deal With Devil

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… To Keep Up with Tech Competitors, Walmart Says It Will Acquire More Startups… Amazon’s Invasion of Kohl’s Has Begun… Facebook Is Officially Rolling Out Explore, Its Alternative News Feed…

Street Fight Daily: The Importance of Attribution, Newspapers & Retailers Share Connected Fate

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Investing in the Right Measurement Tools Makes a Big Business Impact… Retail Blues Worsen, Hitting Newspapers Hard… Snapchat Ramps Up Content Deals…

Yelp Analysis Finds Bright Spots for Business Growth

A new economic outlook report released by Yelp this morning finds ample opportunity for growth for small businesses throughout the country, and particularly those located in Southeastern states. “The markets we often think of as being on the forefront of trends in food, retail and other sectors can also be the toughest for small-business success,” explains data editor Carl Bialik.

Latest Posts

Why the Future of SMB-Focused Applications Is Mobile

Although most SMB-focused applications are now web-based, the rising adoption of the smartphone as the de facto dashboard for small business owners will drive a wave of mobile applications customized for them…

What Would a Groupon Acquisition Mean for Google?

Groupon’s stock price soared Friday on speculation that Google, its onetime suitor, might make an offer for the troubled local commerce firm. It’s unfounded speculation, but an interesting thought experiment nonetheless: How could Google leverage Groupon’s assets to solidify its local commerce offerings?

7 Ways SMBs Can Use Geofencing for Targeted Advertising

Although large brands have long been reaching consumers in targeted areas through geofencing, smaller businesses have been slow to adopt this new marketing technology. Here are seven tips from the experts on how small businesses can better use geofencing to target consumers in intelligent ways…

Street Fight Daily: Square Gets a Pass, Yelp Reviewer Sued

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.Square Slides Into Apple’s Passbook With Digital Gift Cards (AllThingsD)… Yelp Reviewer Gets SLAPPed With 750K Lawsuit And Order To Alter Comments (TechCrunch)… Location-Based Search Revenue Will Reach $6B by 2017 (Mobile Marketer)…

Local TV Stations: The Sleeping Beasts in Hyperlocal News

Resting on the laurels of legacy profits only gets you so far. Just ask newspaper publishers. When you really take a good look at the local television business, it’s clear this is an industry waiting to be disrupted — and when that happens, outlets that haven’t invested sufficiently in digital won’t have much to hold onto…

PODCAST: This Week in Location-Based Marketing — Lemon Mobile

In this week’s episode, hosts Rob Woodbridge and Asif Khan look at apps that track your spouse; analytics companies that profile shoppers; and the state of the group buying business. Plus, special guest Terry Blake of Lemon Mobile…

Street Fight Daily: Tribune Resumes Journatic, Facebook Talks SMBs

A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology.Tribune Resumes Limited Usage of Journatic (Chicago Tribune)… Facebook’s Dan Levy Touts Small Business Growth: Advertisers Have Nearly Doubled Since January, Promoted 2.5M Posts (TechCrunch)… BIA/Kelsey: Deals Still Aim for $5.5B by 2016 (NetNewsCheck)…

Patch Adds COO as Leadership Change Continues

AOL’s Patch network of hyperlocal news sites has made yet another significant change at the top, naming former Westwood One operations head Steve Kalin to the newly created position of president and COO. Kalin will take responsibility for the company’s daily operations — with the advertising, finance, marketing and content functions all reporting to him…

How E-hail Apps Like Uber Could Impact the Hyperlocal Ecosystem

It’s entirely conceivable that fast-growing ranks of Uber users would not be averse to other commerce offerings that could be paid for through the phone app. In fact, these users are probably even more used to the idea of paying over the phone than people who use Google Wallet or Apple’s Passbook, neither of which has achieved wide adoption or even viral growth…

Case Study: Restaurant Focuses on Online Menus, Reservations

Jen Ziskin, co-owner of the restaurant La Morra, in Brookline, Mass., says she relies on a combination of email marketing, OpenTable, and menu management platform Locu to spur interest long before customers walk through her doors…