News and Analysis

Structuring a Team and Creating Transparency in the Midst of Company Chaos

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Neil Sweeney has lots of opinions about how to run a company, especially a newer, smaller one. The founder and CEO of beacon network company Freckle IoT, says that it’s about putting the right people in the right places.

Street Fight Daily: Uber Grows Despite Scandals, Facebook Expands Messenger Ads

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal publishing, marketing, commerce, and technology… Uber Sees Financial Growth and Possible Waymo Settlement… Facebook Globally Tests Injecting Display Ads into Messenger Inboxes… Ikea’s Back-to-School Campaign Uses Influencers on Snapchat to Target Millenials…

Survey of Brand Retailers Highlights Accelerated Adoption of AI-Powered Marketing

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A new survey sheds light on how major brands are investing in artificial intelligence and what decision-makers in the retail and e-commerce industries should be doing to better harness the technology.

Latest Posts

Investment Newsletter Sees Data Loop Closing, M&A Levels up 186%

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The June issue takes a look at content economics issues in hyperlocal on the heels of Tribune’s deal with Journatic; evaluates the rush to self-serve by giants like Google and Facebook; the point-of-sale heat; and unpacks the M&A and investment activity in the month of May. Read excerpts from the issue.

CityMaps Expands to Boston, Continues Move Toward Customization

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Even before CityMaps expanded from a Web-only beta to mobile in mid-March, developers behind the social maps provider expressed a desire to excel not only in search, but also browsing. With the updated website and version 2.0 of its iOS application released earlier this morning, the company has continued toward that goal, adding featured maps, new Discovery Bar functions and mobile directional navigation…

Can Local Save Mobile Ads?

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Oversupply of ad inventory on mobile could lead to the kind of runaway commoditization of display ads that developed on desktop over the past decade. The result: tanking CPMs. So how do we avoid that in mobile?

What Hyperlocal Publishers Need to Know About Accepting Political Ads

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As the fall elections approach, hyperlocal publishers must ensure they comply with federal regulations that govern political advertisements. Most political advertisements must include some form of a disclaimer explaining who paid for the ad and whether it was approved by a candidate…

Street Fight Daily: Foursquare’s Revamp, Loyalty Programs

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology...

Foursquare Looks to Shift From Gaming Novelty to Essential Tool (Adweek)…

Hyperlocal Journalism Fosters a Greater Sense of Community Among Readers (Guardian)…

Media Companies Poised for Deals Growth (NetNewsCheck)…

Local Businesses Plot Expansion Via Crowdfunding

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Even before the passage of the JOBS Act in early April, SMBs across the country were increasingly turning toward crowdfunding websites such as Indiegogo to facilitate expansion. Now, with the law on the books and pressure on the SEC to finalize regulations around it in the next seven months, some foresee crowdfunding, not venture capital, grants or loans, as the next innovative way to stimulate local business and job creation…

Tackable Team Introduces New Hyperlocal App to Crowdsource Events

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With Eventster, the developers at Tackable are hedging their bets on the belief that events discovery, not a down economy or general apathy, is the main reason why approximately 40 percent of industry tickets go unsold. To more effectively target users, the application will, over time, recommend events based on past preferences, in addition to location.

Street Fight Daily: Netherlands Hyperlocal Success, Mobile Adwords

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A roundup of today’s big stories in hyperlocal content, commerce, and technology...

In the Netherlands, a Patch-like Hyperlocal Network Is Nearing Profit (Nieman Lab)…

Dennis Crowley On Reinventing Foursquare (TechCrunch)…

Google’s AdWords System Goes Mobile (Forbes)…

PODCAST: This Week in Location-Based Marketing — ScreenScape Networks

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In this week’s episode, hosts Rob Woodbridge and Asif Khan look at new Wifi-blocking wallpaper, Verizon’s $612M bet on Hughes Telematics. Groupon gets into the food ordering business and we love our Guiness – even more with QR codes. Plus, our special guest Mark Hemphill of ScreenScape Networks and our resource of the week from the FCC…

LevelUp Adds $12 Million in New Funding

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SCVNGR’s mobile payments platform is getting another big boost. The maker of LevelUp, an app that links credit and debit cards to mobile phones, has announced that it has raised an additional $12 million from Highland Capital, Google Ventures, Balderton Capital, Continental Investors, and Transmedia Capital. The latter two companies are new investors…