Turning the Page | Street Fight

How Restaurants Are Using Interactive AR in 2021

February 16, 2021February 15, 2021 by Stephanie Miles

Restaurants, retailers, and other local businesses looking to engage customers in a socially-distant way are giving AR-enabled interactive experiences a try.

Commentary Theme of the Month

3 Big Tech Predictions for 2021

February 1, 2021January 31, 2021 by Adam Dorfman

Welcome to 2021: another year where everything will change faster than ever. Speed will define the year, as it did in 2020. Consumer behavior is rapidly shifting, and the big tech firms that define the e-commerce landscape are becoming more agile as a result. Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google aren’t going to slow down even […]

Commentary Theme of the Month

Digital Advertising’s Big Moves in 2021

January 28, 2021January 27, 2021 by Patrick O’Leary

2020 was a challenging year for digital advertising, and there’s no reason to think 2021 won’t be as well. The industry is facing several issues, including privacy and cookies, ad tech dominance and ad fraud. And they’re all coming to a head now. With that in mind, here are five big moves I anticipate this […]

Commentary Theme of the Month

Predictions Roundup: Organic Search and Cookie Deprecation

January 28, 2021February 2, 2021 by The Editors

Experts assess changes to local search and location marketing in the wake of Google search updates, privacy changes, and cookie depreciation.

Commentary Theme of the Month

5 Digital Transformation Steps for Retailers in 2021

January 27, 2021January 26, 2021 by Nikki Baird

Retailers need to prioritize digital transformation. They should focus on omnichannel acceleration, inventory transparency, and customer communication.

News & Analysis Theme of the Month

Brick-and-Mortars Pivot to Logistics, Entertainment

January 27, 2021February 3, 2021 by Stephanie Miles

Brick-and-mortar retailers are using storefronts as warehouses, logistics hubs, and entertainment venues in the wake of Covid-19 disruption.

Commentary Theme of the Month

Google’s Ads Data Hub Should Be on Every Marketer’s Radar

January 26, 2021January 25, 2021 by Nick Yang

Ads Data Hub incorporates privacy by design and is first-party data-driven, which is crucial in today’s environment. It is built on a future-proof cloud architecture, meaning as technology continues to evolve, ADH will stay relevant. With all of its capabilities, ADH should be on every marketer’s radar.

News & Analysis Theme of the Month

After E-Commerce Gains, Retailers Struggle with Return Logistics

January 26, 2021January 25, 2021 by Stephanie Miles

$70.5 billion worth of holiday purchases this year are expected to be returned, and 400 million square feet of additional warehouse space could be needed just to process those returns. For retailers already facing a deluge of products coming back into their warehouses, it could already be too late.

News & Analysis Theme of the Month

Brick-and-Mortar in a Post-Covid World

January 25, 2021January 23, 2021 by Stephanie Miles

After months of shopping primarily online, and taking advantage of services like same-day deliveries and curbside pickups, can shoppers be persuaded to come back into physical stores?

Commentary Theme of the Month

Marketing in 2021: Universal ID Race and Creative Efficiency

January 25, 2021January 23, 2021 by JoAnne Monfradi Dunn

Marketing in 2021 will bring a universal ID race that The Trade Desk is leading, though Amazon DSP is a dark horse. It will also spur greater creative efficiency.

News & Analysis Theme of the Month

SMBs Seek Speedy Relief to Recover in 2021

January 22, 2021January 21, 2021 by Stephanie Miles

The Biden administration is pledging $15 billion in grants to help businesses, and $35 billion for small business financing programs, as part of its new American Rescue Plan. But many grants and recovery programs have long timelines, and business owners are saying they need more immediate support.

Commentary Theme of the Month

What Marketers Can Learn from the Mobile-First Shopping Season

January 22, 2021January 21, 2021 by Kia Saedi

Mobile commerce gained in popularity throughout the year as Covid-19 confined consumers to their homes. Marketers need actionable tips to keep up with mobile shopping trends in the year ahead.

Commentary Theme of the Month

Three Key Shifts the Tech Space Will See in 2021

January 21, 2021January 20, 2021 by Alex Farr

What we will see with voice is a gradual-but-growing diversification of product discovery beyond websites and mobile apps. And voice will increasingly be a part of the mix.

News & Analysis

Predictions Roundup: Location Consolidation and the Rise of BOPIS

January 21, 2021January 22, 2021 by The Editors

A roundup of top digital marketing, SEO, and location intelligence experts predicts location consolidation, the re-humanization of digital marketing, and the dominance of Google My Business and new retail features such as BOPIS in 2021.

News & Analysis Theme of the Month

Why Marketers Are Prioritizing In-App Notifications in 2021

January 20, 2021January 19, 2021 by Stephanie Miles

According to a survey by the cross-channel marketing platform Iterable, in-app and push notifications are primed for a jump in utilization in 2021, as marketers look for smarter ways to take advantage of the boost in mobile usage among consumers during the pandemic.

Commentary Theme of the Month

3 Ways SMBs Can Beat Competitors With Tech in 2021

January 20, 2021January 19, 2021 by Kami Hoss

As Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff recently put it, digital experiences are no longer nice-to-have features but need-to-have services for all businesses. Let’s look at three important ways SMBs can meet this new digital imperative head on in 2021 while beating competitors down the street.

Commentary Theme of the Month

Your Flagship Store Should Be Digital in 2021

January 19, 2021January 18, 2021 by Mike Willoughby

The customer experience must be the central tenet for all brands in 2021. The retail changes that occurred in 2020 have made e-commerce the highest and most important expression of your brand. A digital-first approach to retail is now required to create frictionless experiences across channels.

Commentary Theme of the Month

CDPs and Martech M&A in 2021

January 19, 2021January 18, 2021 by Dan MacKeigan

Ad and martech companies will thrive this year by leveraging their ability to provide brands and advertisers with new strategies to win in a post-Covid environment. CDPs will become the new DMPs and CRMs, and M&A will accelerate.

Commentary Theme of the Month

Reflections on 2020 in Local: Innovation by Necessity

January 15, 2021January 15, 2021 by Bill Dinan

From a big-picture perspective, innovative tech providers are recognizing that SMBs don’t need all the bells and whistles that may come with an enterprise solution. They need tech that solves critical everyday problems that are common across the local landscape.

Future Finders (column) News & Analysis Road Map (column) Theme of the Month

Can Immersive Marketing Boost Local Businesses?

January 14, 2021January 14, 2021 by Mike Boland

One of the emerging technologies driving innovation amid Covid is AR. For example, its ability to add real-life interactivity to e-commerce gained traction in 2020. This could extend to a post-Covid world of “touchless” retail for in-aisle virtual product interaction.