Here is today’s roundup of news related to local marketing and advertising, local media, technology, local commerce, consumer behavior and more.

Update Boosts Visibility of ‘Offers’ on GMB Profiles (March 5, 2019)
LSA Insider: “Online deals and discounts can have a pretty significant impact on consumer purchasing behaviors. For instance, almost two-thirds of consumers admitted that a promotion or coupon often closes a deal for them if they are undecided on making a purchase.”

Retailers spent nearly 50% of mobile ad dollars in second half of 2018 (March 5, 2019)
Marketing Land: “Retailers accounted for 49 percent of mobile ad spend share during the second half of 2018, according to a recent report from the mobile ad solution Smaato. Based on global publishers and advertisers on Smaato’s platform, the report looked at mobile ad trends across six industries: retail, media, automotive, healthcare and food and beverage.”

Voice is Rising as Medium for Local Discovery (March 5, 2019)
Street Fight: “Voice is not only booming as a search tool but also seems to be cannibalizing search volume from the medium that last revolutionized the practice of digital discovery: mobile.”

Pinterest Turns Site Into Personalized Storefronts (March 4, 2019)
MediaPost: “Pinterest on Monday introduced tools to help advertisers make it easier to sell goods on the site by allowing them to upload their full product catalogs to the website. The move turns Pinterest into a storefront for brands that allows site visitors to search and discover specific products through new buttons and icons.”

Do People Actually Want Personalized Ads? (March 4, 2019)
eMarketer: “The belief that consumers crave more targeted, personalized ads has become a digital advertising mantra. But it’s not entirely true. Sure, there are a slew of studies by trade groups and retail and marketing vendors showing that “relevant” ads increase engagement and purchasing.”