Author Archive

Why Did Amazon Axe its TikTok-Like 'Inspire' Feed

Why Did Amazon Axe its TikTok-Like ‘Inspire’ Feed?

Word came this week that Amazon is shelving its Inspire Feed. The feature – itself inspired by TikTok’s shoppability – launched in 2022 to blend Amazon-style shopping with social commerce vibes. The thought was to marry product discovery with transaction-enabled shopping – a compressed funnel.

TikTok Revs Up Local Automotive Ads

As its operational fate in the U.S. wallows in uncertainty, TikTok continues to roll out new features. The latest is a set of ad formats for promoting and selling cars.

Tiger Pistol's Latest Playbook Tackles Franchise Field Support Localogy

Tiger Pistol’s Latest Playbook Tackles Franchise Field Support

Tiger Pistol is back at it. After a string of marketing playbooks it released last year, it kicks off 2025 with the next in the series: optimizing field support for multi-location businesses. This follows playbooks on subjects ranging from multi-location campaign management to QSR loyalty programs. 

Can Caller ID Tell You Why an SMB is Calling You? Localogy

Can Caller ID Tell You Why an SMB is Calling?

Caller ID just got smarter – at least for AT&T mobile subscribers. Due to a new collaboration with TransUnion (yes, that TransUnion), AT&T customers will see not only the business calling but the reason for the call on their smartphone screen. Think of this like an email subject line for phone calls.

Local Services Propel Yelp' to Record Net Revenue

Local Services Propel Yelp to Record Net Revenue

Yelp yesterday announced Q4 and full-year 2024 earnings, including record net revenue and healthy income growth. Specifically, 2024 net revenue reached a record high of $1.41 billion. 2024 Net Income grew 34 percent to $133 million 2024, while adjusted EBITDA increased 8% to a record $358 million

vcita Lessens SMB Lost Revenue with AI Scheduling Tool Localogy

vcita Lessens SMB Lost Revenue with AI Scheduling Tool

vcita this week released a new AI-powered scheduling tool that’s meant to help SMBs manage their calendars and optimize workflow. The goal here is to offer tangible value in addressing real SMB pain points. It does this by automating a time-consuming function and lessening lost revenue.

Exit Velocity: A Conversation with Mark Kabana Localogy

Yext Acquires Places Scout to Elevate its Location Intelligence

Yext this week announced that it has acquired Places Scout. For those unfamiliar, Places Scout is a local SEO and location intelligence platform. Used throughout the local search universe, it can uncover insights about SEO and presence strategies, based on how and where businesses show up online.  

Yelp's Trust & Safety Report Has New Meaning in the Age of AI

Yelp’s Trust & Safety Report Brings New Meaning in the Age of AI

Yelp’s annual Trust & Safety report is out today. Every year, it reveals how Yelp’s local search and reviews engine works, including reliance on machine learning and human moderation to police deceptive reviews. As part of this exercise, it also quantifies its policy enforcement efforts around bad actors.

Meta's Boosts its Visual Search and Spatial Computing Road Map

Meta’s Elevates its Visual Search Aspirations

This week saw the latest clues in Meta’s beleaguered but potentially-promising spatial computing roadmap. Otherwise known as extended reality, we’re talking about the spectrum of AR, VR, and MR. These are often lumped into the gaming realm but have other endpoints, such as local commerce.  

T-Mobile Uplevels Ad Monetization, Acquires Vistar Media

What’s Behind T-Mobile’s Vistar Media Acquisition?

T-Mobile has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Vistar Media. For those unfamiliar, Vistar is a formidable ad network and adtech play in the digital out of home (DOOH) realm. This diversifies T-Mobile’s revenue mix and achieves some synergies with its core business. 

Sphere of Influence: Word-of-Mouth Aint What it Used to Be

Sphere of Influence: Word-of-Mouth Aint What it Used to Be

Based on a survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers conducted in September, a GoDaddy report signals that recommendations from family, friends, and colleagues are losing their potency, given the greater trust that’s now put in the influencer economy. 

What Does a Post-TikTok World Look Like?

What Does a Post-TikTok World Look Like?

Though there are orbiting variables that could change the fate of TikTok in the coming days, the current reality is that its “divest or die” congressional act is in effect. What will this mean for SMBs that rely on the platform?