This morning Amazon announced a new program called “Alexa for Hospitality” as well as a partnership with Marriott to install Echo devices in hotel rooms to act as a kind of “virtual concierge.” The initial rollout will be at “select” Marriott properties (e.g., Courtyard and others in that category) later this summer. Marriott is the largest hotel chain in…
Today at the Place Conference in New York City, Stacey Gray is the Policy Counsel on the Future of Privacy Forum discussed the issues related to location data privacy. The Future of Privacy Forum is a DC-based nonprofit, working with 140+ companies, as well as academics and advocates, to develop business practices. Gray presented five…
Location data and the marketing tactics it enables like attribution, audience modeling, cross-device behavior, foot traffic analysis, etc., have come to the forefront of the digital marketing world. Similarly, a number of mergers, acquisitions and partnerships have reinforced location’s centrality. Studies also point to an increasing embrace of location from both the marketer and consumer…
Depending on your circle at the marketing and tech cocktail party, adtech is either a fast-growing game changer, or a questionable technology with serious consequences. Interestingly, this debate is largely overlooked in local marketing circles where customer data is typically lauded as the perfect vehicle to scale local targeting. However, I recently interviewed a marketer…
Any discussion about the future of location-based advertising is incomplete without an examination of privacy. Following the Congressional rollback of restrictions on ISPs’ ability to collect and sell consumer data without permission, the issue of internet privacy is once again front and center. Beyond this, the US and Europe are heading in opposite directions on…
This week we added a number of speakers to the agenda for the 2016 Place Conference coming up in Chicago, September 21 including reps from Google, PlaceIQ, Foursquare, NinthDecimal, xAd, Swirl, YP, Unacast, SIM Partners, IndoorAtlas and more. In addition, we will hear case studies from McDonald’s, Shoe Carnival, Philips Lighting, Yahoo Japan and more. The event…
Earlier this week digital presence management company Yext introduced Xone, a free (for now) beacon program for enterprises with multiple locations. However the company also intends to distribute beacons to SMBs through its affiliates and resellers. Xone will use a network of existing apps that Yext is building out to remove the need for the…
Data breach has been big news lately. And with big data dictating that more information be collected and stored, it seems inevitable the trend will continue. While some states are looking at new data breach laws, the FTC has been enforcing them for some time already. The FTC pursues some cases under specific regulations such…
The use of marketing information such as location and search history to target audiences and serve up more personalized shopping experiences has helped small businesses market more effectively and efficiently. However, some are concerned that such use risks privacy rights. A variety of legislative efforts to curb or regulate the use of marketing information have…
Beacons are sometimes misunderstood as instruments of “surveillance,” capable of tracking smartphone owners’ movements without their awareness. This is incorrect. Because of misconceptions like this, we partnered with the Future of Privacy Forum to release a simple and concise primer that explains how the Bluetooth devices work and how privacy friendly controls ensure user control….
