Android App SwiftKey publicly launched today to compete with Swype and other assisted typing tools by essentially creating predictive text on crack. It has done this by creating a machine learning engine that goes much further than the (highly annoying…
Mobile ad network Millenial Media has posted its August S.M.A.R.T. report, which spotlights trends in mobile advertising and commerce based on activity across its network (both actual campaigns and network data). The latest release centers on mobile retail advertising and buying…
The Canadian publisher DirectWest has teamed up with VendAsta to enter the hot group buying space.The new service will be called Mysaskdeals, and it is reportedly the first of its kind in Saskatchewan. “We are very excited about this new…
As reported over the past 24 hours, mobile local ad network WHERE has announced reaching 1 billion impressions. In the same press release, it announced that 11 percent of clicks on its network result in calls or directions to local…
Scheduling is seen as the next wave of online marketplace services for SMBs, encouraging sticky usage, premium features and, in some cases, highly contextual advertising. Scheduling vendors such as Agendize, Full Slate, MaxiPage and X Time are actively syndicating solutions.…
The Canadian publisher DirectWest has teamed up with VendAsta to enter the hot group buying space. The new service will be called Mysaskdeals, and it is reportedly the first of its kind in Saskatchewan. “We are very excited about this…
Angie’s List, the premium ratings and review service for home and medical services, has announced that it has raised $22.5 Million from institutional investors as it prepares for an IPO within 18 months. Investors in this round include some public…
As BIA/Kelsey's Mike Boland has detailed, Fanminder's mobile coupon platform is notable for both its simplicity of use and economical price, hallmarks that should resonate with SMBs looking to utilize mobile messaging. Fanminder's latest release, Fanminder Offers, builds off this…
AdReady is an established presence in display advertising, serving up both creative automation and media campaign buying tools for agencies, publishers and advertisers alike. The Seattle-based firm has undergone a leadership change over the past year, however, and new CEO Karl…
Thanks to all who attended and participated in last week's Directional Media Strategies conference. Lots of good content and takeaways. We posted a number of daily coverage roundups throughout the week, but here is the final roundup. All posts are tagged…
SeniorChecked.com, a Washington D.C.-area start-up targeting the $3 trillion elder-care market officially launched today. The company is working to develop SeniorChecked into a national symbol for seniors and their families to find trusted local service providers that are screened through…
What if the borderline-indecipherable cluster of characters that must be punched in to post interactive comments and make online purchases could be repackaged as clearly visible words carrying marketing slogans for brand advertisers and a new revenue stream for publishers?…
The Groupon deal-a-day model -- “no money upfront, but we’ll take up to 50 percent of the coupon value” -- has been met with high satisfaction. Groupon’s internal data show that 97 percent of participating SMBs want to do it…
The final panel of this week's DMS conference rounded up many of the things that were hot topics all week -- how to drive more consumer engagement around online local search. Group buying is clearly a hot area of development…
Vlogger Sarah Austin was in full force at this week's Directional Media Strategies conference in Dallas, shooting a series of interviews about social media. The video series was sponsored by 3L System Group and a clips can be viewed below.…
Community is key to building self-serve and upsell opportunities, believes MerchantCircle's Darren Waddell. Waddell along with Agendize's Alexandre Rambaud spoke on the "Self-Service -- It's Closer Than You Think" panel at the DMS '10 conference yesterday. MerchantCircle works with 1.3…
Carey Bunks (group VP of mobile, European Directories), Mathias Schroeder (cofounder, Adaffix), Matt Myers (CMO, Shooger) and Ivan Braiker (CEO, Hipcricket) each offer distinct advertising products for SMBs in the mobile space. They are united, however, by a shared enthusiasm…
Many have hailed Apple's iPad as a salvation for publishers, and rapid adoption unequivocally certifies that it is indeed a "killer app." But what opportunities exist for Yellow Pages providers to marry their deep content and established brands with iPad's…
Microsoft will work more closely with small businesses and interactive agencies, offering itself up as “the local operating system,” according to Randy Wootton, Microsoft Advertising VP of global search and online marketplace, who addressed BIA/Kelsey’s DMS ’10 conference today in…
As the verticalization of search spreads into explicitly local categories, new opportunities arise for publishers to partner with innovative labels that provide creative solutions targeted to specific SMB networks and niches. Jad Dunning (CEO, DriverSide) and Jim Delli Santi (CEO, LikeList) presented two…
