This Week in Local

In this episode of This Week in Local, we dive into the latest tech trends from SIGGRAPH 2024, with a special focus on the keynote featuring Meta CEO, Mark Zuckerberg and Nvidia CEO, Jensen Huang.

The keynote highlighted the launch of new platforms for creating animated, human-like AI agents designed to revolutionize customer service for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).  

Mike shares his thoughts on the feasibility of wide...

In this episode of This Week in Local, we dive into the latest headlines surrounding OpenAI and its financial future. 

Mike and Charles discuss the eye-catching report that OpenAI has only 12 months of cash left unless it secures significant funding. With a potential loss of $5 billion in 2024, they explore the sustainability of OpenAI's business model and what it means for the future of AI technology.

This Week in Local is a L...

In E86, Mike and Charlie deep dive into the latest trends in venture funding, highlighting key insights from CB Insights and PitchBook. 

They explore the significant impact of AI on venture capital, discussing whether AI is propping up the funding landscape and the scrutiny AI startups face from VCs. 

The conversation also touches on the rise of deep tech and the resurgence of SaaS-based FinTech. 

This Week in Local is a Localogy p...

In E84, hosts Mike Boland and Charles Laughlin discuss the latest developments surrounding TikTok, focusing on the platform's ad spending growth and user trends. 

Mike and Charlie analyze the slowing growth rate of TikTok's ad spending and user base, pondering whether it's a result of the legislative overhang or other factors such as the influx of TikTok Shop content. They also debate if the platform's core user dem...

In E84 of “This Week in Local,” hosts Mike Bolin and Charles Laughlin dive into the evolving landscape of AI personal assistants with a focus on Ario, a Silicon Valley startup. 

Ario, backed by $16 million in funding, aims to revolutionize the concept of personal assistants by leveraging large language models (LLMs) trained on individual user data.

Mike and Charlie also discuss the importance of defensibility in AI startups, the si...

In E83 of “This Week in Local,” Localogy analysts Charles Laughlin and Mike Boland discuss the recent partnership between Shopify and Target. 

This collaboration allows Shopify merchants to gain additional exposure on target.com, providing a valuable distribution channel for small merchants. 

The hosts break down the implications of this deal for Shopify, Target, and the broader e-commerce ecosystem.

This Week in Local is a Localog...

In E82 of "This Week in Local," hosts Mike Boland and Charles Laughlin delve into the ongoing conflict between Meta and European data privacy regulators. 

They explore how Meta's efforts to deploy Meta AI in Europe have hit a roadblock due to stringent privacy laws and the pushback from regulatory bodies, particularly in Ireland. This leads to a broader discussion on the challenges big tech companies face with Europea...

In E81, we dive into Amazon's latest moves in the local advertising space. 

Co-host Mike Boland breaks down Amazon's pilot program for its sponsored display ads, revealing how it's expanding beyond traditional product advertising to include local service businesses. He discusses the involvement of key players like Hibu and Tiger Pistol and what this means for the future of local digital marketing.

The conversation also ...

In E80, SOCi's Damian Rollinson explains why direct optimization on core platforms like Google, Bing, Apple Maps, Yelp, and Facebook is now more critical than ever for local businesses.

We explore the importance of long tail syndication in local SEO, its historical significance, and how its impact has evolved over time. 

Tune in to get actionable insights and stay ahead in the competitive local search landscape. 

Don’t forget t...

In E79, David Shim shares his journey from founding Placed, to leading Foursquare as CEO, and now pioneering AI-driven solutions for online meetings with Read AI.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, tech enthusiast, or just curious about the digital local ecosystem, this episode offers valuable perspectives on navigating and succeeding in the fast-paced world of startups.

In these highlights from David’s session at Localogy’s recen...

In E78, host Charles Laughlin is joined by James Morse, SVP of Product at BrandMuscle and they discuss the unique challenges and strategies involved in marketing within the beverage alcohol industry, highlighting the historical context and modern-day intricacies of this highly regulated market.

James provides a comprehensive look into the complexities of the beverage alcohol market, emphasizing the importance of local marketing and...

In E77, we share another highlight from Localogy’s recent L24 conference in Arlington, Texas. 

Our colleague Dan Hight sat down with Dave Rivera of Vistar Media to learn what’s new in Digital Out of Home advertising. What resulted was a very engaging journey deep into the history of out of home (it all began with cave paintings, essentially) through its power today as one of the only media that reaches people when they are out and ...

In E76, we share one of the key moments from Localogy’s recent L24 conference in Arlington, Texas. In April on the morning of the conference’s second day, Localogy analyst Charles Laughlin sat down with Joe to discuss leadership and managing through change. 

Joe is a longstanding leader in the local search industry, 

The conversation at L24 followed a short presentation where Joe reflected on a “lifetime of pivots.” The interview w...

In E75, Localogy analyst Mike Boland talks about automating the art of campaign management with Lasso Media Founder (and local search vet) Mike Wilson.

This conversation about local search’s transformation by automation will have veterans nodding in recognition and newcomers taking notes. 

Wilson says his agency was automating digital marketing well before the recent AI surge. Now Lasso uses AI to accelerate this automation process...

In E74, Localogy analyst Mike Boland welcomes SOCi Director of Market Insight Damian Rollison, a research whiz whom Mike anoints as an honorary lifetime member of the local search analyst community. 

Enjoy this geeky yet breezy conversation about modern trends in search, in particular, how generative AI is transforming (but not destroying) the search experience. The conversation is timely amid reports that OpenAI (e.gChatGPT) is on...

In E73, co-hosts Mike Boland and Charles Laughlin talk about Apple’s moves to make it even easier for small businesses to control how they appear on Apple Maps via Apple Business Connect. 

As Mike puts it, Apple’s efforts to make it easier for small businesses to update their profiles (which dictate how they appear on Apple Maps) is such a smart move. It allows Apple to scale its listings content by giving small businesses the tool...

In E72, co-hosts Mike Boland and Charles Laughlin discuss the state of Threads. This is the Meta app (joined at the hip with Instagram) that emerged last year as a text-based social network. And as an alternative for those who could not abide Elon Musk’s stewardship of X (nee Twitter). 

The hook for this discussion was a recent Meta initiative to entice Instagram creators to create on Threads. It’s a move the analysts understand. P...

For E71, co-hosts Mike Boland and Charles Laughlin discuss the emerging new normal of how tech startups are being organized.

This new normal involves a hyper-lean mindset among founders who now build with much smaller teams, outsource a lot more, are far more stingy with equity, and automate as much as they can using AI.

This Week in Local is a Localogy production. To learn more, please visit Localogy.com. 

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In E70, co-hosts Mike Boland and Charles Laughlin discuss one of the most talked about startups in the Localogy-verse – Howard Lerman’s Ro.am. 

Specifically, co-host Mike Boland gives a download on his test drive of the Roam UX. And given Mike’s expertise in AR/VR, Roam’s spatial orientation is right up Mike’s alley.  

Mike’s key point is that Roam’s mission is to break out of the “form over function” trap that so much of what we b...