Lyft bows to regulators, launches in NYC

Lyft bows to regulators, launches in NYC | Near Me lets users build their own Airbnb clone | Are young consumers interested in talking to brand bots? Created for sugengaria@gmail.com |  Web Version   July 28, 2014 CONNECT WITH SMARTBRIEF        SIGN UP | FORWARD | ARCHIVE | ADVERTISE The Big Story Sponsored By Lyft bows to regulators, launches in NYC Lyft has launched in New York City after a deal with regulators: The car-sharing service has agreed only to use licensed drivers and officially approved vehicles. That essentially eliminates Lyft's core sharing-economy business model and positions it as a direct Uber competitor. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (7/25), Bloomberg Businessweek (7/25) Share:  Experience marketing like never before! Join the journey at Connections 2014. For one incredible week, the world's best marketers come together to: explore emerging connected technologies, experience world-class education and entertainment, and hear from the brightest innovators and biggest brands. Register before Aug. 1 and save $300! Connecting & Collaborating Sponsored By Near Me lets users build their own Airbnb clone A startup called Near Me lets companies build their own sharing-economy platforms, making it easy to start Airbnb-like services for any product or service. Experts compare Near Me to services that arose 15 years ago for social networks. San Francisco Chronicle (free content) (7/27) Share:  Are young consumers interested in talking to brand bots? Several brands, including Moviefone and Funny or Die, are taking advantage of chat-bot technology offered by Kik to engage their fans in something close to real conversations -- albeit with computers. The goal is to allow followers to engage with brands one-on-one, much as they would chat online with friends. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (7/27) Share:  TRUSTe 2014 US Consumer Confidence Privacy Report Consumer trust is falling. 55% of consumers (down from 57% in 2013) say they trust businesses with their personal information online. For a valuable barometer of consumer confidence, business impact and recommended business practices, download the TRUSTe research report now. Most Read by Marketing Decision Makers The Airbnb guest who refused to leave Bloomberg Businessweek Yammer is folded into Office 365 as founder quits Microsoft The Register (U.K.) How social media is shaking up the food industry Politico Target creates Web series starring YouTube celebrities The New York Times (tiered subscription model) 4 Airbnb stays that went horribly wrong Inc. online (free registration) Welcome Aboard: A Guide to Small Business Hiring Small Business Owners are powered by their people. To be successful, small businesses need to act thoughtfully when it comes to finding good candidates. They need to carefully review their labor needs, navigate the interview process to hire the best and recognize and reward employees' achievements. In this white paper sponsored by American Express OPEN, learn how to hire smart. Download the free white paper now. Marketer Moments Social marketing lessons from "Weird" Al A well-run social media campaign helped catapult "Weird" Al Yankovic's new album to the top of the charts, and that holds lessons for other social media marketers, writes Travis Wright. Part of Yankovic's strategy to go viral was aligning with publishers who already reach his target audience, Wright writes. Marketing Land (7/24) Share:  Lessons in viral success from Nike's Jeter ad The success of Nike's #RE2PECT ad honoring Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter can be attributed to traits the campaign shares with other viral sensations: It was well timed and connected with the fan base yet appealed to everyone, writes Scott Zumwalt. "[I]t did a fantastic job injecting the brand naturally," Zumwalt writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Social Media (7/28) Share:  Platform News Why Facebook is wooing small businesses Facebook is getting serious about winning over small and medium-sized businesses, says Dan Levy, the social network's global director of small business. A council of SMB owners has been advising Facebook, which is seeking to streamline its ad-buying system. The Miami Herald (tiered subscription model) (7/27) Share:  Measurement Matters App partnerships open up loyalty possibilities for CPGs Consumer packaged goods companies are bridging the real and digital worlds through loyalty programs that link up with sites, social media and mobile devices. Coca-Cola and Kraft have led the way, but many smaller brands are following suit by partnering with existing applications such as MapMyFitness or SavingStar. Adweek (7/27) Share:  Social Shareable Robot proxies cheer for Korean baseball team South Korea's Hanwha Eagles have developed a bleacher full of robot fans to cheer when human supporters can't make it to games. Supporters send messages online and the bots display them on digital boards held in their hands. CBS Sports (7/23) Share:  SmartQuote Content creators, social media strategists and PR professionals should fall to the feet of Weird Al and lap up his creative genius." -- Travis Wright, writing at Marketing Land Share:    Andy Sernovitz, Editor at Large Andy Sernovitz is the New York Times best-selling author of "Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking" and the blog "Damn, I Wish I'd Thought of That!" He runs WordofMouth.org, where marketers and entrepreneurs learn to be great at word of mouth marketing, and SocialMedia.org, the community for social media leaders at the world's greatest brands.   Subscriber Tools Please contact one of our specialists for advertising opportunities, editorial inquiries, job placements, or any other questions.   Editor:  Ambreen Ali Managing Editor:  Stephen Yusko Contributing Editor:  Ben Whitford Advertising:  Dena Malouf Jobs Contact:  Jackie Basso   P: 202.407.7871     SIGN UP   SHARE   ADVERTISE   SEND FEEDBACK Update Profile | Change e-mail address | Unsubscribe |  Archive | Web version (print friendly) Download the SmartBrief App  iTunes / Android   Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 © 1999-2014 SmartBrief, Inc.® Privacy policy |  Legal Information