Back in May, the infamous search engine introduced Allo, a smart messaging app where you can directly message Google. As of September 21 you can now satisfy your burning questions with expressive emojis, ‘smart reply’  and virtual assistant that lets you reply without typing. Allo makes Google more friendly and intimate by letting you chat directly at it or by typing “@google”. The power behind Allo is Google Assistant, which uses Google’s machine learning capabilities and you can ask it for nearby restaurants, upcoming flights, calendar events and more. Allo is currently only available in English for Android and iPhones so no Allo for web, desktop or tablets yet.

Google Display Network mobile ads are also becoming more local and targeted. Their ads now have the business address, map directions and photos. Home Depot agreed that mobile extensions helped in-store return by eight times. Google wants brick-and-mortar retailers to believe the power of its Display Network and continues to collect more data on 200 million stores globally. Mobile largely influences purchase intent. According to Google, 30% of users who visited a retailer’s page or app on their smartphone bought something within 24 hours. (The Verge)

As if that weren’t enough territory, Google has also launched “Favorite Brands” for its navigation app Waze, which gets 65 million monthly drivers worldwide. Brands can now invite users to tap and “favorite” a brand through ads with offers. It’s apparently a way to allow marketers to identify and rewards loyal customers. Dunkin’ Donuts is the first to sign on. (Adweek)