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Bad Data is Costing Businesses Customers and the Numbers Prove It

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6 months ago

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New Data Axle survey reveals inaccurate business listings are driving consumers away as AI raises the stakes

DALLAS, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Inaccurate and inconsistent online business information is actively driving customers away at a time when the way people search is rapidly evolving, according to new research from Data Axle. A nationwide study of 1,000 U.S. consumers finds that data quality issues are not isolated—they are widespread, consequential, and increasingly difficult for businesses to recover from.

Consumers no longer follow a linear path to discovery. They move between search engines, apps, review sites, and AI-powered tools, validating information before deciding where to go. In that environment, business listings are not just informational. They are foundational to trust.

And too often, that foundation is broken.

Nearly seven in 10 consumers (66%) say they have visited or attempted to visit a business only to find its online information was wrong: an address that led nowhere, hours that had changed, or details that did not reflect reality. What may seem like a minor data issue quickly results in a lost customer.

Those moments do not just disrupt a single visit. They shape future behavior. Eighty-five percent of consumers say incorrect or outdated information impacts whether they choose to visit a business again, including 37% who say it significantly influences their decision.

As consumers encounter conflicting or incomplete information, their behavior adapts. Thirty-nine percent cross-check multiple sources, while 30% contact the business directly before making a decision. What was once a simple search is now a process of validation.

That shift is accelerating as AI becomes part of how consumers discover local businesses. While 28% say they never use AI tools for local search, nearly half use them at least weekly and 18% use them daily. Business information must now be accurate not only across platforms, but across systems that aggregate and interpret it.

In this environment, accuracy determines who gets chosen. Eighty-seven percent of consumers say they are likely to choose a business with more accurate and complete information, including 50% who say they are very likely to do so. Consistency is now expected, with 90% saying it is important that business information is accurate wherever they encounter it.

“We’ve moved from a world of search to a world of verification. Consumers aren’t just finding businesses; they’re pressure-testing them across platforms and AI systems,” said Andy Frawley, CEO of Data Axle. “That means bad data doesn’t just create confusion—it creates doubt. And in today’s environment, doubt is what costs businesses the customer.”

This shift is already showing up in how consumers follow through on their decisions.

“Inaccurate business information breaks the experience when consumers are ready to move forward, whether that’s getting directions, checking hours, or deciding where to go,” said Doug Berger, General Manager of MapQuest. “Ultimately it leads to frustrated users, and it costs businesses customers. As people increasingly cross-reference multiple platforms and AI tools before making a decision, the bar for accuracy has never been higher. That’s why we partner with Data Axle. Their sourcing and verification processes help ensure the business information our users rely on is consistent, current, and trustworthy.”

As AI reshapes how information is surfaced and compared, inconsistencies are amplified, not hidden. Businesses that treat data accuracy as infrastructure will be the ones that earn trust and loyalty. Those that do not risk losing customers before they ever walk through the door.

Visit Data Axle Local Listings for more information: https://local-listings.data-axle.com/search

About Data Axle
Data Axle is a leader in data and growth intelligence, powering one of the industry’s most comprehensive B2B and B2C data assets. Data Axle connects data to decisions through solutions like ProfileFuse™, SignalFuse™, and Salesgenie® to deliver a complete view of the businesses and people behind every opportunity.

Built for the age of AI, Data Axle combines high-quality data, identity resolution, and real-time signals to drive smarter targeting, stronger customer relationships, and measurable growth.

Learn more at www.data-axle.com.

Survey Data
In February of 2026, Data Axle commissioned a survey, executed by Dynata, polling 1,000 consumers within the United States.

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SOURCE Data Axle

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Canton Fair Buyers Alliance Launched as the 140th Edition Opens

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2 hours ago

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October 18, 2026

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GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On October 15, the Canton Fair Buyers Alliance was officially launched at the Canton Fair Complex, marking a significant milestone as the fair celebrates the 70th anniversary of its founding.

More than 140 overseas buyers attended the launch ceremony, highlighting the fair’s enduring role as a bridge connecting global commerce with China’s export sector.

Speaking at the ceremony, Luís Vilariça, CEO of Joinco, Import & Export, Ltd., discussed his company’s long-standing relationship with the Canton Fair. Drawing on years of participation, he reflected on the growth opportunities created through cooperation with Chinese suppliers and highlighted the fair’s role in supporting international business development and global trade exchanges.

The ceremony also featured a joint declaration by alliance members. Representatives from five member companies read the statement in their respective native languages, underscoring the international character of the new organization. Additional members sent video congratulatory messages, joining the celebration and witnessing the official launch of the alliance.

The Canton Fair Buyers Alliance represents one of the fair’s key service innovations. Designed primarily for Fortune Global 500 companies, buyers from the world’s top 250 retailers and leading sourcing enterprises across a diverse range of markets, the alliance aims to offer members a platform for information sharing and resource coordination. The first cohort of alliance members includes 58 companies from 32 countries and regions across 5 continents. Through the alliance, members will gain access to a range of priority benefits spanning four major areas: services, events, resources and information.

 For more convenient attendance, please click here for pre-registration:

https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

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SOURCE Canton Fair

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Bioethanol from human hair – Indian start-up’s solution to rising prices of grains and sugar

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3 hours ago

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October 18, 2026

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GUJARAT, India, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In what could be called the beginning of the 5G (fifth-generation) of bioethanol or non-cellulosic bioethanol or non-sugar-based biofuels, an Indian start-up, Techofest Global, based out of Gujarat, has developed its own, indigenous, and patented technology for the production of bioethanol from waste human hair. Such processes would significantly reduce the employment of sugars, grains, and agricultural residues, which form the classical first- and second-generation bioethanol feedstocks. As a result, the rising fuel-vs.-food/fodder debate is anticipated to reduce, and instead, ethanol produced from municipal/industrial waste, after trials, can supplement the current supply being used as blends with presently retailed fossil fuels (E20, E27, etc.). 

As stated by Dr. Ravi, the founder-CEO of Techofest Global, the strategic priority and the USP of the start-up is industrial symbiosis, which, typically, involves an ecosystem of up-cycling/valorising the effluents of an industry, thereby creating a value-chain for residues often lacking an end-of-life. With more than three decades of experience in designing customized nuclear fusion reactors for international programmes, such as ITER, JET/UKAEA and SST-1, Dr. Ravi, a seasoned mechanical engineer, spearheads the start-up’s patented technologies’ scale-up and commercialization.

Two biochemical engineers, Dr. Navnit – the former CTO, and Dr. Kabilan – the former CEO of Biomakerz, Chennai, are the brains behind the current technology/process portfolio of the joint-venture between Techofest Global and Biomakerz. They have been working on biorefineries’ process intensification for more than a decade. “Having foreseen the fuel-vs-fodder/food competition as early as the year 2015, we began developing techno-economically feasible and viable in-vitro metabolically-engineered bioprocesses for scaling-up ethanol production from municipal waste streams between 2019–2021”, says Navnit. After developing operational technologies for international biofuel organizations, serving process engineer roles with certain biorefineries-related OMC R&D’s of India, Dr. Navnit, presently works for a premier academic institution.

An on-going fermentation trial at the Techofest Global-Biomakerz JV’s R&D facility

Techofest Global has developed and tested, in its R&D JV’s pilot-facility of ~100-L, 3 innovative and cost-effective technologies, such as 5G ethanol production using human hair, used cooking oil (UCO), and enriched bio-methane production from disposed sanitary napkins.

“With massive CapEx and OpEx, 2G ethanol technology is facing a major commercialization bottleneck, owing to competition with food/livestock fodder, requirement of a cost-intensive pre-treatment procedure, and the requirement of cellulolytic cocktails, which have a poor recycle efficiency. The proprietary 5G SAFE process developed for the start-up circumvents the mentioned constraints, and instead, utilizes a single-stage saccharification followed by fermentation, and records over 85–90% biocatalyst recovery. Likewise, the proprietary SIM process for bio-methane production, exclusively developed for the start-up, is 2x faster with improved intermittent feeding cycles and continuous gas harvest”, says Navnit.

“With on-going pre-commercialization trials, the proprietary ethanol and bio-methane processes of ours are soon being commercialized”, says Ms. Bhumika, the co-founder and the corporate advisor of the start-up. Furthermore, Mr. Ronak pilots the organization’s global market entry and commercialization frontier.

Techofest Global’s veteran Principal Technology Advisors include: Dr VS Tripathi, former Joint Director, DRDE Gwalior, Dr B S Munjal, former Director, Structures and Thermal group, SAC/ISRO, Academician and Advisor CIKS-Dharohar, GTU, and Dr AV Santhanababu, former Scientist at Satish Dhawan Space Centre. With on-going R&D activities, Dr. Munjal says, “the start-up is striving to provide a unique solution along the lines of the Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat Vision 2047”.

Media Contact: www.techofestglobal.com; e-mail: info@techofestglobal.com; contact person: The PR team of Techofest Global.

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As AI Speeds Up Marketing, Louisville’s RedTag Bets on Strategy

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8 hours ago

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October 17, 2026

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Independent agency unveils new brand and website, and co-hosts Louisville’s PROOF AI Workshop

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — RedTag, an independent Louisville-based marketing agency, this month unveiled new positioning, marking its evolution from a digital performance agency into a strategy-first marketing partner. The move comes as AI makes execution faster than ever, and RedTag is betting that strategy, not speed, is what will set businesses apart. Clients can now choose from outcome-based programs that best fit their marketing needs. 

“Clients don’t come to us needing more tactics. They come to us needing a path,” said Russ Renbarger, founder and CEO of RedTag. “Our new brand says out loud what our work has shown for years: We start with strategy and build everything on that foundation.”

RedTag built its reputation on high-performing paid digital campaigns. Over the years, the agency expanded into strategy, creative, video production and website development, giving clients one partner for the full scope of their marketing. Most recently, a team of automation specialists has integrated AI across the agency to speed up production and analysis, guided by an internal AI policy that keeps people accountable for quality. The time AI saves goes back into strategy: knowing what to say, who to say it to and why.

“Our best client relationships have always been partnerships, where we’re in the room when the big decisions get made,” said Alison Conway, chief client officer at RedTag. “This evolution is about bringing that strategic partnership to every client.”

On Oct. 14, RedTag co-hosted the PROOF AI Workshop with Slingshot, Vsimple and Advanced Business Solutions. The hands-on event gave Louisville business leaders practical experience applying AI to their own work. RedTag led the event’s AI in Marketing and Branding track, with four sessions ranging from AI search optimization to a playbook for adopting AI across an organization.

“AI can produce hundreds of ads in an afternoon, but it can’t tell you which one your brand actually needs and why,” Renbarger said. “The faster the tools get, the more valuable human-led strategy becomes.”

RedTag was named the agency of record for the Commonwealth of Kentucky in 2025. Its client list includes PGA of America, Castle & Key Distillery, Bourbon Barrel Foods, ShopCaterpillar and American Beverage Marketers. Since 2023, RedTag’s work has received two Emmy Awards and more than 35 ADDY and AIGA awards. The agency is a four-time Louisville Business First Fast 50 honoree and was named one of the 2026 Best Places to Work in Kentucky.

To learn more about its outcome-based programs, visit RedTag Programs

About RedTag

RedTag is an independent, strategy-first marketing agency based in Louisville, Kentucky. Established in 2008, the agency starts every engagement by understanding the goal before recommending tactics. With a foundation rooted in discovery, RedTag delivers full-scale marketing campaigns built around each client’s business goals. RedTag serves organizations across hospitality, sports, agriculture, government, retail and consumer packaged goods. Learn more at redtag.agency.

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SOURCE RED TAG LLC

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