Use: Provide extensive information about local businesses to users; add to digital marketing services products for local advertisers.
Locu provides a platform and central database for merchants to provide updated menus and service lists. The database contains more than 1 million listings which were created originally by Locu staff. Local merchants can claim those pages and provide their own updates. Locu also can distribute the content directly to a merchants site or Facebook page or to partner sites such as Yelp, TripAdvisor and Foursquare.
Publishers need not cede local merchant listings and reviews to Yelp and other social directories. With the Locu API, they can tap into the huge database of merchant info to build their own directory and then upsell enhancements to merchants. Even though Locu provides the capability for merchants themselves to update once, distribute to many; local media companies can use the power of their traditional products to offer even more value to those merchants.
More:
Update 7/19/13: All Things D: Apple Acquires Local Data Outfit Locationary
All Things D: How Locu Became Every Local Business’s Personal Publisher
StreetFight: A Year After Big Scores by SinglePlatform and Yext, Locu Makes a Quiet Push
Apps for Media 