News and Analysis
The MULO Dozen: March Brands in Review
Openings, closings, leadership changes…the MULO (multi-location) beat goes on! Here are some highlights related to the people, technologies, and brands in the MULO ecosystem. Have news? Please e-mail me. And save the date — Street Fight LIVE is coming to Chicago on November 7th! The convenience store (C-store) industry is going through a major transformation and […]
Mediaocean Report: 2024 Has Optimism Written All over It
The Mediaocean 2024 CPG Advertising Outlook Report implies that this year’s ad-marketing landscape calls for optimism. “Our research indicates a wave of optimism sweeping across the CPG industry for 2024,” The report said. “Marketers are gearing up for an active year, with a substantial majority expressing their intent to either maintain or increase their spending […]
The Rise and Role of Temu in Apparel
Can the fast fashion apparel segment grow any faster? It is doing exactly that thanks to Chinese retailer Temu. According to various sources, Temu has spent up to $3 billion in advertising outside of Asia-Pacific since 2022, and its profile and app adoption among American consumers has been turbo-charged by online ad spending across Meta and […]
Commentary
The Privacy Arms Race May Kill Ad Tech
A dangerous digital advertising arms race is brewing as browser makers try to prevent cross-site tracking. The desire of digital ad companies to keep tracking users, despite browsers’ preventative privacy measures, is leading our industry down a hazardous path for users, browser makers, and ad tech. In an effort to protect user privacy, browsers are […]
GenAI : Where Brand Marketers Need to Upskill for the Future
Generative AI (GenAI) was one of the most talked about technologies in 2023. We saw it support Google searches, streamline A/B testing efforts, and even play center stage in last summer’s SAG-AFTRA strike. With the ability to automate repetitive tasks and streamline processes, GenAI is becoming an invaluable tool in marketing – and its potential […]
Interest in Alternative Currencies Grows, But Legacy Currency Still Reigns
The U.S. joint industry committee (JIC) granted “conditional certification” to three alternative ad currencies for cross-platform negotiations: Comscore, iSpot and VideoAmp. The certification of these alternative currencies suggests that the industry is more open to the usage of alternative currencies, and that there is room for multiple currencies to transact against. Our insights back up […]
Latest Posts
The MULO Dozen: February Brands in Review
It’s that time again! Every month, we report on new developments in the MULO (multi-location) space. We cover brands, trends, and the agencies and technologies that serve the MULO (or aspiring MULO) business. Love and the Super Bowl were in the air in February. And we saw our usual range of management and product changes. Have news? […]
Eagle Eye’s AI Product Can Scale, Personalize Promotions at Retail
When Eagle Eye introduced its data-centric solution powered by AI earlier this year, its intended business targets were grocery and retail verticals. The offering uses retailers’ existing customer data to generate personalized promotions for consumers at scale. In this way mass promotions can be segmented and curated specifically for individuals, said Cédric Chéreau, Untie Nots Co-Founder […]
Just For You: MULO Brands Built Around Personalization
The Bear Cave is a grown-up version of the kids’ multi-location (MULO) brand Build-a-Bear. Personalization or the concept of making something unique as a gift or for yourself is nothing new. Most people like to think of themselves as unique beings with specialized tastes. Mainstream brands like Chipotle, Starbucks, and salad and ice cream franchises […]
The Franchise of the Future
The franchise MULO (multi-location) business model has been around since 1731 and boomed in the U.S. in 1960, with the formation of the International Franchise Association (or IFA). The IFA now represents 1,300 franchisors, 10,000 franchisees, and more than 600 professionals and suppliers to the industry, according to its website (which also features a robust […]
BOOM: This MULO Diner Chain is Roaring
The diner as a concept seems to be timeless. Back in 1913, the first stationary diner was established and ultimately grew to 6,000 privately owned locations nationally. That’s a giant MULO (multi-location) venture! Fast forward to today. Although foodies have a wide range of options for where to eat — from single-unit locations to specific […]
When Gen AI Erodes Trust, Brands Take the Fall
Generative AI’s potential to change the way we work and shop holds amazing promise, but this new technology also poses heightened risks for brands. Maintaining customer trust will be a perpetual challenge as generative AI (GenAI) changes the fraud landscape in two important ways. First, GenAI is already making it easier for professional and amateur […]
BOOM: Retail Media According to Skai
We often use “BOOM” to identify a category or store brand that’s thriving. But BOOMing can also apply to trends in media buying and creative. So, for 2024 we’ve expanded the term to cover that as well, so MULO (multi-location) brands and the agencies that work with them can identify how to better reach consumers […]
‘Judge Beauty’ Wants this e.l.f. on Your Shelf
And the award for best non-sequitur in a Super Bowl ad this year goes to the TV personality known as Judge Judy: “Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining,” Judge Beauty said when learning a “defendant” claimed she needed to spend $92 on makeup products. The 30-second spot, “Judge Beauty,” was from […]
Retail Bankruptcies: Life in the ‘Express’ Lane
Business and retail media are filled with stories of companies that are in the express lane towards restructuring and holding huge sales on their way toward bankruptcy. It has become such a popular topic of speculation that one online source even gives odds of bankruptcy filing. Over the past week, the media was placing odds […]
BOOM or BUST? Will the Mega MULO Crafts Store Survive?
As tech-centric as the world has become, handcrafts are still alive and well! Just look at Etsy, which has been steadily growing. Although the MULO (multi-location) crafts industry is not unraveling like an unfortunate knitting project, online competition has put a pin prick into big box store revenues. The pandemic also eliminated many in-store events. Just […]
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