A View From the Stage: 10 Takeaways from StreetFight LIVE
I had the pleasure of chairing the re-boot of StreetFight LIVE, the first gathering of its kind since 2018.
StreetFight Live events are back!
And, as one of our panels reinforced, people today are looking for inspiring, fun, and memorable experiences that engage them and keep them coming back.
More than 30 professionals — across the brand, agency, and tech MULO (multi-location) ecosystem and across all generations and backgrounds — gathered on stage to share diverse perspectives with an audience of 150+ on how far the MULO world has come since the last gathering and what we can expect in 2025 and beyond.
Over the next weeks, we’ll be sharing detailed insights and photos. In the interim, here are my main takeaways:
- UGC (user-generated content) is here to stay, and needs to be authentic to generate engagement. We saw that during the event itself, as well as immediately after SFL as our presenters and sponsors took to their own social media accounts to post pix and share learning with those people who weren’t there. We have, therefore, coined the new acronym “B2bUGC.”
- AI will impact every part of the MULO marketing process, but needs to be combined with human intelligence and caretaking.
- Facebook has grown from 800K users in 2011 (the year Street Fight was founded) to more than 3B active users, and META is adding a wide range of features across all its platforms to make advertising more effective. (BTW, their Chicago headquarters were amazing! The lunch options were incredible too!)
- Fast-scaling brands in the MULO space are cropping up, based on consumer needs. From home services to ear piercing. But knowing where to locate brick-and-mortar stores is more important (and more data-driven) than ever before.
- Conventional PR is hardly dead, but is now fully integrated with new forms of media. Brands need to combine corporate messaging with local-level buzz.
- Nostaglia gives the warm and fuzzies (and share of wallet) to consumers and the resurgence of brands like Steak & Ale is proof positive.
- PE firms that are buying up MULO brands need to retain the “heart and soul” of those companies and not sacrifice customer experience for profits.
- The convenience store (C-store) is no longer just a place where you buy gum and trinkets. Look to this industry for game-changing ideas about search, product line, and customer experience.
- Malls are not dead. They are just reimagined. The new “community gathering places” they have huge potential for dining, shopping, and experiences.
- Ironically, the companies that emerged as top choices in our MULO scavenger hunt were SMBs, rather than MULO brands. Lots of opportunity exists for us to refine search and ensure that consumers can find what they need, when they need it! More on that in a future article…
But the biggest takeaway I personally learned is that organizing an event like this is fun and inspirational — a perfect blend of woman and machine! I met and connected so many new people via social media and conventional sources (including LinkedIn, Quoted, and e-mail) that are now lifelong friends, colleagues, and inspiration.
It takes a village! Grateful to the StreetFight Live and Meta teams who helped organize and promote the event!
Watch this space and let me know if you’d like to be considered as a 2025 speaker or source for an upcoming article.
FOMO? No problem! Join us next year in September (location TBA)!
