Who Won the “Near Me Scavenger Hunt?” (and What it Revealed)
During the lunch break at Street Fight LIVE, our guests hit the virtual streets to put themselves in their customers’ minds (and small screens) and find targeted businesses “near me”. The scavenger hunt, which LT sponsored, worked like this:
We gave everyone five categories of products and services and instructed them to use their phones to find the “best fit” for that item.
- Gluten-free pizza
- Tailoring (to fix a last-minute pants rip)
- Something fun for out-of-town guests to do
- A hangover-curing IV
- Running shoes
As we know, daily buying, eating, and spending decisions are often driven by what consumers and businesses find through searches. Being the top listing on Google is no longer enough, as people dive into many decision-making factors, including:
- Proximity (Near me)
- Hours of operation
- Whether a specific menu item or product is available
- Accessibility
- Appropriateness for the people who are going (in the case of experiences)
- Consumer reviews
- Pictures on the listing
A recent study by SOCI revealed that marketers are giving up a massive amount of business ($54B, to be exact) to smaller brands because SMBs often pay more attention to their local search results and can move quickly and easily to update and revise them.
The Street Fight LIVE Near Me Scavenger Hunt proved this out!
A whopping 63 percent of the searches led our guests to small single-location businesses rather than multi-location (MULO) brands!
Brands take note!
The Street Fight is now taking place on screens and voice-activated devices, as people rely on search results to make decisions—small and big—about which businesses to frequent.
Our Near Me Scavenger Hunt winner was Paige Sawin, President at Sparkcatcher Media. She walked away with a $200 Best Buy gift card (courtesy of LT) and the confidence that she really does now how to search in a new city! Her search terms were highly specific and descriptive, which led her directly to those places that had what she needed.
Of course, the next step is actually visiting or shopping at those places (which we didn’t have time for this year). If the experience is great, that could lead to more IG photos and reviews and, in turn, more search appeal.
Says Nick Dan-Bergman, VP, Marketing & Partnerships at LT:
“I honestly think speed or being available as a MULO biz is one of the most critical factors.
- Are they close?
- Are they open?
- Do they have what the consumer wants? (It could be an open table or a specific product a consumer is looking for.)
MULO brands need to look at their online image through the consumer’s eyes and ask themselves, ‘Would I be drawn to my own business if I were searching nearby?
Whether someone is looking for that perfect cauliflower crust pizza slice or a place to entertain a business prospect, they rely on the screen in their pocket as their sherpa!”
The big issue is the problem with the 63% lead that SMBs had over MULOs in the Scavenger Hunt (and ultimately in the real world)!
So, what’s a MULO brand to do?
- Savvy companies are engaging professional resources like SOCI, Yext, Uberall, and Chatmeter to optimize their local searches and spend against that function. Boutique agencies like Slawin’s also help MULO brands get found locally.
- MULO companies must also act as stewards of their brands at a local level, encouraging regional managers and store owners to constantly check their local reputations.
- Acting as a true partner in agency engagement is vital. Companies must keep their agencies up-to-date on changes (store openings, operating hours, and product inventory).
- Staying on top of search trends will become even more critical in the years ahead, as AI plays a more significant role in all aspects of the consumer decision-making process and search algorithms become even more refined and precise.
We are well past the era when consumers made decisions based on what appeared at the top of their searches. Seekers and shoppers are becoming more sophisticated, precise, and concerned about reviews and authenticity.
Seek and you shall find — but if you’re a MULO brand, do what you can to win the Street Fight against the SMBs in your local market.
And join us at Street Fight LIVE 2025 (date and location TBA). You’ll find incredible insights, trends, and connections there.
