Just Salad Tosses in AI & Personalization
We know that consumers are okay with personalization and targeting, providing it adds value to their lives and saves them time. A whopping 64 percent of consumers report liking custom-tailored experiences. Just Salad was founded in 2006 and now has more than 90 locations. I remember being excited when the fast-casual chain opened in New […]
More Than a Comfy Bed: What Makes a Great MULO Hotel Brand?
We may not think of a hotel or a motel in the same light as retailers and restaurants. However, they are still MULO (multi-location) brands. Consumers search for them, consider their ratings, and make selections based on a wide range of factors. NerdWallet just published its list of “best hotel brands” for 2025. The criteria […]
Move Along, TikTok; Gen Z Is Growing Up
With the fate of TikTok in the U.S. changing almost daily, Gen Z is moving on. As generational demographic groups age, their relationship to the Web changes. This generation, those born between 1997 and 2012, has reached the stage of wanting deep learning and reliable information that is less about entertainment and more about life […]
3 Trends & Stats from Pew Research Center Every MULO Marketer Needs to Know
Pew Research is one of my favorite sources of detailed and reliable consumer trends. (Unlike some media, Street Fight actually DOES fact-check! 🙂 ). New data released by the company has implications for all brands, but especially for MULO (multi-location) operators and agencies as we head into the new year. here are the trends that […]
Screenverse President Assesses the RMN, DOOH, Programmatic Landscape
Adam Malone, co-Founder and President of Screenverse, predicts that retailers will all want to own and operate their own ad networks. Outside of the top 5-8 retailers, however, the vast majority of retailers would be best served teaming up and supporting third-party networks. This scenario may not become a reality in 2025, but Malone says […]
The Last 2025 Predictions Article You Need to Read
Admit it… We’re all getting a little tired of seeing the “Greatest Hits & Stats of 2024” and the “Predictions for 2025” articles that are proliferating throughout the media. And, most of us are now scrolling and scanning rather than spending massive amounts of time reading and ruminating. So here, in snackable form, is the […]
Beyond Burgers & Fries: 10 Fast Food Trends for 2025
Fast food and fast casual dining are massive categories within the MULO (multi-location) ecosystem. Although they are related, fast casual dining usually entails sit-down service and more menu options, whereas fast food usually entails a smaller list of choices and different ambiance. Options for hamburgers, pizza, wings, tacos, and other “grab and go” foods exist […]
Let’s Get Phygital in 2025
Phygital is hardly a new word. The term was first coined in 2007 by Chris Weil, former chairman and CEO of Momentum Worldwide. Like many concepts, many marketing professionals take credit for coming up with the term, but ownership doesn’t matter here. What’s meaningful is that the term is having a huge resurgence — almost […]
TikTok & the Future of Social Media Marketing
As the Supreme Court’s Friday decision to uphold the “divest or die” congressional act looms large over TikTok, the app’s fate in the United States remains uncertain. This past weekend marked a whirlwind of developments: the app went dark on Saturday, only to reemerge on Sunday after President Trump announced his intention to issue an […]
Navigating the US TikTok Ban: Strategic Insights for CMOs and Agency Executives
As the January 19th deadline for the US TikTok ban approaches, the marketing world is abuzz with speculation and urgency. With news breaking that TikTok may shut down its app entirely in the US and the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the proposed ban, brands are left scrambling to adjust their social media strategies. For […]
Kevel and Vantage Partner to Scale Retail Media
Kevel, the leading provider of API-based ad-serving technology, announced it had partnered with Vantage, the Orchestration Layer for Retail Media™, to streamline operations and empower retailers to create high-performing media networks. Kevel is known for its highly customizable ad-serving technology, which allows retailers to build and manage bespoke retail media networks powered by first-party data. […]
Retail Media Predictions from Drew Cashmore: Farewell to Complexity!
The only phrase you may have heard as much as “AI” this year is “retail media.” MULO (multi-location) brands and online advertisers are rapidly realizing that marketing to consumers in-store is a great way to capture share of wallet. In addition, brands are launching their own retail networks and generating revenue by making that space […]
Marketing Facts & Predictions for the Big Game
We still don’t know who will play in the Super Bowl on February 9th, but we already know some major advertisers taking the field. As usual, it’s an eclectic mix of CPG brands, tech companies, and service businesses, with a tiny team of MULO (multi-location) brands thrown in. And, even if brands don’t spend the […]
‘Mellow’ From PetFriendly Helps Calm Pet Anxiety
Is there a pet owner who has never come home to a piece of damaged furniture, a shredded shoe, or mangle remote control? Unlikely. PetFriendly believes a little understanding is in order. Pets are like people in that they, too, have emotions, including anxiety. So many stimuli can harsh a pet’s mellow that we don’t […]
MULO Brands With Soul: January Picks
When tragedy strikes, the true MULO (multi-location) brand soul emerges. First, our hearts go out to all the people and businesses devastated by the LA fire. As of this writing, more than 10K homes and businesses have been destroyed. Close to 200K people are currently displaced. The media has been packed with stories of celebrities […]
Will Chicken Flicks Be the New Hallmark Movies?
Chick-fil-A is looking into creating its own streaming media network. Focusing on family-friendly programming, the MULO (multi-location) brand , Chick-fil-A , has been considering building its own proprietary network playlist. After all, that strategy worked for Hallmark, which is known as much for its romance, mystery, and family programming as it is for its greeting […]
MoviePass Wants Cinephiles to ‘Dream Bigger’
“We are such stuff as dreams are made on, and our little life is rounded with a sleep,” Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest. The line was appropriated in the 1941 film, The Maltese Falcon, whose titular object was much coveted amongst a group of underworld types, including fictional detective Sam Spade, played by Humphrey Bogart. Any […]
Night Market and Keen Join Forces to Transform Marketing for Brand Advertisers
At CES 2025, Night Market, the commerce agency affiliate of Horizon Media, and Keen Decision Systems introduced a strategic partnership designed to tackle pressing challenges in modern marketing. This collaboration brings together Night Market’s NEON platform—an AI-powered retail media and storefront optimization solution—and Keen’s adaptive marketing mix modeling software to deliver a unified, next-generation approach […]
What I Saw in 2024: 10 MULO Trends and Predictions
As a journalist, I’m used to telling the stories that others pitch to me. (BTW…keep sending me your stats and news throughout 2025! You can reach me at [email protected].) Indulge me for a few minutes while I offer my perspectives on the year of MULO (multi-location) brands based on everything I’ve gathered. Here are my predictions […]
Continuously Adapting as Your Target Audience Evolves
PR professionals establish their clients’ campaigns on proven strategies, but they also adapt those strategies as campaigns unfold to make sure they are performing optimally. One factor that can significantly impact how they adapt strategies is the evolution of the client’s perfect target audience. Identifying the perfect target audience is one of the earliest steps […]