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 […]
Holidays 2024 Installment 3: Mike Debnar Predicts the Spending Future
As we continue with our Holiday 2024 trends and forecast countdown, we asked Mike Debnar what stars will be shining bright this season. Debnar is the VP Retail Executive Advisor at Medallia. He focuses on creating innovative customer experience programs for brands utilizing his extensive background in CRM and CX. Mike holds a degree in management information […]
Will the Election Affect Holiday Shopping?
Presidential election years tend to boost holiday-season spending, regardless of who wins the most votes, according to Experian plc, a global data analytics and consumer credit reporting company. Experian has released its 2024 Holiday Spending Trends and Insights report, and with it, the launch of contextually-Indexed Audiences. Advertisers can use this new offering to blend […]
The MULO Dozen: October in Review
As is always the case in the MULO (multi-location) world, the ecosystem in October was a blend of tricks and treats. The big news for November is the re-launch of Street Fight LIVE, but here are some highlights from the past month that are almost as exciting. Chipotle opens in Dubai. It joins the many MULO […]
Holidays 2024 Installment 2: Nikhil Raj Predicts the Spending Future
Our next spending prediction for Holiday Season 2024 comes from Nikhil Raj, VP of Retail Media of Moloco. The company is a machine-learning-powered adtech company. Raj was on the co-founding leadership team at WalmartLabs via the acquisition of Kosmix and started Walmart’s retail media business. What is your #1 prediction for holiday shopping season? “While inflation […]
Attain’s New App Rewards Healthy Shopping
Attain is a permissioned-commerce data platform that powers real-time purchase measurement and outcome signals for brands. In September, it purchased an app called Merryfield, which enables shoppers to accumulate rewards when they buy healthy products. Actress Zooey Deschanel, best known for the TV series “New Girl” (2011-2018) was a Merryfield co-founder and chief creative officer […]
Just-published Skai Study Reveals Ad Spend Trends
MULO (multi-location) brands have more advertising options than ever before. As the year ends, last-minute decision-making regarding which outlets will deliver the best results challenges valuable marketing budgets. Skai (an omnichannel ad platform specializing in walled garden media) just published its third quarter 2024 Digital Marketing Quarterly Trends Report. Street Fight is among the first media […]
MULO Brands With Soul October Pick: Ben & Jerry’s
Many MULO (multi-location) brands avoid social or political causes for fear of backlash or polarization of their consumer base. But, for one company, activism has been part of its culture since its launch — Ben & Jerry’s. The brand now has about 500 brick-and-mortar locations worldwide, but its products are distributed throughout retail and C-store channels […]
New Study by Washie Reveals Why Your Bathroom Matters
When discussing MULO (multi-location) brands, we focus on their inventory, menu, drive-thru, and talent. But you don’t always hear much about the paper towel dispenser or the toilet plunger in the bathroom —until Washie. If a consumer walks out of a bathroom talking about the appearance or smell of a restroom at a restaurant, retailer, […]
Enhancing Fan Experience with Advanced Technology
In today’s data-driven world, sports franchises are not just competing on the field, but also in the realm of fan engagement. Navigating the complexities of fan data—spanning ticket sales, merchandise purchases, digital experiences, and season ticket holder interactions—has become a crucial challenge for teams aiming to understand their audience on a deeper level. It’s no […]
Seedtag Is Ready for Contextual Advertising’s Renaissance
Brian Danzis is a busy bee. In addition to running Seedtag as President, North America, he’s been on the speaking circuit. Most recently he was at Advertising Week in New York in October, speaking on a panel about CTV and retail media. In September, Danzis appeared at the Cynopsis Big TV Summit on a panel […]
Multi-Family Housing: The Brand Experience Part 2
These days, MULO (multi-location) brands are not just restaurants, retailers, and service businesses. As society’s housing and work needs evolve, apartment complexes, residential property managers, and live/work landlords are also building brands. The first part of this series dealt with the unique challenges of MULO real estate brands. We also spoke to Lia Nichole Smith, […]
Physical Books Are a Hit with Digital Natives
For all the handwringing about how social media is chipping away at our mental health, digital social platforms are driving at least one type of analog media: physical books. As in the kind, where you flip actual pages by lamp light. No scrolling. No clicking. Just honest-to-God printed words on paper. And the delicious irony […]
Who Says Chickens Can’t Fly? Raising Cane’s is Soaring (BOOM)
Why did the chicken cross the road to Cancun? To meet with Raising Cane’s 3,000 team members to present the plan for the future! Raising Cane’s is a multi-billion-dollar brand with over 800 locations. Founded in 1996, the company’s sales have been on the upswing. The brand gathered its team in Mexico to present its […]
Brand Building or Performance Marketing? Why Multi-Location Brands Must Invest in Both
Brands have long grappled with the decision of how to allocate marketing dollars across brand building and performance marketing. Building sustainable brand awareness and a strong reputation requires a long-term investment with tough-to-measure results. Performance marketing delivers more immediate local leads and sales. It’s easy to see why many brands overinvest in performance marketing at […]
Content Creators are Upping Their Game
When we hear “content creators” and “influencers” we may think primarily about people unboxing new products, waxing poetic about their cosmetics, sharing branded recipes, or merely dancing on TikTok. Many of these people are “citizen marketers” who promote products for a paycheck. However, another group of content creators focuses on developing more in-depth content that […]
Holidays 2024 Installment 1: Megan Harbold Predicts the Spending Future
We recently announced that because the holidays are a huge and complex spending season for MULO (multi-location) brands we are reaching out to industry leaders for their predictions about holidays 2024. Our first perspective is from a company with a broad and deep understanding of spending data and today’s marketing strategies and tactics. Skai VP […]
Multi-family Housing: The Brand Experience Part 1
We met Jennifer Carter, VP of Marketing of the Multifamily Media Network, at the Blueprint conference, where commercial and residential real estate businesses shared their perspectives about the multi-family industry’s future and the marketing and technologies behind it. As we spoke with Carter, we realized that multi-family homes (e.g., apartment complexes, condos, co-ops, and mixed-used […]
Why Purpose-Built Marketplaces Matter for Marketers
Today’s digital landscape is brimming with buzzwords like “full-funnel campaigns,” “omnichannel,” “data-driven,” “personalization,” and more. These concepts promote the idea that marketers can achieve all their goals with a single, unified approach. However, while these ideas sound appealing, the reality is that one-size-fits-all solutions often fall short, especially when it comes to achieving distinct objectives […]
Wings, Breasts, and Betting: The Evolution of the Sports Bar
Technology is having an impact on ALL types of MULO (multi-location) businesses. With football season upon us, thousands of people are flocking to the ubiquitous sports bar to watch their favorite teams, interact with fellow fans, drink beer, spiked seltzer, and Bloody Marys (in the case of early games), and cheer and boo (all while posting on […]