BOOM: “Bruschetta and Bocce Near Me?” Eatertainment is Surging
Can you possibly eat cornbread without a rousing game of cornhole? Or what’s a game of mini-golf without a Moscow Mule? Combine a dining experience with one or many games — physical or digital — and that defines “eatertainment,” a category that’s been growing steadily over the past decade (but paused during the pandemic). But […]
Flashtalking Social Ads Manager Includes Social Media Activation
Omnichannel advertising platform Mediaocean has deepened its relationship with Google, striking a unique deal as it relates to the former’s Flashtalking Social Ads Manager (in the past known as Scope by 4C). For the first time, brand marketers who access the Flashtalking Social Ads Manager, an independent tech platform, will be able to activate against […]
BOOM: Multi-Location (MULO) “Needles” Businesses: Part 2
We’ve already established that people will overcome a childhood fear of needles (or at least cope with it) if they see an upside benefit — like vitamin therapy. The other reason people will allow themselves to be poked with a sharp metal object (in addition to vaccinations and blood tests) is beautification. Multi-location (MULO) aesthetics businesses […]
The DOOH Renaissance: Why Out-of-Home Ads Are Dominating in 2023
Podcasts, social media, and AI-created ad copy have all created excitement and buzz in the adtech community in 2023, but nothing has generated results like digital out-of-home. DOOH is experiencing a renaissance, emerging from the pandemic as one of the hottest areas in advertising. The DOOH market is expected to grow at a compound annual […]
The Shopping Cart of the Future is Now at ShopRite and Fairway
As driverless cars have hit the highways, the “human-free” shopping experience is becoming a reality. The Caper Cart, 65 percent lighter than previous versions, debuted this month at ShopRite and Fairway stores in New Jersey. These carts, developed by Instacart and powered by AI and computer vision technology, are tied to the ShopRite loyalty program. […]
BOOM: Multi-Location (MULO) “Needles” Businesses: Part 1
The IV therapy industry is booming! From hangover cures to vitamin infusions, MULO (multi-location) and mobile businesses are cropping up to fill consumers’ bodies with various liquids designed to give them energy, help them lose weight, and recover from dehydration. The market is valued at approximately $2B and is projected to grow. REVIV was the […]
Borderless Launches Free VR Tools to Consumers
Did you know that you can create a virtual reality experience without paying for it and without coding? Soon, you can. Coming this fall, Borderless is making available its creative platform for consumers who don’t want to learn how to code or pay a fee. Borderless offers extended reality experiences that can increase accessibility to […]
Adding Categories to Google Business Profile Boosts Local Rankings
Even a slight boost in local rankings can lead to thousands — if not hundreds of thousands — of dollars in revenue for a multi-location brand, which is why unlocking the secret to achieving higher local rankings is a topline goal for so many organizations in 2023. According to a new study that’s being billed […]
Pink Lily’s Success Puts It in the ‘Black’
The path to e-commerce success lies in women’s fashion. At least, that is what Chris Gerbig and his wife, Tori, concluded in 2011 when they began to research the type of online business they wanted to start that would not only support the family they planned to have but also the lifestyle they wanted to […]
Basis Technologies’ TikTok Integration Gives Advertisers Real-Time Performance Data
As social media continues to infiltrate more and more of our daily lives, increasingly advertisers are asking how they can take advantage of data that’s being collected to improve the performance of their campaigns. Today, Basis Technologies is taking a big step by announcing an integration with TikTok that will provide advertisers with access to […]
The ‘Drama’ of Sifting through Marketing Data
Claravine’s expressed goal in acquiring AI content-classification company Netra this month is to take “the drama out of marketing data.” Using its Data Standards Cloud platform, Claravine ensures that data is accurate, which in turn enables teams to measure results, pivot on execution, and improve performance within a consistent framework. The Utah-based Series B company […]
More Drugstores Are Pushing to Incorporate Phygital Experiences — Here’s Why
They’ve got the data, and they’ve got the customer loyalty. With those key components in place, more retail drugstore chains are looking at how they can blend physical and digital marketing to create personalized and contextualized phygital experiences. The idea behind “phygital” marketing is simpler than it sounds. Phygital combines physical and digital experiences to […]
BUST: Multi-Location (MULO) Restaurants & Retailers Declaring Bankruptcy in 2023
Although we all watched in dismay (and perhaps fear) as Bed Bath & Beyond and Jenny Craig took nosedives this year, reports of other brands facing the multi-location (MULO) “apocalypse” may contain more than a little hype. Here are some facts: More than 2,100 retail locations are expected to close in 2023, but Bed Bath […]
These 5 Retailers Are Investing In Virtual Try-On Tech
Virtual try-on is becoming a key differentiator for e-commerce brands, and an opportunity for traditional retailers to bring the in-store try-on experience into the comfort of their customers’ homes. When Parfums Christian Dior launched its virtual try-on solution at Viva Tech 2023 earlier this month, the company joined a growing list of luxury brands leveraging […]
In-House vs. Outsourced Marketing: Pros & Cons for Multi-Location Businesses
When it comes to marketing for multi-location businesses, a constant debate is whether or not to outsource your marketing or run it in-house. Since both come with a cost, deciding which marketing route is best can’t be determined by a simple coin toss or guessing game. You want to know for sure that you’re maximizing […]
Whose Job Is It to Explain Why Consumers Should Consent to Share Data?
Everybody is talking about user consent and privacy. Days after Swedish regulators fined Spotify more than $5 million for violating the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and failing to inform consumers how their data was being used, and months after Meta saw an even greater fine of $414 million for forcing its users […]
The Oldest Franchises in the U.S. That Are Still Going Strong
Keeping a business alive and thriving for 50+ years is no small feat. Many of us get calls and LinkedIn messages asking, “Have you considered investing in franchises ?” It may be a valid question because the franchise industry is growing at a rate of 4.2% and is expected to hit a whopping $460B in […]
Vistar Verify: DOOH Needs Quality Inventory Standards
Vistar Media wants to help establish quality inventory standards for the DOOH market. To that end, it has launched Vistar Verify. The program creates a shared definition of quality inventory in the Vistar marketplace using manual and automated checks. The objective is to ensure inventory is represented accurately and meets a collective set of standards […]
Study: ‘Ghosting’ Customers Leads to $2.4 Billion Loss in Retail Sales
Even if you haven’t heard the term “ghosting” before, you’ve almost certainly experienced it. Ghosting, or ending a relationship by suddenly withdrawing from all communication, is the exact opposite of what brand marketers are going for when they work to cultivate and deepen their relationships with customers. And yet, according to a new study, by […]
Google Third-Party Cookies, Adds LiveRamp to Data Clean Room Lineup
One year. That’s how long Google says publishers have to test — and raise any red flags on — the cookie alternatives in its Chrome Privacy Sandbox. In a recent announcement, Joey Trotz, director of product for Google’s Privacy Sandbox Ecosystems, all but guaranteed the company would finally be depreciating third-party cookies in the second half […]