News and Analysis
Guideline Bets on an “AI Factory” to Reinvent Media Planning
Guideline has unveiled a major expansion of its artificial intelligence strategy with the launch of the Guideline AI Factory, an internal innovation engine designed to accelerate how AI powers its ad intelligence data products and media plan management (MPM) technologies. The initiative marks a shift from standalone analytics capabilities toward embedded intelligence that directly supports […]
TikTok Is Becoming a Core Marketing Channel — Not Just a Social App
TikTok, once known purely for bite-sized content and entertainment, has evolved into a place people go to discover brands, learn what’s trending, and make decisions. With over 1 billion monthly active users globally and 200 million in the U.S.1, it’s become where someone might first hear about a product, look up a service, or decide […]
Study Finds Rewards Drive Bigger Baskets – and Brand Switching
A new 2026 study from XCCommerce found that 46.8% of shoppers buy more than planned or switch brands when redeeming rewards. The data suggests promotions are no longer just loyalty tools. They actively drive incremental spend, especially when offers are simple, timely, and delivered through owned channels like email and text. StreetFight spoke with XCCommerce […]
Commentary
Streets Ahead: OpenAI ‘Code Red’, Google Maps & Gemini, Review Extortion
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Google and OpenAI escalating the AI platform race as Gemini outperforms GPT-5, Google Maps gaining new Gemini features, and Google responding to rising review extortion. Gemini’s Lead Triggers OpenAI ‘Code Red’ The News OpenAI has been shipping new ChatGPT features at a steady clip, but on core […]
The App-or-Web Dilemma: Where Brands Should Steer Holiday Shoppers
A shopper clicked on your Black Friday email. They landed on your mobile site, ready to buy. A full-page interstitial pops up: “Download our app for a better experience!” They closed it. Lost sale: $150. Multiply that by thousands of clicks during peak shopping days, and you’re leaving serious money on the table. Most retailers […]
Balancing Local SEO and Paid Ads Using Hyperlocal Visibility Intelligence
For agencies working with multi-location (MULO) brands, one of the hardest ongoing decisions is how to split resources between local SEO and paid media. The reality is this: local SEO and paid ads are not competing disciplines. They’re complementary, and the most effective agencies aren’t choosing between them — they’re deciding where each produces the […]
Latest Posts
Content Marketing in the Era of AI Fatigue
AI wants to help you with your content marketing. In fact, it wouldn’t mind at all being at the center of your content marketing strategy. Tell it what you need, giving it as many or as few details as you’d like, and it will crank out content for you nonstop and freakishly fast. And if […]
Buckle Up for the OOH Ad Gravy Train
Starting next year, the United States will be the center of am OOH sports bonanza. In 2026, the annual Super Bowl game kicks off in February. Then, FIFA World Cup matches will be played in 11 locations. And last but not least, the Summer Olympics returns to Los Angeles in 2028. DOOH advertisers and platforms are […]
Streets Ahead: YELP’s AI Transformation, TikTok Search and Generative Optimization
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Yelp’s AI transformation, TikTok’s search revolution and why Generative Optimization misses the point. Yelp’s AI Transformation: From Static Listings to Living Conversations The News Yelp’s 2025 Fall Product Release signaled a major leap toward an AI-driven future in local discovery. The update introduced more than 35 new […]
How Agencies Can Protect Multi-Location Brands from AI Visibility Gaps
For years, agencies helping multi-location brands with local SEO have wrestled with the same challenge: keeping potentially hundreds of listings, web pages, and other digital assets consistent. A few mismatched hours, conflicting service descriptions, or outdated images and reviews could cause one location to outperform another in local search. But in the AI search era, […]
Genius Sports Limited’s New-Found Audience Granularity
Who are your fans? More specifically, who is your fan? Genius Sports Limited’s recent acquisition of Sports Innovation Lab, promises to make both scale and granularity possible when building an audience. Sports Innovation Lab is a data, analytics, and insights leader. Its research on fan behavior through its Fluid Fan™ Graph has helped global brands, […]
In-Game Ads Play the Long Game
Just because someone is an avid gamer doesn’t make them impervious to DOOH advertising. In fact, it’s a great channel in which to reach them via geotargeting and complements the in-game advertising experience across devices. As always, DOOH is non-intrusive. So why does only 5% of ad spend target the immersive, highly focused user platform […]
MULO Brands With Soul Fall Pick: Neighborly
What’s soulful about having a toilet unclogged or dust bunnies removed from under your bed? Neighborly, the fastest-growing home services company (with 19 brands in North America and $4B+ in revenue) prides itself on offering services along with soul throughout their business, building out a culture of caring and community. In fact, their recent convention was […]
Keen and Accretive: OOH Drives Hidden Growth
In a media landscape dominated by search, social, and streaming, a new analysis from Keen Decision Systems and Accretive suggests marketers may be missing one of their most efficient levers for growth: out-of-home (OOH) advertising. The joint study reveals that OOH delivers a marginal ROI (mROI) of $7.58 … well above the average media mROI […]
Authentic Storytelling: Real-Life Scenarios Showcase Brand Values and Build Trust
When consumers question what to believe, brands that show (not just tell) who they are will stand out. Authentic storytelling isn’t a marketing trend but a strategic approach that builds trust through clarity, action, and proof. The strongest stories don’t come from scripts. They come from real people, real moments, and real values in action. […]
The Digital Ceiling Is Here – OOH Advertising Is Breaking Through
For years, marketers have been told to chase efficiency, driving budgets deeper into digital and social media. And for a while, that made sense. But efficiency has a ceiling, and today’s marketing ecosystem is hitting it hard. Digital feeds are oversaturated, audiences are fatigued, and the once-reliable growth engine of online marketing has plateaued. With […]
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