News and Analysis

CTV Ads Outperform: Streaming Ads More Relevant

The digital advertising landscape is evolving, and Connected TV (CTV) is leading this transformation. A new report from LG Ad Solutions, “The Inclusive Screen: Asian Americans,” highlights how effective streaming ads are in engaging diverse audiences. The study shows that 70% of Asian Americans feel CTV ads are more relevant than traditional TV ads—45% higher […]

Small Brands are Crushing Big Brands on Local Search Street Fight

Small Brands are Crushing Big Brands on Local Search

As we know, most consumers use their devices to find dining, retail, and other MULO (multi-location) options that are convenient to them and have the products and services they want (as well as the consumer reviews, directions, and specials they seek). However, larger brands (who can afford to invest in mobile local search optimization) often […]

The MULO Hotel is Alive and Well Street Fight

The MULO Hotel is Alive and Well

Summer vacations have ended but millions of people are still traveling for both work and play. Business travel is almost back to its pre-pandemic level, with close to 500M trips taking place this year and the global business traveler market estimated to reach $2.1T by 2031. Despite the popularity surge for alternative lodgings like Airbnb and […]

Commentary

How to Overcome Roadblocks in Your First-Party Data Roadmap

What is holding brands back from developing robust first-party data strategies? Often, the roadblocks can be attributed to uncertainty, accessibility, and structure. While daunting, these are not insurmountable barriers.

The Challenge of Brand Alignment with Social Issues

Increasingly, brands with high public visibility must articulate their positions on issues the public cares about while avoiding the appearance of exploiting public sentiment for purposes of self-promotion. And whether or not a formal statement makes sense on every issue, companies should be prepared for the day when a consumer comes to them to ask a question or offer feedback about a brand’s actions or values, perhaps in the form of a social post that is there for all to see.

Three Best Practices to Reduce Acquisition Costs and Increase Lifetime Value

Retail media networks have a significant role to play in helping DTC brands engage with their audiences while bringing down customer acquisition costs. To reduce user acquisition costs while driving lifetime value, brands also need to figure out exactly what to measure and how to understand target customers.

Latest Posts

Agencies Are Embracing ChatGPT. Is That a Mistake?

Agencies Are Embracing ChatGPT. Is That a Mistake?

In SEO expert Andrew Shotland’s view, most agencies aren’t saving as much time using AI to develop creative content as they might think. Tools like ChatGPT are fast, but they aren’t particularly accurate. That’s a major problem, especially for agencies trying to create hundreds or thousands of local pages for national brand clients.

How Brands Can Use Apple Business Connect to Reach Local Customers

How Brands Can Use Apple Business Connect to Reach Local Customers

With access to Apple Maps Insights, multi-location brands should have a much better sense of which locations are performing well, which ones need attention, and how performance is trending over time.

Super Bowl LVII Ad Landscape Shaped By Economic Uncertainty

Super Bowl LVII Ad Landscape Shaped By Economic Uncertainty

With so much economic uncertainty in 2023 — including mounting layoffs at tech giants like Microsoft and Google — Sol Marketing CEO Deb Gabor believes advertisers may choose to focus on promoting small-ticket items during this year’s game, like snack foods and beverages, while brands selling big-ticket items are largely out. 

Why It Matters that Home Depot Reportedly Gave Meta Shopper Data Without Consent

Why It Matters that Home Depot Reportedly Gave Meta Shopper Data Without Consent

The Home Depot-Meta incident imparts a broader lesson about the limitations of basing a data privacy strategy on the collection of first- or zero-party data.

Is Sustainability the Latest Retail Marketing Fad?

Is Sustainability the Latest Retail Marketing Fad?

While countries like France are laying down the law regarding sustainability in fashion, retailers across the U.S. are preparing to capitalize on consumer interest in eco-friendliness as a marketing tactic.

Why the US Government's Google Lawsuit Matters

Why the US Government’s Google Lawsuit Matters

For marketers, the big question here is whether Google’s tools are more useful or harmful — are the convenience and scalable audiences they enable worth the cut Google takes out of the digital ad market, raising prices? This is among the questions Google will have to answer.

With AI for Shelf Checking, Google Gives Retailers What They Want

With AI for Shelf Checking, Google Gives Retailers What They Want

Google’s announcement that it would be enhancing Google Cloud for Retailers with shelf checking got people talking at the National Retail Federation’s conference in New York earlier this month, but the push to turn physical stores into digital assets has been underway for years.

How Brands Are Using Interactivity to Shorten the Purchase Cycle

How Brands Are Using Interactivity to Shorten the Purchase Cycle

With brands expected to pull back on media spending during the first half of the year, media buyers are looking at stretching their ad budgets to activate in more meaningful ways. 

Why and How Retailers Are Dropping Very Generous Return Policies

Why and How Retailers Are Dropping Very Generous Return Policies

COVID ushered in a period of free and limitless returns as retailers scrambled to keep shoppers at a time when stores were closed. But the worst days of COVID are in the rearview mirror, and the 2023 macroeconomic environment provides no succor for overly generous policies.

OpenFortune Cuts Through Digital Clutter with a Physical Media Format

The biggest action in brand marketing is happening online in 2023, but as digital channels proliferate, one agency is moving in the opposite direction. OpenFortune, a New York-based agency, is leveraging ​​fortune cookies to bring branded content to restaurant customers across the U.S.