News and Analysis
A BOOM and a BUST: Harry & David & Hooters
Openings, expansions, and bankruptcies are standard fare in the MULO (multi-location) retail and restaurant space. This month, we saw one significant opening and one bankruptcy declaration in the MULO ecosystem. Harry & David recently announced they are getting back into the retail game. This 91-year-old seller of gift baskets and gourmet food items shuttered most of its […]
Aquarium Ad Is a 3D Fish Out of Water
First its ads had a Super Bowl presence earlier this year. Now the Georgia Aquarium is going big in out-of-home. A creative campaign by Doe-Anderson, an agency in Kentucky, launched two executions in Atlanta to let the locals know they have one of the country’s great aquariums right in their backyard. If you find yourself […]
The Future is Here: A More Collaborative, AI-Enabled, Creatively Driven Industry
The advertising industry is in a period of accelerated transformation. What were once incremental shifts are now crystallizing into clear priorities — moving from hypothetical or expected into real and transactional. Consolidation around media-agnostic, AI-driven systems and the integration of creative and media processes are no longer future goals — they’re actively reshaping the way […]
Commentary
Global Brands, Local Strategies: How Retail Media is Catering to Diverse Markets
As performance media and retail media converge, advertisers stand at a pivotal juncture to redefine consumer engagement within an increasingly complex shopping ecosystem. This convergence underscores the critical balance between maintaining a global brand identity and achieving regional relevance, highlighting the necessity for strategic collaboration between local and global teams. Breaking Down Silos: Redefining a […]
The Fastest-Growing Gyms Rely on Customer Intelligence to Win
The beginning of the year is a big moment for gyms, with some reporting more than a quarter of their annual signups in January alone. But keeping those customers is a different story. With the FTC’s new click-to-cancel rule making it easier than ever to cancel gym memberships, gyms must rely on deep customer intelligence […]
2025 Marketing: Trends That Will Redefine Success
As 2025 begins, rapid advancements in AI and evolving consumer expectations are reshaping marketing. Gartner predicts that 30% of outbound email messages from large organizations will soon be synthetically generated. For marketers, the challenge lies in embracing these changes while keeping the customer at the center. Here are some of the trends I believe will […]
Latest Posts
WeFranch Hits the Road in 2025 With a Team of Franchise “Stars”
The franchise space has become more complex and dynamic in recent years. A key part of the MULO (multi-location) landscape, it has its own subject matter experts, consultants, ecosystem, investors, and owners. One of the topics we’ll be delving into at Street Fight LIVE 2025 is the ever-evolving role of franchisors and franchisees in scaling, […]
Places Scout Acquired: Yext’s AI-Driven Future
Yext is rapidly redefining digital presence management through a strategic combination of AI-driven automation, competitive intelligence, and omnichannel customer engagement. The company’s latest acquisition of Places Scout, alongside its earlier purchase of Hearsay Systems and the launch of AI Review Generation, solidifies its position as a leader in helping multi-location businesses optimize visibility, outperform competitors, […]
Finance Is Questioning Your Marketing Value: Can You Prove Your Worth?
Marketers today are facing an overwhelming number of challenges. Too many channels, each claiming to be the key to driving performance. Finance teams are questioning whether marketing investments are truly profitable. As a result of this pressure, many brands have shifted their budgets toward performance-driven digital channels, prioritizing conversion metrics that validate their short-term decision-making. […]
Monday Morning Quarterbacking: Super Bowl Ad Review
If we didn’t do our gameplay replay of Super Bowl ad trends, we would be derelict as business media covering the media landscape. At $7-8M for a 30-second spot, big brands (and well-funded scaling brands) continue investing in this aspect of their media mixes. That’s a hefty spend, and unless it’s tied to other media […]
Unlocking Local Consumer Behavior: Foot Traffic Data Reshaping Fast-Food Strategies
Understanding consumer movement patterns is key to staying ahead. Foot traffic — the measurement of consumer visits to physical locations—provides critical insights into customer behavior, revealing trends in brand popularity, regional loyalty, and competitive positioning. dataplor, a leader in global location intelligence, has released a foot traffic analysis showcasing how these patterns shape fast-food preferences […]
SMBs versus Giants: The Street Fight Escalates
When Street Fight was founded about 12 years ago, the fight was defined as the battle between small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) and big multi-location (MULO) brands. Technology and location finding were still in their early stages, and consumers were just beginning to use their smartphones to find “near me” businesses at which to spend. […]
When a $7 Million Super Bowl Ad Isn’t Enough
The Super Bowl still represents the most premium of premium ad buys. However, the ROI of such a premium spot—regardless of its creative execution—has everything to do with the omnichannel strategy that surrounds it. More than ever, live sports advertising needs to reflect a community-driven mindset. As a result of the unique way in which […]
Skai Reveals New Report on the State of Retail Media
Retail media has become critically important in the marketing mix and is now a part of the plans for 92% of consumer products companies, according to Skai’s just-published 2025 State of Retail Media report. Brands are Focused on ROI Despite the massive investment in this channel, marketers are still unsure how to measure it. A […]
Fragmented Future: How the Loss of Net Neutrality Threatens Innovation and Equity
The internet has long been hailed as a great equalizer, a space where anyone with an idea can reach a global audience. However, the erosion of net neutrality principles threatens to undermine this fundamental characteristic, creating a fragmented and unequal online landscape. Without strong safeguards, the internet could transform from a platform for innovation and […]
The MULO Dozen: January in Review
January, the first month of 2025, was jam-packed with announcements of leadership changes, innovative new store designs and menu items, and game-changing technologies. Brands are suiting up for the Super Bowl. The TikTok “pause” created mass panic among influencers and agencies. As the 2025 progresses, watch this space for the trends, perspectives, and data that […]
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