News and Analysis
The MULO Dozen: August Brands in Review
BOOMs, BUSTs, and C-Suite leadership changes don’t cool off during the summer months. Our wrap-up of hot August topics proves that out! However, the hottest part of the Summer of 2025 is the big reveal of our impressive speaker lineup for Street Fight LIVE 2025, just a few short weeks away! Bravo! Italian Kitchen and […]
Nick Dan-Bergman: Taking Flight in the New Agency & Franchise World
In the weeks leading up to Street Fight LIVE 2025, we’ll be getting up close and personal with some of our speakers, encouraging them to share stories of how they found themselves in the MULO (multi-location) ecosystem. Nick Dan-Bergman, CMO of agency LT(Lane Terralever), will be joining us to discuss everything franchise-related and sharing the […]
Survey: Marketers Lean-In to Personalization, Performance
We’re well into H2, and omnichannel ad platform Mediaocean has released its 2025 H2 Market Report, a compilation of responses from a global survey of hundreds of marketing professionals. It looks like experimentation is out, and execution is in when it comes to using AI, advertising on CTV, and verifying identity as the foundations of […]
Commentary
Streets Ahead: Instagram AI-Powered Search, TikTok Creator Search Insights
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi covers Instagram’s new AI-driven search feature and TikTok Creator Search Insights Instagram’s AI-Powered Search The News Instagram is testing an AI-powered search feature within the comments section, according to AdWeek. This new tool automatically generates AI-driven search summaries, offering users relevant context as they engage with posts. 🔹 […]
Why Q5 Signals a Shift for Ecommerce in 2025
The start of a new year always marks the end of the holiday season, and as the frenzy of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day subsides, many retailers shift their focus away from advertising, assuming that consumer interest and spending have peaked. But in reality, a lucrative Ecommerce opportunity remains hidden in plain sight: […]
Streets Ahead: Google Traffic Surges and AI Mode Launches
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses the 2024 surge in Google search traffic and the Google launch of AI Mode as a search alternative. Google Search Traffic Surges 22% in 2024 The News A new study from Rand Fishkin at Sparktoro reveals an eye-opening trend: Google search traffic surged by 21.64% in 2024 […]
Latest Posts
Shopping Distraction or Enhancement? Study Shows In-Store DOOH Really Works
Vistar Media, the leading global provider of technology solutions for digital-out-of-home (DOOH) media, partnered with consumer research company MFour to better understand how consumers view retail media ads. A relatively new frontier for MULO (multi-location) advertisers, these messages target customers from the parking lot through checkout. But do they impact consumer shopping behavior? The study […]
Meet the Street Fight LIVE 2025 Speakers: Part 1
Street Fight LIVE was resurrected last year, after pausing for the pandemic. This “un-conference” thought leadership conference is the first of its kind because it brings together C-level executives and decision-makers across MULO (multi-location) retailers, restaurants, convenience stores, service businesses, eatertainment/sportainment concepts, and hospitality brands. They are joined by the agencies and technology companies (with […]
Scalable Reviews and Reputation Management for Multi-Location Brands
It’s no secret that customer reviews makes or breaks a brand. Reputation management influences buying decisions, impacts local search rankings, and—let’s be honest—shapes how people feel about doing business with you. For multi-location brands, though, reputation management isn’t just about responding to a few Google reviews. It’s about scaling trust across dozens, hundreds, or even […]
“Wegmaniacs” Rejoice as Wegmans Opens Restaurants
Industry crossovers are nothing new. Tommy Bahama has restaurants, a retail operation, and now a hotel. Fitness retailers like Athleta offer in-store workout classes. And now Wegmans , an iconic grocery store with more than 110 locations , is opening a restaurant to appeal to its Wegmaniacs fan base! Tastings is opening in Rochester, New […]
Spaceback Introduces CTV Launchpad Platform
Spaceback, which bills itself as a pioneer of social CTV, has released a new platform called CTV Launchpad that enables advertisers to produce hundreds of creative options that include local elements like business addresses for some multilocation brands or a QR code that can scan to a local office or store. “It used to be […]
BOOM: The Hard War in Hardware
You may occasionally find an independent hardware store in your neighborhood. However, they are becoming rare as “the big five” dominate. They are (in no particular order): Home Depot Lowe’s Menard Ace True Value Over the next five years, the total hardware industry revenue is projected to grow from $59B to $75B. Home Depot and […]
Harris Poll : OOH Ads Yield Strong Results
The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) conducted a Harris Poll and found that—surprise—the channel delivers desirable results across various product and service verticals. Job recruitment, beverages, personal care, real estate, and fine dining ads all perform well in OOH and DOOH, the report said. Some 86% of adults reported taking action after […]
Retail Media Networks: Perspectives from John Gomez of RPM Labs
John Gomez is a former Trader Joe’s executive and is now the CEO of RPM Labs. This new technology company is bringing retail media capabilities directly to mobile devices. We recently sat with him to better understand today’s retail media landscape and what to expect in the months (and years) ahead. How many retail media […]
Pacific Drive-Ins Partners With Make to Save $1,500 a Day! What’s Next?
AI AI everywhere! The topic is top of mind throughout the MULO (multi-location) ecosystem. Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving, and its use cases are just starting to appear in business and industry media. One such example is Pacific Drive-Ins’ use of Make automation tools to streamline staffing. The companies reported that it helped Pacific (part of […]
Streets Ahead: Google Acknowledges ChatGPT Threat, New Visibility Boost for Restaurants
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Google admitting the competitive threat of ChatGPT and also doubling down on Local with a new “What’s Happening” feature benefiting restaurants Google on the ChatGPT Threat The News An internal Google document, surfaced during the ongoing Department of Justice trial (with a decision expected soon), reveals a major […]
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