News and Analysis
BUST: Multi-Location Movie Theater Chains Struggle
With Oscar season around the corner, let’s examine the silver screen (or lack thereof). A 100-year-old movie theater MULO (multi-location) operation just declared bankruptcy. Founded in the day of silent films, Metropolitan Theaters has 16 theaters and 87 screens, including two IMAX auditoriums in California, Colorado, and Utah. The pandemic and the rise of the […]
BOOM: Industrious Brings Hospitality to Work
This year, about 5M people will use co-working spaces as their offices and meeting places. The concept of shared space has expanded to include podcasting and warehousing/shipping. The concept of co-working is about 30 years old and it is now a cornerstone of the “sharing economy.” As the media was filled with stories of WeWork’s […]
A MULO Brand Scales With a Shark
CEO and Founder of Crispý Cones Jeremy Carlson is on his way to a total of 300 stores across the country. Shark Tank Barbara Corcoran gave him $200K for a 20% interest in his company, which he runs with his wife Kaitlyn. Their back story is a true inspiration to other MULO (multi-location) brands that […]
Commentary
Third-Party Delivery Apps Are Stealing Your Customers. Here’s How to Regain Control
Think grocery’s biggest problem is inflation? It used to be. These days, it’s third-party vendors like Instacart who impact your results in an already margin-thin business. Add in retail giants like Walmart, who are rolling out their own grocery delivery services as new services continue to pop up, and that impact becomes even greater.
Location-Based Marketing Association: Pinterest’s AR Home Decor Tool
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association discusses Cross River Bank and PayTile teaming up on location-based payments, GeoBroadcast Solutions targeting iHeart in radio, Pinterest releasing an AR home decor tool, and PAR Technology integrating Radius Network’s Flybuy SaaS platform.
Online Reviews and the Problem of Authenticity
Recent developments from the FTC mark a significant moment in the history of online review management. Practices such as review gating have been relatively widespread in the industry for years, despite warnings such as this Help Center update published by Google in 2018: “Don’t discourage or prohibit negative reviews or selectively solicit positive reviews from customers.”
Latest Posts
ReviewTrackers Acquired By InMoment as Consolidation Sweeps MarTech
ReviewTrackers is an important acquisition for InMoment. The company currently works with more than 175,000 business locations to manage customer reviews across hundreds of sites using its review management technology. With the acquisition of ReviewTrackers, InMoment becomes one of the first experience companies to extend customer insights, analytics, and action across the full customer lifecycle.
Invoca Raises $83M to Help B2C Businesses Offer Better Contact Centers
The conversation intelligence company Invoca is helping businesses solve customer service problems by building personalized contact center services in addition to offering phone call analytics. As a result, Invoca just raised $83 million in Series F funding at a $1.1 billion valuation, four times the valuation of its last round in 2019.
5 Retail Media Networks to Watch in 2022
Demand for first-party data, coupled with the looming disappearance of third-party cookies, has created a moment of opportunity for innovative multi-location brands and retailers. Retail media networks offer a way for brands across the spectrum of verticals to monetize the reams of personally identifiable information they’ve collected from their own digital properties, like apps and websites, and expand their global footprints.
Brands Embrace Holistic Data to Improve CX
Flawless experiences, complete personalization, and timely communication across multiple channels. Consumer expectations have never been higher. With the line between success and failure now razor thin, more brands are asking how they can use data to provide customized experiences that cater to each buyer’s wants and needs.
SPYR Technologies acquires GeoTraq from JanOne
In this episode of Location Weekly, the Location-Based Marketing Association covers Apiip expanding IP to Location API services to verify 1M+ requests, SPYR Technologies acquiring GeoTraq from JanOne, Google StreetView getting even better with a new camera, and Pacsun linking its physical and virtual metaverse stores.
Where Are the Local Startups?
Google was founded in 1998; Google Maps launched in 2005. Though the company has been at the bleeding edge of technological development ever since, still those dates are telling. In internet time, Google is a senior citizen, and it stands to reason that it must eventually let the new generation have a say. Where are the startups who will unveil for us a new paradigm for local?
Report: Brand Loyalty Declines as Consumers Push for Transparency
Following two tumultuous years, consumers are returning to their pre-pandemic ways. Spending on experiences and activities is up, and shoppers are returning to stores in person. Consumers are looking for the best selection and the best prices. What they’re not concerned with is brand loyalty. Where has the love gone?
Why Everyone is Talking About First-Party Data and What You Need to Know
Many brands are successfully deploying interactive experiences across channels, driving immediate ROI as well as lifetime value. The improvement to lifetime value doesn’t just happen, though. There is another challenge that brands must address — which is now that they’ve captured the data, what are they going to do with it?
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