News and Analysis
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 […]
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 […]
Commentary
Streets Ahead: Google’s Big Cleanup, New Profile Signals, and the Page Every Business Needs for AI Search
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Google’s Knowledge Graph purge, new user-confirmed attributes in business profiles, and how a “Why Choose Us” page can help your business stand out in AI search. Google Purges 3 Billion Knowledge Graph Entities The News Google has reportedly removed about 3 billion entities from its Knowledge Graph […]
“Louder” is No Longer a Marketing Strategy, According to new Cordial Study
We all know that AI is having a massive impact on how consumers search for goods and services. A new study by Cordial, a leader in messaging for enterprise retail marketing teams, reveals that brands (including MULO or multi-location companies) are woefully under-prepared to deal with its impact. The Cordial report, combining the survey results […]
Streets Ahead: OpenAI User BackLash, Google Preferred Sources
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses OpenAI reinstating GPT-4o following user backlash to GPT-5 rollout and Google personalizing Top Stories with New ‘Preferred Sources’ features. OpenAI Reinstates GPT-4o Following User Backlash to GPT-5 Rollout The News OpenAI has rolled back part of its highly publicized GPT-5 launch after a wave of criticism from […]
Latest Posts
For DOOH: Start with Where the Screen Is
Democracy has come to DOOH media. Anyone with a credit card, basic computer skills, and five minutes of free time can set up and run a DOOH campaign thanks to AdOmni’s self-serve ad platform. Jonathan Gudai, CEO of AdOmni, said that for too long the process of planning and executing a campaign has been a mysterious […]
Self-Serve & Marketing Kiosks: The Ultimate in Phygital
Multi-location (MULO) brands have long been using various forms of digital advertising and transaction processing. Labor costs and shortages, combined with consumer demand and love of interactive experiences, have given rise to a whole new category of phygital (physical + digital) options and solutions. At the Summer Fancy Food Show, media and big box buyers were […]
“Louder” is No Longer a Marketing Strategy, According to new Cordial Study
We all know that AI is having a massive impact on how consumers search for goods and services. A new study by Cordial, a leader in messaging for enterprise retail marketing teams, reveals that brands (including MULO or multi-location companies) are woefully under-prepared to deal with its impact. The Cordial report, combining the survey results […]
Habit-Forming Content: Real Strategies from Brands Turning Videos Into Revenue
As businesses invest in expanding their social media presence, they should be clear about their purpose. Producing and sharing social media video content, even when that content goes viral, isn’t enough to justify their efforts. Businesses that benefit from social media marketing leverage their content to attract views, gain followers, and acquire leads by creating […]
Streets Ahead: OpenAI User BackLash, Google Preferred Sources
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses OpenAI reinstating GPT-4o following user backlash to GPT-5 rollout and Google personalizing Top Stories with New ‘Preferred Sources’ features. OpenAI Reinstates GPT-4o Following User Backlash to GPT-5 Rollout The News OpenAI has rolled back part of its highly publicized GPT-5 launch after a wave of criticism from […]
New DoubleVerify Report Should Alarm Advertisers
Online advertising now represents nearly $800 billion in spending in 2025, up from a $374 billion market size in 2020. What else is up this year? A new report from DoubleVerify confirms the increases in fraud, AI bots, and ad blocking. Among the highlights for the North America market, based on a survey of 400 advertising […]
5 MULO (Multi-Location) Trends We Can’t Ignore
We’re more than halfway through the year, and the consumer (and its artificial intelligence equivalents) have spoken! The MULO (multi-location) ecosystem is poised for a significant transformation. MULO comprises restaurants, retail, home and personal services businesses, hospitality, convenience stores, groceries, branded housing complexes, and other companies that have multiple brick-and-mortar locations. Here are some of […]
Are Discount Stores and Outlet Malls Still Relevant?
Long before Amazon, consumers would make excursions to factory outlet malls and wander the aisles of stores like Loehmann’s, seeking the ultimate bargain. Bargain shopping remains a great American pastime, and thrifting and upscale second-hand stores have joined the mix, alongside big-box, high-volume membership stores like Costco. Among the MULO (multi-location) discount store brands today […]
Pop-up Retail Abounds
We already know that the “big box” store model has its challenges these days. And micro store footprints have become a widespread alternative to high rents and excess inventory. Even Ikea is getting into the mini-store game. But this summer, another retail format is trending. The pop-up (like a food truck for shopping) is everywhere. Big […]
Streets Ahead: Perplexity’s Ranking Logic, Instagram Metrics
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Perplexity ranking patterns and Instagram’s data update insights. Inside Perplexity’s Ranking Logic: Why Classic SEO Still Matters The News A recent deep dive into how Perplexity ranks content—led by independent researcher Metehan Yesilyurt—suggests that good old-fashioned SEO still matters, even in this new era of AI search. […]
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