News and Analysis
Crant’s Ink Lantern Boosts Engagement for Brands
Crant, an AI training and consulting platform, has launched Ink Lantern, an AI platform that enables tracking and understanding of “brand Love.” “We see ‘brand love’ as that deep, emotional bond people form with brands, kind of like how you feel about your favorite band or sports team,” said Alvaro Meléndez, Co-Founder & CEO of […]
Sneak Preview: A Chat With Nick Dan-Bergman About Experiences
Nick Dan-Bergman is VP, Marketing & Insights at LaneTerralever (LT) and will be one of our featured speakers at Street Fight LIVE on November 7th at Meta’s Chicago headquarters. This one-day summit will be an amazing interactive experience (in the tradition of Street Fight gatherings in years past). So, we picked Nick to feature this week because his […]
The C in C-Stores Also Means Consolidation
C-stores (convenience stores) are huge within the MULO (multi-location) ecosystem. They include mega roadside complexes that have showers, EV chargers, food options, and (of course) restrooms. The size of these C-stores has expanded, and the brands now have bragging rights as they offer new services and bigger footprints. Check out this recent article. Corner delis […]
Commentary
BOOM: Maxwell Bonnie Creates a New Industry for Smaller Manufacturers
Restaurants and retailers are “traditional” MULO (multi-location categories). But the business world is changing, and different types of brick-and-mortar enterprises are emerging as new industry. We’ve covered several MULO (multi-location) business categories that are appearing in response to business/consumer needs — like podcast studios, IV locations, and boutique gyms. Inventors and manufacturers are now proliferating. […]
What CTV Can Learn From OOH Advertising Measurement
What if I told you (in Lawrence Fishbourne’s best Morpheus voice) that in some circles, OOH measurement is, in fact, more advanced than CTV’s equivalent? And that CTV has a lot to learn from its much older, but just as rapidly innovating, advertising brethren. Billboards, bus shelters, and airports in the public space are getting […]
Latest Posts
The Franchise of the Future
The franchise MULO (multi-location) business model has been around since 1731 and boomed in the U.S. in 1960, with the formation of the International Franchise Association (or IFA). The IFA now represents 1,300 franchisors, 10,000 franchisees, and more than 600 professionals and suppliers to the industry, according to its website (which also features a robust […]
BOOM: This MULO Diner Chain is Roaring
The diner as a concept seems to be timeless. Back in 1913, the first stationary diner was established and ultimately grew to 6,000 privately owned locations nationally. That’s a giant MULO (multi-location) venture! Fast forward to today. Although foodies have a wide range of options for where to eat — from single-unit locations to specific […]
When Gen AI Erodes Trust, Brands Take the Fall
Generative AI’s potential to change the way we work and shop holds amazing promise, but this new technology also poses heightened risks for brands. Maintaining customer trust will be a perpetual challenge as generative AI (GenAI) changes the fraud landscape in two important ways. First, GenAI is already making it easier for professional and amateur […]
BOOM: Retail Media According to Skai
We often use “BOOM” to identify a category or store brand that’s thriving. But BOOMing can also apply to trends in media buying and creative. So, for 2024 we’ve expanded the term to cover that as well, so MULO (multi-location) brands and the agencies that work with them can identify how to better reach consumers […]
‘Judge Beauty’ Wants this e.l.f. on Your Shelf
And the award for best non-sequitur in a Super Bowl ad this year goes to the TV personality known as Judge Judy: “Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining,” Judge Beauty said when learning a “defendant” claimed she needed to spend $92 on makeup products. The 30-second spot, “Judge Beauty,” was from […]
Retail Bankruptcies: Life in the ‘Express’ Lane
Business and retail media are filled with stories of companies that are in the express lane towards restructuring and holding huge sales on their way toward bankruptcy. It has become such a popular topic of speculation that one online source even gives odds of bankruptcy filing. Over the past week, the media was placing odds […]
BOOM or BUST? Will the Mega MULO Crafts Store Survive?
As tech-centric as the world has become, handcrafts are still alive and well! Just look at Etsy, which has been steadily growing. Although the MULO (multi-location) crafts industry is not unraveling like an unfortunate knitting project, online competition has put a pin prick into big box store revenues. The pandemic also eliminated many in-store events. Just […]
Opterus Puts the ‘Opps’ in Franchise Operations
If you are a pet owner who resides in California, your pet’s needs will differ to some degree compared to those of a pet owner in the Northeast. For example, the fundamental level of care can change based on local weather differences, explained Gary Stonell, SVP Sales & Operations at Opterus, a SaaS-based company that […]
Intent, Context and Attention: 3 Signals Helping Brands See in the Dark