News and Analysis
Neuro-Contextual Advertising Signals the Post-Cookie Future of Attention
As cookies and identifiers continue to fade, a new frontier is emerging in digital advertising—one powered not by who users are, but by how they feel. New research from Seedtag suggests that neuro-contextual advertising, which aligns ads with emotional context and intent rather than personal data, is driving significantly higher attention and engagement across CTV […]
Voters Prioritize Safety and Economic Relief as Election Takes Shape
As economic anxiety and public safety concerns rise heading into the 2026 election cycle, the implications extend well beyond politics. New data from Resonate’s “First 2026 Election Cycle Outlook” shows that voters’ top priorities … affordability, personal security, and economic stability … are reshaping how trust is formed at the community level. For local media, […]
App Science Audiences Deliver Higher Attention Than CTV Averages, Study Finds
As connected TV shifts from a reach-first channel to a performance-driven medium, attention … not impressions … is emerging as the metric advertisers care about most. New research from TVision suggests that CTV effectiveness is increasingly shaped by audience strategy, not just premium inventory labels. The study found that campaigns using App Science audience segments […]
Commentary
Beyond Likes: Win Hearts with Emotional Marketing
I’ve been in the marketing game for a while, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that data is king. We track clicks, opens, conversions, and a million other metrics. But what if the most important metric isn’t something you can easily count? What if the result of emotional marketing is a feeling? We’re […]
Why TV Remains the Heartbeat of Local Connection
In today’s increasingly digital world, fostering a sense of community can be challenging. Yet it’s not impossible. New research from Tenetic and CivicScience reveals that TV is the best medium at making people feel connected to their local communities–twice as effective as streaming content, twice as effective as digital video, and nearly three times better […]
Streets Ahead: Google Chat, and Instagram Reels
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Google enabling direct business chat in Maps & Search and Instagram unveiling retention insights for Reels Google Brings Chat to Maps The News Google has rolled out its Chat feature within Google Maps, giving users a direct way to message businesses via text or WhatsApp. Customers can […]
Latest Posts
From Data to Dachshunds: Meet Elizabeth Lafontaine of Placer.ai
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. Elizabeth Lafontaine is the Director of Research at Placer.ai and will share the latest insights on consumer trends, including […]
Streets Ahead: Google Chat, and Instagram Reels
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Google enabling direct business chat in Maps & Search and Instagram unveiling retention insights for Reels Google Brings Chat to Maps The News Google has rolled out its Chat feature within Google Maps, giving users a direct way to message businesses via text or WhatsApp. Customers can […]
Ryan Serhant Update: Disrupting the MULO Real Estate World
We interviewed Ryan Serhant a couple of years ago, when he introduced the concept of a “real estate broker office as content creator studio.” His vision appears to be gaining momentum as Serhant expands into new markets. Serhant is also upping the talent game in a legacy industry by recruiting the best property “influencers” with […]
Swiftly’s Campaign Studio Can Empower Local Grocers
When ad historians look back on the evolution of DOOH advertising, they may well say of the present time, “self-service was the rage.” (Apologies to Anatole Broyard.) And just as Broyard opened a used book store in Greenwich Village in the 1940’s and got to know his clientele very well, so too do local grocers […]
Cracker Barrel: The Rebrand That is Anything But Stale!
The MULO (multi-location) restaurant ecosystem and the marketing agencies that support it have been abuzz and aghast over the past week. Cracker Barrel has about 700 locations in 44 states, but the number of opinions on their new logo and store design outweighs those numbers. And many have been less than favorable on the rebrand. […]
The Road Ahead: What Autonomous Cars Teach Us About Marketing Automation
The race toward fully autonomous cars fascinates me—not just for what it means for transportation, but for the lessons it offers those of us navigating the shifting lanes of marketing automation. Both fields are being reshaped by artificial intelligence. Both promise more efficiency and precision. And both, at their core, remind us that technology shines […]
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 […]
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 […]
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