News and Analysis
Self-Checkout Grows Up (and Sometimes Phases Out)
As the cost of labor skyrockets (especially in California) and the size of the qualified talent pool shrinks for MULO (multi-location) brands, retailers and restaurants are looking for ways to automate and streamline all aspects of their operations. Self-checkout was introduced in the 1980s but didn’t take off and proliferate until 2001. Since their mass roll-out, […]
Another ‘Tainment Category Sprouts Up
You’ve likely heard of eatertainment and sportstainment. But a new category of ‘tainment is out in the field — agritainment! A huge complex in Arizona (on the site of a family farm) has been converted into a space where people can eat, learn about farming, participate in fun activities, and pick fruits and vegetables in season. […]
City Mattress Rests Easy with Agital
Just because it’s called City Mattress doesn’t mean it’s off-limits to suburbanites or dwellers of the exurbs. At least that’s if performance-marketing agency Agital has anything to say about it. The agency developed a cross-channel marketing strategy to drive foot traffic to physical stores by using the brand’s existing customer data bases for its 30+ […]
Commentary
Empowering Retailers: The Imperative for Advanced Advertising Technology
In a rapidly evolving retail landscape, staying ahead requires more than just offering great products or competitive prices. As consumers increasingly shift their shopping habits online and demand personalized experiences, retailers face mounting pressure to enhance their advertising strategies. Traditional methods no longer suffice in capturing the attention of today’s discerning shoppers. To thrive in […]
3 Ways to Battle Efficiency Headwinds in 2024
You don’t have to look too deep for significance there: measurement is tough right now (even for measurement companies), and fraud is rampant and stands to get worse as AI governance lags behind AI adoption. No matter how big your brand or what industry you’re in, efficiency is going to be a challenge in 2024. […]
A Marketer’s Guide to Transitioning from Third-Party Cookies
Third-party cookies are going away. Not tomorrow, maybe not next week, but in the months to come, marketers will come face-to-face with the reality of a new world of marketing measurement. Google appears to be committed to their complete blocking of third-party cookies in Chrome by the end of 2024, so marketers need to prepare […]
Latest Posts
Vericast Introduces nCountR Platform and Market Experience Center for Retail Advertising Innovation
Despite the rise of e-commerce, in-store experiences remain crucial for retailers. Recent studies indicate that a significant portion of consumers still prefer to make their purchases in physical stores, underscoring the importance of effective in-store advertising strategies. Against this backdrop, Vericast has unveiled the name of its advanced retail media platform: nCountR. Alongside this announcement […]
Yelp Report Measures Consumer Interest in Regional Brands
Cava, Scooter’s Coffee, LongHorn Steakhouse, The Habit Burger Grill, and Wawa are all regional retail brands that have higher consumer interest in some parts of the country than in others. And they’re gaining traction in those markets. According to the first-ever Yelp Fastest Growing Brands report, these “challenger” brands, while not industry leaders, are disrupting […]
AI and the Drive-Thru
The drive-thru was an innovation when it first appeared in 1921 at a place called The Pig Stand. Fast-forward to 1947, when the two-way speaker box debuted at In-N Out Burger. Car culture has always been popular in the U.S., and the pandemic accelerated the desire for consumers to stay in their cars while picking […]
Peak-a-Boo: Retail Apps See You
Do branded apps usage peak, after holidays, tentpole events, or other special occasions, for you? Airship, which helps brands optimize their mobile app experiences for customers, released research this month that shows the struggle is real for retailers trying to capture and sustain long-term value from app downloads during “peak” times of the year. Airship […]
This Brand Isn’t Snoozing on Earth Day
Snooze A.M. Eatery is a Colorado-based breakfast brand with 71 locations. Founded in 2006, they have long been committed to sustainable practices and community involvement. This year, they will continue their traditions around Earth Day (April 22nd) but reinforce their belief that every day should be an earth-friendly moment. Although many brands view sustainability as […]
BUST: When 99 Cents Goes to Zero
Making change takes on a whole new meaning, as 99 Cents Only stores, a MULO (multi-location) business with close to 400 stores in four Southwestern states, will close down all its locations and liquidate its inventory. The brand, founded in 1982, was known for pricing all its goods at under $1, a novelty at the […]
Why the Annual Planning Process is Behind Before it Starts
From advancements in campaign measurement to performance and optimization, the digital advertising industry has consolidated decades worth of transformation to a matter of years. And while the pace of advertising investments has shifted and performance data becomes available more regularly across channels, the annual planning process for all media expenditures has remained, well, annual. In […]
Free Food
As sophisticated as marketing and technology have become among MULO (multi-location) brands, one thing remains true and timeless: People love free stuff — especially free food … stuff to eat. That has been evidenced over the past months by the number of fast-casual restaurants that have incorporated “sampling” into their marketing and customer acquisition strategies. […]
The Rise of Ad-Supported Streaming: Insights from LG Ad Solutions
With the growth of streaming services, consumers are making their preferences clear: they want their content free and supported by ads. The third wave of LG Ad Solutions’ annual study, titled “The Big Shift: Wave III,” sheds light on the evolving habits and preferences of Connected TV (CTV) users. With data collected from over 1,100 […]
MULO Brands Launch Their Own Media
You’ve most likely heard of Netflix, CNBC, and Sirius. Now, welcome to the Walmart network! MULO (multi-location) retailers are entering the broadcast and digital content arena with the launch and ongoing production of their own retail media channels. A retail media network is “a retailer-owned advertising service that allows marketers to purchase advertising space across […]
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