News and Analysis
Who is Today’s Franchisee?
The answer is, “It could be anyone!” Among the new breed of franchisee (in addition to celebrities and private equity firms) are what we call “corporate refugees.” Experienced business professionals are burning out and aging out of big businesses and seeking autonomy, ownership, and creativity; they seek ways to operate and scale businesses without some […]
Is Bankruptcy the New Normal for MULO Brands?
Over the past year, we’ve featured many articles about multi-location (MULO) brands that declared bankruptcy (BUSTs). But we’ve also seen brands emerge from bankruptcy, become part of other companies (like Bed Bath & Beyond and Overstock), and/or change their business model to be online-only (as Lord & Taylor did with its iconic brand). Some other […]
Flying Fries: Autonomous Delivery Takes Off!
Imagine this… You use your phone to order your pizza or burger (or perhaps a t-shirt because you didn’t pack properly for the weather) from a remote location. Within the hour, a drone, driverless car, or other autonomous “thing” brings you your food and beverage or fashion statement. What was considered sci-fi a mere few […]
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
Hidden Nuggets in Local Address Data for Retail Decisions
It’s no secret that the past few years have been extremely challenging for inventory managers. In 2021 and early 2022, brands faced widespread inventory shortages, while the latter half of 2022 and 2023 saw massive excess inventory levels (as much as $740 billion in unsold goods) as brands worked to counteract the previous year’s shortages […]
Tinuiti Report: Temu Takes a Break
Somebody must have given Temu a talking to. The e-commerce brand that offers very competitively priced items was glomming up ad inventory across social media throughout 2023 to the consternation of its competitors. And then, just like that… it receded. Temu, which increased its ad spending a whopping 1,000% in 2023 from the previous year […]
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+ […]
How AI Is Transforming Phone Calls Into Data
“This call may be recorded for training and quality purposes” We’ve all heard a version of this ubiquitous message a thousand times. Chances are we don’t even notice it any more due to a form of audio “ad blindness”. Still, if we stop and think about it, interesting questions arise. What are these recordings actually […]
Fat Brands Blasts Off for Success
This writer was honored to be invited to an all-franchisee gathering of Fat Brands corporate team members, franchisees, and partners. Live events have made a comeback, as illustrated by the attendance of close to 2K people who enjoyed a close-up view of the Las Vegas Sphere, which was in keeping with the space theme of […]
How B2C Marketers are Spending in 2024
A new study among senior-level B2C marketers was just completed by Stirista, a company that offers data-driven performance marketing. Among the highlights of this 200-executive survey are: Marketers are optimistic. An overwhelming 91% of respondents have a positive outlook on meeting or exceeding marketing goals over the next year. Although 81% of marketers have seen […]
Investing in AI Tools Leads to Better Outcomes for Marketers
The hype for AI has reached a crescendo, with companies across all industries introducing AI tools and endless amounts of news coverage touting its potential as a game-changer. While it has mostly remained a buzzword for many industries, it has already become a difference maker for marketers. According to a recent study, 41% of marketers […]
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 […]
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