News and Analysis
‘Short-Term Rental’ Season Is Upon Us
Have you ever just borrowed something from a store instead of outright buying it? Apparently, this behavior is widespread and known in the trade as a “short-term rental” or STR. The practice involves consumers buying goods such as houseware, electronics, and clothing, fully intending to return them for a refund from the store after use. […]
The Voice Revolution: New Wave of Call Assistants
There’s a quiet revolution underway in the world of business communication—one that I find impossible to ignore. The humble phone call: an interaction so often overlooked or underappreciated, has become a hotbed for innovation. At the center of this shift? Voice agents and call assistants, tech that’s quickly moving from novelty to necessity. We need […]
Locality Launches Audience Engine
Has Locality re-engineered the foundation of local advertising to deliver performance, precision, and transparency, at scale, for advertisers? That is certainly the objective of the local video solutions provider, which launched its Locality Audience Engine in collaboration with Lovelytics, Newton Research, and Databricks. Locality and its strategic partners seek to engage local audiences by integrating […]
Commentary
The Subscription Economy: MULO Businesses and Recurring Revenue Models
As the CEO of Cinch and someone who partners closely with leading multi-location brands, I’ve seen firsthand how rapidly the business landscape is changing. Lately, one trend stands out above the rest: the rise of the subscription economy. More than a passing fad, subscriptions are reshaping how brands engage customers and drive sustainable growth. In […]
Streets Ahead: ChatGPT for Search and Google Local Ranking Guidelines
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses ChatGPT becoming a mainstream search tool, Google revising local search ranking guidelines and updating Business Profiles with social links. Adobe Study: 77% of Americans Use ChatGPT for Search The News A recent Adobe survey of 800 consumers and 200 marketers reveals that ChatGPT is becoming a mainstream […]
What the Rise of AI Shopping Means for the Future of Marketing Strategy
A shift is underway in the world of digital commerce and media, and its implications go far beyond channel optimization or creative placement. Publishers and marketers alike are beginning to recognize the transformational potential of AI-powered shopping agents, not just as a user interface, but as a new ecosystem altogether. We are no longer just […]
Latest Posts
The MULO Dozen: June in Review
Let’s take a look in the rear-view mirror of June and glimpse at some of the most significant developments in the MULO (multi-location) retail, restaurant, service, c-store, and hospitality ecosystem. Of course, the most significant announcement this spring was the reveal of our first round of inspirational speakers at Street Fight LIVE 2025! Here are […]
Looking for New Growth Strategies? Look at C-Stores!
Convenience stores (C-stores) are no longer just a lowly truck stop or much-needed bathroom break along a highway. These retailers are a prime example of a category that has “blurred the lines” across MULO (multi-location) categories — retail, food, and service. They have incorporated technology and loyalty programs (and even online merch sales) into their […]
Kevel Launches AI-Powered Kevel Console to Transform Retail Media Campaigns
Retail media continues to evolve rapidly, with growing demands for automation, cross-channel efficiency, and deeper audience personalization. Last week, retail media technology provider Kevel announced the launch of the Kevel Console. This AI-powered, self-service platform is built specifically for retailers, marketplaces, and publishers seeking greater control, speed, and performance from their media networks. Kevel Console […]
WiRL-ing with Satyne Julianna Doner
Although technology is booming, human connections remain extremely valuable in the MULO (multi-location) restaurant world. A whopping 77% of restaurant operators say that talent acquisition and retention are significant challenges. Associate Editor Satyne Julianna Doner recently gathered a group of executive women in the MULO (multi-location) restaurant industry to discuss their career paths and how to foster […]
Hatch Urges People to ‘Escape the Algorithm’
A Boston-based agency known as Hatch has come up with a tagline for a local museum’s campaign that may well be a healthy approach to life itself: “Escape the algorithm.” For the purposes of this local outdoor campaign, which began its run in the greater Boston area in 2024, the work is in support of […]
How AI May Win Prime Days in 2025
When Amazon launched its Prime Days concept, it was a true novelty. After all, who doesn’t want deals, especially those that come up unexpectedly? This year, Amazon has expanded Prime Days to four full days (July 8th to 11th) and has already begun spending on pre-promotion awareness ads. Amazon spends approximately $20B on advertising annually, […]
What the Rise of AI Shopping Means for the Future of Marketing Strategy
A shift is underway in the world of digital commerce and media, and its implications go far beyond channel optimization or creative placement. Publishers and marketers alike are beginning to recognize the transformational potential of AI-powered shopping agents, not just as a user interface, but as a new ecosystem altogether. We are no longer just […]
B-to-B Takes on Cannes
Cannes Lions claims to be the world’s largest gathering of the advertising and creative communications industry. Agencies, CPG brands, and related companies have long made the trip to France to connect, accept awards, party, and (of course) brag on social media that they attended. This year, we saw many B-to-B companies cross the Atlantic to […]
The Rise of Partner-Led Marketing
Impact.com is a commerce partnership management platform that is increasingly bullish on partner-led marketing, which is the development of communities around brands to drive revenue. Best Buy is a notable success in this endeavor for Impact.com but the platform also welcomed 700 new clients to its customer portfolio, including New Balance, Hydrojug, and Monzo. Globally, […]
New Collaboration Leads to Better Targeting for MULO Brands
Experian and Media.net (one of the world’s largest Supply-Side Platforms (SSPs)) are collaborating to amp up real-time contextual search intent and rich audience data. They believe this collaboration will help solve the problems of growing signal loss and audience fragmentation and enable advertisers to improve their targeting and results. The move goes beyond basic contextual […]
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