News and Analysis
MULO Brands With Soul April Pick: Allbirds
The founders of Allbirds, a multi-location (MULO) fashion brand, launched this B Corp after careers in professional sports and biotech. It was founded in New Zealand. Leaving that “nest” was a bold move for the founders, but it resulted in the creation of a footwear brand that’s flown high. The company’s mission is “to prove […]
Shein, Temu Pull Back on U.S. Ads
There aren’t many surprises in Tinuiti’s Q1 Digital Ad Report, but retailers will be interested to know what Temu and Shein are up to. Both seem to be playing possum when it comes to digital ads in the U.S., according to Tinuiti. The performance marketing agency recently released insights around Temu’s sudden pullback from Google Shopping […]
The MULO Dozen: April in Review
In April, Karla Jo Helms of JOTO PR Disruptors called our media outlet a “must-read for MULO (multi-location) brands navigating the fast-changing terrain of local, digital, and retail.” To that end, we bring you 12 top stories of each month from the retail, restaurant, service, franchise, hospitality, and convenience store ecosystem. What these brands are […]
Commentary
Streets Ahead: Evolution of Search, Social Platforms and Links
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses the AI driven evolution of search and explores the potential that social platforms are restricting the reach of posts with links. AI and the Evolution of Search The News Semrush, in partnership with Statista, has released a comprehensive report on the role of generative AI in th […]
How Retail Media and Performance Media are Shaping the Future of Brand Strategy
Shifting consumer behavior is driving a profound shift in how brands approach their marketing strategies. The once distinct silos of retail and performance media are no longer functioning as separate components of a brand’s advertising toolkit. Instead, they are converging into a unified framework that reflects the complex, nonlinear shopping journey of today’s consumer. This […]
Streets Ahead: Bluesky Soars and Google Expands
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses the mass exodus from X to Bluesky and Google expanding its “Nearby Offers and Events” feature. Bluesky Usage Soars Amid Exodus from X The News In the aftermath of the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Bluesky, a two-year-old decentralized social media platform, has seen a dramatic rise in user […]
Latest Posts
Night Market and Keen Join Forces to Transform Marketing for Brand Advertisers
At CES 2025, Night Market, the commerce agency affiliate of Horizon Media, and Keen Decision Systems introduced a strategic partnership designed to tackle pressing challenges in modern marketing. This collaboration brings together Night Market’s NEON platform—an AI-powered retail media and storefront optimization solution—and Keen’s adaptive marketing mix modeling software to deliver a unified, next-generation approach […]
Adjusting Tone and Language While Building the Perfect Target Audience
To streamline the pitching process, many public relations professionals will work from a pitch template that gives them a structure they can easily update with the information pertinent to any particular pitch. In addition to cutting down on the time it takes to prepare a pitch, templates also help to ensure important information for the […]
What I Saw in 2024: 10 MULO Trends and Predictions
As a journalist, I’m used to telling the stories that others pitch to me. (BTW…keep sending me your stats and news throughout 2025! You can reach me at [email protected].) Indulge me for a few minutes while I offer my perspectives on the year of MULO (multi-location) brands based on everything I’ve gathered. Here are my predictions […]
2025 Social Media Playbook: Authenticity, Originality, and Community-Driven Engagement
The era of trend-chasing is over. According to the newly released 2025 Sprout Social Index™, consumers are reshaping their expectations for brand behavior on social media. The verdict? Authenticity, originality, and personalized connections are no longer optional—they’re essential. This shift is more than a passing phase. As Rachael Goulet, Director of Social Media at Sprout […]
Walmart Credits In-Person Retail for Its Growth, and It’s Not Alone
Walmart’s Q3 earnings call revealed something interesting: Walmart places much of its recent revenue growth and success on in-person shopping. “In-store volumes grew, pickup from store grew faster, and delivery from store grew even faster than that,” the company wrote about its U.S. locations. The growth of in-store shopping in an era of e-commerce accessibility […]
The MULO Dozen: December in Review
What a year we had! MULO (multi-location) retailers, restaurants, and service businesses have BOOMed and BUSTed, the C-suites have seen many changes, and consumers continue to shop, research, and spend both in-store and online. They are compelled to find places and products via local search, as well as by social media pundits, retail ad networks, […]
Later Acquires Mavely for $250M. The Creator Economy is Here to Stay!
Later announced today the acquisition of Mavely for $250M, creating a creator powerhouse. Later is an enterprise-level influencer marketing and social media management software platform. Mavely is an app for the “everyday influencer” who earns commissions on sales. Later’s AI predictive analytics will now leverage first-party performance data from Mavely’s network of more than 120,000 creators […]
The New Creator (and the Brand Creator Behind Them)
Joseph Perello, founder and CEO of Props, created his company to provide content for MULO (multi-location) and other brands that need credible ways to reach consumers. Many brands have invested in mass influencer or creator marketing, which may drive eyeballs and social media traffic but doesn’t always lead to sales. The words “performance-driven” on Props’ […]
MULO Brands With Soul December Pick: Hummingbirds
Our previous Brands With Soul have all been retail, restaurant, service, and CPG brands with multiple locations (MULO) and millions of dollars to spend on rewarding their teams and giving to charities. But soul isn’t just for those brands. In fact, starting a business that serves MULO brands can be in the hands of an […]
‘Tis the Season of Predictions: The Rise of Data Networks, According to Perion
We’re at that time of year again. We’re not just talking about holiday spending. It’s the season where industry experts have future thinking dancing in their heads like sugarplums. Daniel Aks, President of Undertone by Perion, predicts the rise of first-party data networks across financial and transportation sectors. He anticipates major ad tech mergers and […]
Street Fight’s Big 3
Street Fight Columns
Street Fight Categories
Streets Ahead: Google Chat, and Instagram Reels