News and Analysis
MULO Hotel Brands Go Glamping
We recently wrote about how many multi-location (MULO) hospitality brands are getting into the extended-stay space to meet the needs of business travelers, digital nomads, and other transient professionals. Not only major hotel brands providing these creature comforts but they are also putting guests closer to real creatures with their entrance into the glamping (upscale […]
Crafting a New Future: Michael’s Buys Joann Brands
When MULO (multi-location) fabric and crafts store JOANN declared bankruptcy and closed stores, crafters were up in arms. They took to social media, fretting about where they would buy their favorite handcraft supplies. Michael’s just purchased the failed brand’s 600 products across multiple categories, including fabric, quilting and sewing supplies, sewing machines, and yarn. Those crafters […]
dataplor Secures $20.5M Series B to Expand Global Location Intelligence
In another milestone for the rapidly evolving location intelligence sector, dataplor has announced a $20.5 million Series B funding round led by F-Prime, with participation from Spark Capital, FFVC, Acronym Venture Capital, Two Lanterns, APA Ventures, dara5, and Alumni Ventures. The investment marks a pivotal moment for the Manhattan Beach-based company as it accelerates the […]
Commentary
Streets Ahead: Meta’s AI Search Engine, Foursquare Shutters App
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, we discuss Meta building an AI search engine and Foursquare shuttering it’s original app. Meta Building an AI Search Engine? The News Meta has reportedly been developing its own AI search engine, aiming to crawl and index the web for up-to-date information on current events and diverse topics to expand […]
Building Blocks of a Multi-location Marketing Campaign
In today’s increasingly competitive digital marketplace, multi-location brands face unique challenges formulating their geographically driven marketing strategies. From maintaining brand consistency to tailoring efforts for local markets, businesses with multiple locations must walk a fine line between brand consistency and local relevance. With the right approach, brands can address these challenges effectively and build campaigns […]
Streets Ahead: Google’s AI Driven Search, Apple Business Connect
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, we discuss Google’s new AI-driven search features and updates to Apple Business Connect that expand business presence to the Apple ecosystem. Google Introduces New Search Features The News Google is introducing AI-driven enhancements to its search features, focusing on providing diverse and intuitive ways for users to interact with […]
Latest Posts
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 […]
How Will You Advertise in 2025? Here’s What 3 Industry Leaders Predict
As part of our 2025 predictions series, we reached out to three companies that specialize in new (and refined conventional) ways to advertise to consumers. They are all relevant to MULO (multi-location) brands, along with targeted creator marketing, retail media, and other new (and old) forms of marketing. As streaming media becomes a more significant […]
Stop the Texting Madness! Jack Philbin on How to Not Get Blocked by Consumers
Jack Philbin is CEO at Vibes, a texting message platform many MULO (multi-location) brands use. We talked to him about how consumers view text messages and how to craft the right ones. Philbin stresses: “The most important thing marketers can do right now, especially as we enter the holidays, is to prioritize quality over quantity […]
‘Tis Swag Season: Year-Round Gifting Trends from Graham Walsh
This is the season of gifting for MULO (multi-location) brands and the suppliers, agencies and tech companies that support them. These brands: Give holiday and thank you gifts to their valued clients Buy giveaways for trade shows and conferences, and consumer activations Invest in employee incentives and keepsakes for team gatherings Stock their online shelves […]
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