News and Analysis
Franchise Growth in 2025: 5 Insights That Could Define Your Future
Franchise businesses represent the backbone of many local economies, contributing not only to the convenience and options we enjoy but also to significant employment growth across the country. In an economy shaped by rapid technological change, evolving consumer behavior, and rising operational costs, franchises are facing both tremendous opportunity and unprecedented complexity. At Cinch, our […]
Karla Jo Helms Preps MULO Brands for the Impact of Tariffs
Karla Jo Helms runs an agency — JOTO PR Disruptors — that describes itself as “the anti-PR agency.” What does that actually mean? They focus on facts and pragmatic guidance rather than just media hype. To that end, Helms advises brands that may be wondering how to best prepare for U.S. trade tariffs. What should […]
Uniting Marketing and Tech Teams to Unlock AI Success
The majority of marketing and tech teams have historically been siloed within organizations, with each focusing on their own goals and paths for execution. Now, as the adoption of AI to enhance customer experiences and drive greater results takes off, that separation is no longer sustainable. In fact, according to McKinsey, nearly 65% of marketers […]
Commentary
Streets Ahead: AI Overviews and Organic Search, Google Core Update Concludes
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi looks at recent changes in AI Overviews as well as the conclusion of Google’s August Core Update. AI Overviews Now Better Reflecting Google Organic Search Results The News Recent research by Mark Traphagen and seoClarity shows that AI Overviews (AIOs) are now closely mirroring Google’s organic search results. After […]
Streets Ahead: FTC Reviews Ruling and Google Core Update
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi looks at the FTC’s new ruling on reviews and the Google august core update. FTC Launches New Rule to Combat Misleading Reviews and Ratings The News Fake reviews have been a longstanding issue in the digital marketplace, misleading consumers and harming reputable businesses. In response, after over a […]
Brand Marketing: Focus on Outcomes and Cut Through the AI Hype
Google’s decision to call off its deprecation of the third-party cookie may seem like a reprieve for many brand marketers. But the truth is, regardless of this move, the digital landscape is increasingly privacy-centric. As users take control of their data-privacy, brand marketers have two options: spend more or spend smarter. AI can deliver the […]
Latest Posts
Raptive Survey: Cleaning Is a Top Holiday Stressor
There is no rest for weary creators during the holiday season, but opportunities for brands abound. Raptive, a media platform that works with enterprise publishers and more than 5,000 creators, conducted a survey recently of more than 300 creators and more than 600 consumers about various topics related to the holiday season. Publishing verticals included […]
Holidays 2024 Installment 7: Christena Garduno Predicts the Spending Future
Christena Garduno is the CEO of Media Culture, a performance marketing agency. As we continue our Holiday Shopping 2024 trends predictions, she offers her perspectives on what and where people will experience retail gift shopping this year. What is your #1 prediction for the holiday shopping season? “Experiential retail will play an even greater role […]
Give the People What They Crave! Gregg Majewski Adds Brand to Portfolio
Gregg Majewski was one of the highlight speakers at Street Fight LIVE 2024. This week, he made the news with Craveworthy Brands’ acquisition of Fresh Brothers Pizza, a MULO (multi-location) company with 22 locations. Craveworthy is currently the parent company of: BD’s Mongolian Grill Dirty Dough Flat Top Grill Genghis Grill Krafted Burger Bar + […]
Report: Advertisers Must Include Mobile Games in the Media Mix
It looks like the mobile channel is undervalued or at least under-utilized in advertising. Who knew? More specifically, the mobile gaming audience is being overlooked. According to a report by Digital Turbine called, “The Game-Changing Shift Report Series: CPG Edition. Why Brands Need to Consider Mobile Games in Their Media Mix,” ad campaigns miss up […]
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 […]
Holidays 2024 Installment 6: Christy Parrish Predicts the Spending Future
Christy Parrish is the Senior Director of Client Partnerships at Cordial, shares her 2024 Holiday Shopping Predictions in Street Fight’s exclusive interview. With a focus on customer behavior and channel preferences, Parrish delivers unique insights for retailers navigating the season What is your #1 shopping prediction for this holiday season? In her Holiday Shopping Predictions […]
How AI Can Help Multi-Location Restaurants Prevent Another Health Crisis
What if restaurants could spot a health crisis before it spreads? With the help of AI, they just might. McDonald’s burger patties may not have been the culprit of its recent E. coli outbreak, which the company quickly traced back to slivered onions, but customers temporarily took a step back from the quick-serve restaurant’s top […]
Who Won the “Near Me Scavenger Hunt?” (and What it Revealed)
During the lunch break at Street Fight LIVE, our guests hit the virtual streets to put themselves in their customers’ minds (and small screens) and find targeted businesses “near me”. The scavenger hunt, which LT sponsored, worked like this: We gave everyone five categories of products and services and instructed them to use their phones […]
Selling into MULO Big Brand Stores: One Founder’s Story
Every inventor, entrepreneur, or manufacturer can’t get a big deal on Shark Tank. Scaling up via online selling can be exhausting and highly competitive, especially when an inventor/manufacturer is up against hundreds of similar brands. Many food and product entrepreneurs dream of having their products sold by MULO (multi-location) big brand stores. We recently sat […]
StreetFight Live: All Content Creators are Not Created Equal!
Next in our series about the highlights of Street Fight LIVE is an overview of the UGC (User Generated Content) panel. Moderator Steph Hadas of 5WPR spoke before the session about the definition of public relations today and touched on how the lines have blurred between earned and paid media. MULO (multi-location) brands have discovered […]
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