News and Analysis
Stic Turns Everyday Driving Into a New, Measurable OOH Channel
Out-of-home advertising is getting more mobile and more measurable. Stic, a platform that turns everyday driving into a brand exposure network, has raised $10 million in bridge funding as agencies and advertisers search for alternatives to crowded digital channels. By paying drivers per mile to carry brand messaging through real neighborhoods, Stic offers brands a […]
Retail Media’s Maturity Moment: Why 2026 Changes Everything for Brands
Retail media is entering its maturity phase — and in 2026, there will be no hiding behind experimentation. As brands shift real budget into retail media networks, the pressure is on retailers to prove incremental impact, operational rigor, and measurable outcomes at scale. With U.S. retail media ad spend projected to surpass $69 billion, the […]
How Brands Can Influence AI Search Results—Not Just Rank in Them
As AI answers increasingly replace traditional search results, local and regional brands are facing a new visibility challenge: how to show up when consumers never click a link at all. In an AI search environment where recommendations are surfaced instantly—and often without a website visit—being included in the answer matters more than driving traffic. A […]
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
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 […]
Franchise Marketing Needs a New Playbook for the Post-Promo Era
Okay, we need to talk. Promotional marketing has been the go-to playbook for franchise brands for years. The “20% off” email, the last-minute BOGO social ad, the holiday-themed coupon barrage—we all know the routine. Why? Because it work s… or worked, at least. But here’s the hard truth: short-term wins won’t cut it anymore. Today’s […]
Scorpion and Clio Partner to Deliver End-to-End Visibility for Law Firms
In a move to redefine what law firms should expect from their marketing and software solutions, Scorpion, the leader in digital marketing for law firms, and Clio, the most trusted cloud-based legal technology platform, have announced an exclusive strategic partnership. The alliance directly addresses one of the legal industry’s most persistent challenges: connecting marketing investments […]
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