News and Analysis
Guideline Bets on an “AI Factory” to Reinvent Media Planning
Guideline has unveiled a major expansion of its artificial intelligence strategy with the launch of the Guideline AI Factory, an internal innovation engine designed to accelerate how AI powers its ad intelligence data products and media plan management (MPM) technologies. The initiative marks a shift from standalone analytics capabilities toward embedded intelligence that directly supports […]
TikTok Is Becoming a Core Marketing Channel — Not Just a Social App
TikTok, once known purely for bite-sized content and entertainment, has evolved into a place people go to discover brands, learn what’s trending, and make decisions. With over 1 billion monthly active users globally and 200 million in the U.S.1, it’s become where someone might first hear about a product, look up a service, or decide […]
Study Finds Rewards Drive Bigger Baskets – and Brand Switching
A new 2026 study from XCCommerce found that 46.8% of shoppers buy more than planned or switch brands when redeeming rewards. The data suggests promotions are no longer just loyalty tools. They actively drive incremental spend, especially when offers are simple, timely, and delivered through owned channels like email and text. StreetFight spoke with XCCommerce […]
Commentary
AI Is Changing Customer Discovery Forever. Who Wins?
Until today, search has been the enabler of the internet. It served as a powerhouse of digital economics, the foundation of the Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) business model, and the model for organic customer discovery. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) underpinned how brands and companies crafted their marketing and communications strategies. Artificial intelligence (AI) changes all of this. […]
Streets Ahead: GBP Data Glitch, Google Supercharges Search, Instagram Tests Insights
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses a recent Google Business Profile (GBP) glitch, Google supercharging search with AI and Instagram testing frame-level insights. Google Business Profile Glitch Skews Local Search Impression Data The News Local SEO professionals began raising red flags in late June after noticing significant drops in impression metrics within Google […]
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 […]
Latest Posts
Summer Foods: Burger, Pizza, and Ice Cream BOOMs & BUSTs
As the temperatures heat up, so does the popularity of the “foods of summer.” Families gather, and people take road trips. This year domestic vacations are on the upswing. Along with those adventures come spending at c-stores, roadside restaurants including MULO (multi-location) brands, and retailers. According to Statista, French fries, fried chicken, and hamburgers are […]
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 […]
MULO Brands With Soul June Pick: Patagonia
Small but mighty, this MULO (multi-location) brand has about 100 stores globally. However, their heart is far bigger than their physical footprint. We’re talking about Patagonia, a brand founded in 1953 and has a long and rich history, proving that soul and scale can go together. Founder Yvon Choinard was so passionate about his environmental […]
Flamel.ai Streamlines Social Ads for Multi-Location Brands
Flamel.ai, a marketing technology platform built for franchise and multi-location businesses, has launched a new set of tools aimed at automating localized social media advertising. The product release marks the company’s latest effort to reduce the operational complexity of managing campaigns across dozens—or even hundreds—of individual markets. The update focuses on helping franchisors plan, launch, […]
Captify and Adalyser Partner to Bring Search Intent Data into TV Ad Targeting
In a move that reflects broader shifts in how advertisers approach TV media buying, Captify and Adalyser have announced a partnership designed to integrate search intent data into premium TV advertising campaigns. The collaboration brings together Captify’s real-time search behavior signals and Adalyser’s ActiveVoice Store, a self-serve platform offering access to major broadcaster inventory such […]
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 […]
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