News and Analysis
“Search Fractured” and Healed by Corey Quinn
Join us in LA on September 30th at Street Fight LIVE 2025 and learn what you need to know about branding, search, and (most importantly), growth and ROI in 2026 and beyond for the MULO (multi-location) ecosystem. The consumer decision-making process is radically different from what it was even last year, and thought leaders like […]
Universal Ads, Backed by Comcast, Launches AI-Powered Video Generator
Universal Ads, a Comcast-owned advertising platform designed to make television as easy to buy as social media, has launched a new AI-powered video generator that lets advertisers produce broadcast-ready commercials in minutes. The move underscores Comcast’s broader strategy to invest in and modernize the adtech stack, making premium TV advertising accessible to businesses of all […]
This Hummingbird is Soaring! A Chat With Emily Steele
Influencers, influencers, creators, creators everywhere! “Where is the ROI and long-term benefit?” C-level executives are asking. Founder Emily Steele, is helping to answer that question and will take the stage at Street Fight LIVE 2025 to share the fast-paced success of her business and talk about how the creator economy is evolving, with an emphasis on […]
Commentary
Finance Is Questioning Your Marketing Value: Can You Prove Your Worth?
Marketers today are facing an overwhelming number of challenges. Too many channels, each claiming to be the key to driving performance. Finance teams are questioning whether marketing investments are truly profitable. As a result of this pressure, many brands have shifted their budgets toward performance-driven digital channels, prioritizing conversion metrics that validate their short-term decision-making. […]
When a $7 Million Super Bowl Ad Isn’t Enough
The Super Bowl still represents the most premium of premium ad buys. However, the ROI of such a premium spot—regardless of its creative execution—has everything to do with the omnichannel strategy that surrounds it. More than ever, live sports advertising needs to reflect a community-driven mindset. As a result of the unique way in which […]
Fragmented Future: How the Loss of Net Neutrality Threatens Innovation and Equity
The internet has long been hailed as a great equalizer, a space where anyone with an idea can reach a global audience. However, the erosion of net neutrality principles threatens to undermine this fundamental characteristic, creating a fragmented and unequal online landscape. Without strong safeguards, the internet could transform from a platform for innovation and […]
Latest Posts
Keeping the Shelves Well Stocked: A Conversation With Joe Spisak
Joe Spisak is the CEO and Founder of Fulfill.com. Supply chain issues are certainly not as sexy and creative as that new ad campaign, AI-powered marketing system, or redesign of a MULO (multi-location) brand footprint. But they are critically important to brands and customers alike. After spending a small fortune on SEO and media campaigns, […]
Streets Ahead: Google Traffic Surges and AI Mode Launches
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses the 2024 surge in Google search traffic and the Google launch of AI Mode as a search alternative. Google Search Traffic Surges 22% in 2024 The News A new study from Rand Fishkin at Sparktoro reveals an eye-opening trend: Google search traffic surged by 21.64% in 2024 […]
BOOM: Brands & Concepts On the Rise in 2025
Who would have ever guessed that the bookstore would make a comeback? Barnes & Noble plans to open 60 new stores this year. Once considered a dying retail category, the bookstore is back and on the rise, selling more than just reading materials. Although physical books remain the brand’s main revenue source, stores have tapped […]
Stanley Tucci Hosts Allbirds New Series
It might be common knowledge by now that Allbirds, a footwear brand favored in Silicon Valley (and elsewhere), has launched an unscripted series in collaboration with actor Stanley Tucci, who hosts, and production company OBB Pictures and Salt Productions. It isn’t hard to find and stream the 20-minute episodes: They’re running all month on Rolling […]
What an Ugly Burrito Can Teach Us About Local Marketing
Many companies focus the majority of their marketing energy and budgets on developing a national brand. This can often be true even for those who do business locally. Although Starbucks and Chipotle mostly behave in our lives like local businesses, we still think of them as brands like Nike or Apple, whose reputations rest on […]
Local Businesses: Social-First, Tech-Driven, and Highly Adaptable
In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, a new breed of businesses is emerging. These businesses are rewriting the playbook by prioritizing social media, embracing advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), and maintaining agility in the face of uncertainty. Constant Contact’s latest Small Business Now report sheds light on these trends, offering valuable insights for multi-location […]
Streets Ahead: Google Reviews and Local Business Information
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Google wanting to help businesses to get more reviews and the new Local Pack feature providing insight into where Google is sourcing local business information. Google Helping Businesses Get More Reviews The News With all the recent buzz about Google cracking down on fraudulent (and some legitimate) […]
MULO Brands With Soul: February Pick
This year, some MULO (multi-location) brands declared that they were disbanding their DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) initiatives. As we all know, having a team dedicated to DEIB is not nearly as important as “walking the talk” if you declare yourself an inclusive brand. Read here about why having a DEIB policy today may […]
Addressing Advertising’s Overreliance on the Open Web
In recent years, the allocation of advertising spend has failed to keep pace with rapid shifts in consumer behavior and technology capabilities. As a result, many brands are pouring tremendous spend into the open web, neglecting the fact that targeting capabilities and consumer attention aren’t what they used to be. At the same time, brand […]
More Ad Transparency, Control Come to RE/MAX
Brands that advertise on real-estate site RE/MAX, now have the benefit of centralized control over their data and ad operations via a media automation platform called Unify. The platform also enables brands to precisely target local audiences. As with any big-ticket purchase, the journey to buying or selling a home begins online, often times with […]
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AI Won’t Fix Advertising – It May Scale Its Chaotic Nature