News and Analysis
Dave’s Hot Chicken Tops Yelp’s Most Loved Brands
Consumers are cautious, still spending, and they love what they love. Yelp Most Loved Brands of 2025 report provides a snapshot of loyalty to certain brands and why and where enthusiasm is strongest. Dave’s Hot Chicken is the Nashville-style spicy chicken QSR that began in a Los Angeles parking lot and has since drawn a […]
Smarter Screens, Smarter Campaigns: How DOOH and Video Will Reshape 2026
As we head into 2026, the media landscape is reaching a distinct convergence point. Digital out-of-home (DOOH) is no longer an emerging channel. It’s the connective tissue between online intent and real-world decision-making. Video is no longer just a content format. It’s the operating system of modern influence. The smartest marketing and political campaigns in 2026 […]
Innovid Offers Reliable Measurement for Live Content
As live content continues its migration to streaming, marketers are demanding the same trust and precision they expect from traditional broadcast. Innovid, the independent software platform specializing in ad creation, delivery, measurement, and optimization, is stepping up to meet that challenge. The company recently unveiled its Live Content Certification Program, an initiative designed to ensure […]
Commentary
2026 Predictions: Where Multi-Location Brands Win Next
As we head into 2026, multi-location (MULO) and franchise brands are walking into one of the biggest opportunities we’ve seen in years. Not because there’s a shiny new channel that suddenly solves everything, but because Paid, Earned, and Owned Media are finally starting to work together in a way that rewards brands who think locally […]
Streets Ahead: Google Core Update, IG Search, Review Delays
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses the Google December 20025 Core Update, Instagram search traffic and Google Review appeals delay. Google Rolls Out December 2025 Core Update The News Google has launched its December 2025 Core Update, marking the third broad algorithm change this year following major releases in March and June. The […]
Intentional Marketing in the Age of AI: Smarter Strategy Choices for 2026
If 2025 has taught me one thing about AI, it’s that success won’t be about who uses the most. It will be about who uses it most intentionally. That’s why I want to take a step back from the marketing buzzwords. Before you jump into implementing any new AI solution in 2026, it’s vital to […]
Latest Posts
Guideline Unveils Customizable AI Dashboards, Elevating Advertising Data Analysis
Guideline has introduced a major enhancement to its AI-driven analytics platform, unveiling Customizable AI Agent Dashboards that convert conversational insights into structured, persistent workspaces. The launch marks a meaningful evolution in AI-powered media analytics, enabling teams to move from natural-language queries to continuous analysis supported by Guideline’s more than $170 billion in verified annual ad-investment […]
Cadent Buys VuePlanner, Expands Total Video Capabilities Across YouTube and CTV
Cadent, the predictive advertising platform known for its leadership in cross-screen advertising, announced a significant expansion today with the acquisition of VuePlanner, a company recognized for innovation in YouTube advertising, campaign optimization, and independent measurement. The acquisition strengthens Cadent’s positioning as a converged media platform capable of delivering a single, unified workflow for advertisers across […]
The Top Challenges in Localization and How Brands Solve Them
For mission-driven brands, trust is everything. Yet a single poorly worded message or misplaced visual can unintentionally damage that trust—especially as awareness campaigns expand into new communities. Growth requires reach, but reach without localization and cultural relevance risks appearing inauthentic or disconnected from the people you want to serve. With 76% of people preferring information […]
Streets Ahead: OpenAI ‘Code Red’, Google Maps & Gemini, Review Extortion
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Google and OpenAI escalating the AI platform race as Gemini outperforms GPT-5, Google Maps gaining new Gemini features, and Google responding to rising review extortion. Gemini’s Lead Triggers OpenAI ‘Code Red’ The News OpenAI has been shipping new ChatGPT features at a steady clip, but on core […]
Adform Integrates with Spotify Ad Exchange to Advance Programmatic Audio Buying
As digital audio spending accelerates toward a projected $43 billion global market in 2024, Adform and Spotify are expanding their partnership to bring agencies and brand marketers new levels of efficiency, transparency, and omnichannel precision. The companies announced that Adform is now directly integrated into the Spotify Ad Exchange, giving buyers streamlined access to Spotify’s […]
Plymouth Rock Launches Campaign for Northeast Region
Plymouth Rock Assurance, which provides homeowners and car insurance to customers in the Northeast, has a new ad campaign in which it advises customers to “keep calm and rock on,” a fairly reasonable directive, considering the vertical. North Carolina ad agency McKinney, created the campaign that is meant to support the idea that living in the Northeast […]
The App-or-Web Dilemma: Where Brands Should Steer Holiday Shoppers
A shopper clicked on your Black Friday email. They landed on your mobile site, ready to buy. A full-page interstitial pops up: “Download our app for a better experience!” They closed it. Lost sale: $150. Multiply that by thousands of clicks during peak shopping days, and you’re leaving serious money on the table. Most retailers […]
Balancing Local SEO and Paid Ads Using Hyperlocal Visibility Intelligence
For agencies working with multi-location (MULO) brands, one of the hardest ongoing decisions is how to split resources between local SEO and paid media. The reality is this: local SEO and paid ads are not competing disciplines. They’re complementary, and the most effective agencies aren’t choosing between them — they’re deciding where each produces the […]
StackAdapt Enhances the DOOH Process
StackAdapt has a new DOOH experience that replaces spreadsheets and static lists with real-time mapping that integrates Programmatic Guaranteed inventory access through both Broadsign and Vistar. Most DSPs typically integrate with only one. Under the improved system, advertisers will have greater transparency about pricing and availability to launch for reserved screens directly on the platform. […]
How To Explain AI Search Visibility to Agency Clients
The rise of AI in search is happening fast — and once again, agencies are tasked with making sense of a major shift for their clients while the playbook is still being written. Most enterprise and multi-location clients already understand the fundamentals of traditional local SEO, like Google Business Profile optimization. But when you start […]
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