News and Analysis

Real American Beer Supports Live Music

Real American Beer Supports Live Music

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Way back in 1974, The Who single “Long Live Rock” contained the sad refrain, “Rock is dead.” Not if WWE icon Hulk Hogan and his Real American Beer brand have anything to say about it: rock music—along with other genres–is being nourished and thriving through its brand sponsorships that support up-and-coming bands across the U.S. […]

Customer Communication : How AI and Omnichannel Are Changing the Game StreetFight

Customer Communication : AI and Omnichannel

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A new study by Sinch, a global company specializing in SMS marketing, reveals that consumers have particular views on the rapid pace of AI integration in customer communication. The 2.8 consumers surveyed expect consistent, secure, and personalized experiences across all channels, including SMS, email, chat, and voice. A significant 58% of consumers are accepting of […]

Broadsign In-Advance Advances DOOH Buying StreetFight

Broadsign Makes Advances in DOOH Buying

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Broadsign wanted to cut lengthy buying cycles in DOOH (digital out-of-home), and now it can with the launch of a new product called Broadsign In-Advance. Its first customer is now WPP Media in the Netherlands, which tested the new capability to secure DOOH ads across the Netherlands via OutMoove. The technology enables media buyers to […]

Commentary

Uncertainty is the Only Thing Certain in AdTech: Take the Power Back Streetfight

Uncertainty is the Only Thing Certain in AdTech: Take the Power Back

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Google has had quite an interesting start to 2025. Just last month, the United States Department of Justice ruling that Google was operating as an advertising monopoly was quickly followed by the announcement that it plans to keep third-party cookies. And all of this comes after Google made significant changes to its search algorithm in […]

Streets Ahead: ChatGPT Shopping and Yelp's AI Call Handling Streetfight

Streets Ahead: ChatGPT Shopping and Yelp’s AI Call Feature

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In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses ChatGPT introducing direct shopping and Yelp testing AI-powered call handling. ChatGPT’s New Shopping Experience The News  OpenAI has introduced a new augmented shopping experience inside ChatGPT, enabling users to browse and buy products directly within the platform. The feature showcases detailed product information, customer reviews, and direct purchase […]

Streets Ahead: Meta Heading to Court and Instagram Reposts Street Fight

Streets Ahead: Meta Heading to Court and Instagram Reposts

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In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discuss Meta Heading to Court and Instagram Reposts. Meta Heads to Court as FTC Pushes Breakup of Instagram and WhatsApp The News  Meta is back in court this week as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advances its long-running case to force the company to divest Instagram and WhatsApp. The […]

Latest Posts

The MULO Dozen: May in Review StreetFight

The MULO Dozen: May in Review

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Perhaps the biggest news of May is the announcement of some of our amazing and visionary speakers for Street Fight LIVE 2025. However, we’re biased. That said, you won’t find this much diverse and forward-thinking insight anywhere else this fall. The lines have blurred between digital and conventional media, marketers, influencers, and retail, restaurant, and […]

Streets Ahead: Microsoft New Agentic Tools, Apple Maps Recommendations StreetFight

Streets Ahead: Microsoft New Agentic Tools, Apple Maps Recommendations

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In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Microsoft unveiling over 50 new AI  agentic web tools and Apple Maps adding curated recommendations. Microsoft Adds New AI Agentic Web Tools The News  At its Build 2025 conference, Microsoft outlined a sweeping strategy to lead the evolution of the “open agentic web,” unveiling more than 50 […]

Vistar Study Shows In-Store DOOH Really Works

Shopping Distraction or Enhancement? Study Shows In-Store DOOH Really Works

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Vistar Media, the leading global provider of technology solutions for digital-out-of-home (DOOH) media, partnered with consumer research company MFour to better understand how consumers view retail media ads. A relatively new frontier for MULO (multi-location) advertisers, these messages target customers from the parking lot through checkout. But do they impact consumer shopping behavior? The study […]

Meet the Street Fight LIVE 2025 Speakers

Meet the Street Fight LIVE 2025 Speakers: Part 1

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Street Fight LIVE was resurrected last year, after pausing for the pandemic. This “un-conference” thought leadership conference is the first of its kind because it brings together C-level executives and decision-makers across MULO (multi-location) retailers, restaurants, convenience stores, service businesses, eatertainment/sportainment concepts, and hospitality brands. They are joined by the agencies and technology companies (with […]

Scalable Reviews and Reputation Management for Multi-Location Brands StreetFight

Scalable Reviews and Reputation Management for Multi-Location Brands

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It’s no secret that customer reviews makes or breaks a brand. Reputation management influences buying decisions, impacts local search rankings, and—let’s be honest—shapes how people feel about doing business with you. For multi-location brands, though, reputation management isn’t just about responding to a few Google reviews. It’s about scaling trust across dozens, hundreds, or even […]

Wegmaniacs Rejoice as Wegmans Opens Restaurants StreetFight

“Wegmaniacs” Rejoice as Wegmans Opens Restaurants

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Industry crossovers are nothing new. Tommy Bahama has restaurants, a retail operation, and now a hotel. Fitness retailers like Athleta offer in-store workout classes. And now Wegmans , an iconic grocery store with more than 110 locations , is opening a restaurant to appeal to its Wegmaniacs fan base! Tastings is opening in Rochester, New […]

Spaceback Introduces CTV Launchpad Platform StreetFight

Spaceback Introduces CTV Launchpad Platform

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Spaceback, which bills itself as a pioneer of social CTV, has released a new platform called CTV Launchpad that enables advertisers to produce hundreds of creative options that include local elements like business addresses for some multilocation brands or a QR code that can scan to a local office or store. “It used to be […]

BOOM: The Hard War in Hardware StreetFight

BOOM: The Hard War in Hardware

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You may occasionally find an independent hardware store in your neighborhood. However, they are becoming rare as “the big five” dominate. They are (in no particular order): Home Depot Lowe’s Menard Ace True Value Over the next five years, the total hardware industry revenue is projected to grow from $59B to $75B. Home Depot and […]

Report: OOH Ads Yield Strong Results Street Fight

Harris Poll : OOH Ads Yield Strong Results

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The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) conducted a Harris Poll and found that—surprise—the channel delivers desirable results across various product and service verticals. Job recruitment, beverages, personal care, real estate, and fine dining ads all perform well in OOH and DOOH, the report said. Some 86% of adults reported taking action after […]

Retail Media Networks: Perspectives from John Gomez of RPM Labs

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John Gomez is a former Trader Joe’s executive and is now the CEO of RPM Labs.  This new technology company is bringing retail media capabilities directly to mobile devices. We recently sat with him to better understand today’s retail media landscape and what to expect in the months (and years) ahead. How many retail media […]