News and Analysis
Paycom Taps NBA Star Jalen Williams to Put AI Answers Front and Center
B2B tech brands are increasingly turning to familiar faces to humanize complex software — and Paycom is leaning into that strategy with its latest campaign. The Oklahoma City–based HR and payroll platform has tapped Jalen Williams, an All-Star guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, to headline its new “Answers” campaign, spotlighting how its IWant™ AI […]
VIOOH and Atmosphere TV Expand Programmatic Place-Based Streaming
Programmatic video advertising is moving beyond traditional digital boundaries and deeper into the physical world. With a newly announced partnership, VIOOH, the global digital out-of-home (DOOH) supply-side platform, is teaming up with Atmosphere TV to unlock programmatic access to the largest place-based streaming TV network built specifically for businesses. The partnership expands access to more […]
Neuro-Contextual Advertising Signals the Post-Cookie Future of Attention
As cookies and identifiers continue to fade, a new frontier is emerging in digital advertising—one powered not by who users are, but by how they feel. New research from Seedtag suggests that neuro-contextual advertising, which aligns ads with emotional context and intent rather than personal data, is driving significantly higher attention and engagement across CTV […]
Commentary
Uncertainty is the Only Thing Certain in AdTech: Take the Power Back
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 Feature
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
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
Meet the Street Fight LIVE 2025 Speakers: Part 1
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
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
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
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
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 […]
Harris Poll : OOH Ads Yield Strong Results
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
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 […]
Pacific Drive-Ins Partners With Make to Save $1,500 a Day! What’s Next?
AI AI everywhere! The topic is top of mind throughout the MULO (multi-location) ecosystem. Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving, and its use cases are just starting to appear in business and industry media. One such example is Pacific Drive-Ins’ use of Make automation tools to streamline staffing. The companies reported that it helped Pacific (part of […]
Streets Ahead: Google Acknowledges ChatGPT Threat, New Visibility Boost for Restaurants
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Google admitting the competitive threat of ChatGPT and also doubling down on Local with a new “What’s Happening” feature benefiting restaurants Google on the ChatGPT Threat The News An internal Google document, surfaced during the ongoing Department of Justice trial (with a decision expected soon), reveals a major […]
Blue-Chip Brands Spend Big in OOH
When the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) released its annual MegaBrands report, Apple was again the top spender for 2024 in the OOH channel at $68.3 million. McDonald’s, Amazon, Coca-Cola, and Verizon were the others, proving that blue-chip brands continue to invest heavily in OOH for its powerful reach, location, and immediacy […]
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