News and Analysis
95% of Your Customers Do This with AI and Humans, According to SOCi
“AI Suggests, Humans Decide!” That’s the bold statement that emerged from the SOCi 2025 Consumer Behavior Index (CBI). The company warns Brands to “embrace” human validation or get left behind. The study validated the importance of TikTok, Instagram, and real human experiences to determine spending choices. Although 19% of consumers are using AI tools themselves […]
Perion Acquires AI Platform Greenbids
When Perion Network Ltd., wanted to take the next step in expanding its offering and fueling potential growth, it decided to acquire Greenbids, an AI platform that can optimize campaigns at scale inside walled gardens such as YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, and leading DSPs such as Google DV360 and The Trade Desk. The transaction terms […]
The MULO Dozen: May in Review
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 […]
Commentary
Solving the Identity Crisis: The Next Frontier for CTV Advertising
Driven by viewer demand for variety and convenience in content, Connected TV (CTV) has become one of the fastest-growing major advertising channels globally. A recent report in eMarketer stated that in the US alone, CTV advertising spend is projected to grow by 22.4% and reach $30.10 billion in 2024. Presenting a plethora of opportunities to […]
Streets Ahead: TikTok Adds Yelp-Like Features, AI Overviews
In this week’s Streets Ahead update we learn about TikTok adding Yelp-like features and Google’s updates to AI Overviews. TikTok Adds Yelp-Like Features The News TikTok is adding features similar to Yelp, categorizing location-specific videos into segments such as food and drink, hotels, and shopping. This update aims to improve user experience by making it […]
Local Consumers Are Shifting Toward Social; Are Marketers Keeping Up?
Most local marketers are savvy about the importance of platforms like Google Maps and Apple Maps. As consumers ourselves, we know that these channels drive a huge amount of consumer traffic to storefronts, and we understand that informative, engaging search profiles help both small businesses and multi-location brands to differentiate themselves from the local competition. […]
Latest Posts
Holidays 2024 Installment 6: Christy Parrish Predicts the Spending Future
Christy Parrish is the Senior Director of Client Partnerships at Cordial, shares her 2024 Holiday Shopping Predictions in Street Fight’s exclusive interview. With a focus on customer behavior and channel preferences, Parrish delivers unique insights for retailers navigating the season What is your #1 shopping prediction for this holiday season? In her Holiday Shopping Predictions […]
How AI Can Help Multi-Location Restaurants Prevent Another Health Crisis
What if restaurants could spot a health crisis before it spreads? With the help of AI, they just might. McDonald’s burger patties may not have been the culprit of its recent E. coli outbreak, which the company quickly traced back to slivered onions, but customers temporarily took a step back from the quick-serve restaurant’s top […]
Who Won the “Near Me Scavenger Hunt?” (and What it Revealed)
During the lunch break at Street Fight LIVE, our guests hit the virtual streets to put themselves in their customers’ minds (and small screens) and find targeted businesses “near me”. The scavenger hunt, which LT sponsored, worked like this: We gave everyone five categories of products and services and instructed them to use their phones […]
Selling into MULO Big Brand Stores: One Founder’s Story
Every inventor, entrepreneur, or manufacturer can’t get a big deal on Shark Tank. Scaling up via online selling can be exhausting and highly competitive, especially when an inventor/manufacturer is up against hundreds of similar brands. Many food and product entrepreneurs dream of having their products sold by MULO (multi-location) big brand stores. We recently sat […]
StreetFight Live: All Content Creators are Not Created Equal!
Next in our series about the highlights of Street Fight LIVE is an overview of the UGC (User Generated Content) panel. Moderator Steph Hadas of 5WPR spoke before the session about the definition of public relations today and touched on how the lines have blurred between earned and paid media. MULO (multi-location) brands have discovered […]
Holidays 2024 Installment 5: Elizabeth Lafontaine Predicts the Spending Future
Elizabeth Lafontaine, Director of Research at Placer.ai, is joining the virtual panel of MULO (multi-location) experts who are discussing consumer shopping behavior and marketing trends for this holiday season. Please contact me if you have predictions for this holiday season or 2025! What is your #1 prediction for holiday shopping season? “One prediction for the […]
Streets Ahead: Meta’s Threads and Instagram Video Quality
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses the continued growth of the Meta’s Threads platform and the Instagram move to adjust video quality based on popularity Threads Rapid Rise: 275M Users and Counting The News Meta’s Threads app, emerging as a competitor to X (formerly Twitter), has rapidly grown, now boasting 275 million monthly […]
That Damn Retail Music May Actually Boost Sales!
As the holiday season approaches, we can expect to hear Mariah Carey blasting from speakers at many MULO (multi-location) businesses. A new study reveals that holiday music does impact spending. In fact, it can boost retail ticket size by as much as 42%! Mood Media found that: 41% of shoppers feel nostalgic, and 29% feel relaxed […]
Street Fight LIVE Insights: Are you Experienced?
For those OGs and rock fans, the title of this post pays homage to Jimi Hendrix. (It was the name of his award-winning album back in 1967!). And, like a great Hendrix guitar solo, the notion of experiences is timeless. That concept was reinforced at our opening session at Street Fight LIVE, led by Nick […]
From Pumpkin Spice to Prime Days: The Erosion of the Traditional Shopping Calendar
For years, shopping seasons were predictable. Black Friday, Back to School, and the holiday season provided distinct markers for consumers and retailers alike. Today, these events have blurred, creating an “always-on” shopping environment. Seasonal promotions now begin months ahead – Pumpkin Spice Lattes in August, Christmas decorations in September, and multiple annual Prime Days. This […]
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