News and Analysis
Crant’s Ink Lantern Boosts Engagement for Brands
Crant, an AI training and consulting platform, has launched Ink Lantern, an AI platform that enables tracking and understanding of “brand Love.” “We see ‘brand love’ as that deep, emotional bond people form with brands, kind of like how you feel about your favorite band or sports team,” said Alvaro Meléndez, Co-Founder & CEO of […]
Sneak Preview: A Chat With Nick Dan-Bergman About Experiences
Nick Dan-Bergman is VP, Marketing & Insights at LaneTerralever (LT) and will be one of our featured speakers at Street Fight LIVE on November 7th at Meta’s Chicago headquarters. This one-day summit will be an amazing interactive experience (in the tradition of Street Fight gatherings in years past). So, we picked Nick to feature this week because his […]
The C in C-Stores Also Means Consolidation
C-stores (convenience stores) are huge within the MULO (multi-location) ecosystem. They include mega roadside complexes that have showers, EV chargers, food options, and (of course) restrooms. The size of these C-stores has expanded, and the brands now have bragging rights as they offer new services and bigger footprints. Check out this recent article. Corner delis […]
Commentary
BUST: Walk-In Weight Loss Jenny Craig Trims Down (and Disappears?)
Jenny Craig once had more than 600 locations and nearly $500M in revenue. But, like many industries, digital communications have been part of its downfall. The company announced this week that, after 40 years, they are shuttering all their locations. What are the factors that precipitated the massive change? New solutions for weight loss are […]
BUST: The Very Public Demise of Bed Bath & Beyond
Who will remember the brand Bed Bath & Beyond in a few years, and what will they say? Only time will tell, but in the interim, the retail media has had no fodder shortage over the past few weeks, dissecting how and why this iconic multi-location brand declined and ultimately declared bankruptcy. Monday morning quarterbacks […]
Pop Goes the Pop-Up Shop — For Big Brands and Mom & Pops
The Pop-up shop has long been part of the retail and restaurant landscape. They are temporary locations. Multi-location brands may take their products into small footprints or new configurations and venues and small brands may start with a limited-run concept and then expand it. 5 Pop-Up Models Some are seasonal. For example, Bryant Park in […]
Latest Posts
Keep an Eye on C-Stores (Both on and Off the Road!)
As we’ve previously covered, the traditional C-stores (convenience store) used to be that corner deli where you could pick up snacks, soft drinks, or smokes or the stop along the highway where you gassed up, took a hygiene break and grabbed something sugary to tide you over on the road. Consumers are starting to head […]
BrightLocal Report : How Consumers Find Local Businesses
When business owners and marketers need to ensure their business information is correct and consistent for thousands of locations, they might do well to first consult the BrightLocal Local Business Discovery and Trust Report 2023 for guidance. To Sammy Paget, Content Marketing Manager at BrightLocal, trust is at the heart of a high level of […]
Measuring the Return on SEO: ROSS and the Future of Organic Search
There’s an irony at the heart of organic search. For users, searching is one of the most natural, rapid, and reliable digital experiences one can have. You ask questions and expect the best answers in return—instantly. For users, a search could not be simpler. For brands, however, it’s been a little more complicated. Historically, it’s […]
Samba TV : Voters Becoming Harder to Reach with Political Advertising
A recently released report from Samba TV and global research firm HarrisX predicts that voting blocks in the Gen Z and Millennials cohorts will be very hard to reach with political advertising next year. The Guide to Political Advertising: 2024 Report, the culmination of an analysis from a survey and proprietary data from Samba TV, […]
Steak & Ale Makes a Brand Comeback
We’ve written before about “nostalgia” brands and those franchise businesses that have survived 50+ years. Steak & Ale would seem to fit right in there. Steakhouses are alive and well despite the surge in plant-based dining! So we weren’t totally shocked that Steak & Ale, a business created in 1966, is priming (pun intended) for […]
Unlocking Marketing Success: The Power of ID Resolution
In the ever-evolving digital landscape, the customer journey takes center stage as brands strive to craft compelling marketing and advertising campaigns. However, the abundance of customer data, often scattered across various identifiers like web browsers, mobile apps, and in-store interactions, poses a significant challenge Without the right tools and systems in place, this data fragmentation […]
BOOM: Lessons from Build-A-Bear
Stuffed bears have been around since 1903 and became a multi-million dollar business. Despite the popularity of electronic gadgets, VR, AR, and AI, the simple toy lives on! In fact, according to a recent Retail Dive article, Build-A-Bear is on the upswing and has major deals with big brands like Marvel, the NFL, Disney, and […]
Claravine Aims to Revolutionize Marketing Data Management
Claravine recently unveiled Claravine AI, a suite of solutions designed to redefine how marketing teams approach data management. This new offering, fueled by proprietary technology, promises to empower marketing teams with unprecedented control and insight into marketing taxonomy and metadata. By fostering collaboration across the content supply chain and automating the classification of creative assets, […]
Mark Michael Speaks About Today’s Franchise and Tech
DevHub CEO and Founder Mark Michael describes his company as the “torso” of the franchise brand ecosystem. DevHub specializes in building front-end websites that power the entire franchisor-to-franchisee-to-consumer experience. Their technology has more than 75 integrations with other commonly used platforms, and he often speaks about the power of human relationships in solving problems and […]
Compliant Launches Publisher Platform to Combat Illegal Data Sharing
In response to the pressing issue of illegal data sharing on digital publishing platforms, Compliant, a leading data compliance technology company, has introduced a new publisher platform. This platform utilizes advanced AI, termed Compliant Audit Technology, to identify and eradicate compliance risks and vulnerabilities within a publisher’s site. The move follows alarming findings by Compliant, […]
Streets Ahead: Meta’s Threads and Instagram Video Quality