News and Analysis
Summer Foods: Burger, Pizza, and Ice Cream BOOMs & BUSTs
As the temperatures heat up, so does the popularity of the “foods of summer.” Families gather, and people take road trips. This year domestic vacations are on the upswing. Along with those adventures come spending at c-stores, roadside restaurants including MULO (multi-location) brands, and retailers. According to Statista, French fries, fried chicken, and hamburgers are […]
MULO Brands With Soul June Pick: Patagonia
Small but mighty, this MULO (multi-location) brand has about 100 stores globally. However, their heart is far bigger than their physical footprint. We’re talking about Patagonia, a brand founded in 1953 and has a long and rich history, proving that soul and scale can go together. Founder Yvon Choinard was so passionate about his environmental […]
Flamel.ai Streamlines Social Ads for Multi-Location Brands
Flamel.ai, a marketing technology platform built for franchise and multi-location businesses, has launched a new set of tools aimed at automating localized social media advertising. The product release marks the company’s latest effort to reduce the operational complexity of managing campaigns across dozens—or even hundreds—of individual markets. The update focuses on helping franchisors plan, launch, […]
Commentary
Streets Ahead: FTC Reviews Ruling and Google Core Update
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi looks at the FTC’s new ruling on reviews and the Google august core update. FTC Launches New Rule to Combat Misleading Reviews and Ratings The News Fake reviews have been a longstanding issue in the digital marketplace, misleading consumers and harming reputable businesses. In response, after over a […]
Brand Marketing: Focus on Outcomes and Cut Through the AI Hype
Google’s decision to call off its deprecation of the third-party cookie may seem like a reprieve for many brand marketers. But the truth is, regardless of this move, the digital landscape is increasingly privacy-centric. As users take control of their data-privacy, brand marketers have two options: spend more or spend smarter. AI can deliver the […]
Streets Ahead: Google Monopoly Ruling, AIO Declines
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi looks at what’s next after the Google monopoly ruling as well as the continued decline in Google AI Overviews (AIO). Google Monopoly Ruling: What’s Next After the DOJ’s Landmark Decision? The News Last week, we reported on a significant development in the lawsuit filed against Google by the […]
Latest Posts
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 […]
Holidays 2024 Installment 4: Megan Hastings Predicts the Spending Future
Megan Hastings is Head of Customer Insight Strategy at Quantum Metric. The company specializes in analyzing the customer journey. And, as we know, that journey includes lots of retail visits for holiday gifting this time of year! And, according to Hastings, lots of visits to that mobile screen! Here’s the latest in our Holiday Predictions […]
Streets Ahead: ChatGPT and the Rise of AI Overviews
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses the newly launched search feature in ChatGPT and the rise of AI Overviews for Google local search results. OpenAI’s New Search Feature Transforms ChatGPT The News OpenAI has introduced a new feature that brings real-time web search capabilities to ChatGPT, marking a significant upgrade from its previous reliance […]
A View From the Stage: 10 Takeaways from StreetFight LIVE
I had the pleasure of chairing the re-boot of StreetFight LIVE, the first gathering of its kind since 2018. StreetFight Live events are back! And, as one of our panels reinforced, people today are looking for inspiring, fun, and memorable experiences that engage them and keep them coming back. More than 30 professionals — across […]
Holidays 2024 Installment 3: Mike Debnar Predicts the Spending Future
As we continue with our Holiday 2024 trends and forecast countdown, we asked Mike Debnar what stars will be shining bright this season. Debnar is the VP Retail Executive Advisor at Medallia. He focuses on creating innovative customer experience programs for brands utilizing his extensive background in CRM and CX. Mike holds a degree in management information […]
Will the Election Affect Holiday Shopping?
Presidential election years tend to boost holiday-season spending, regardless of who wins the most votes, according to Experian plc, a global data analytics and consumer credit reporting company. Experian has released its 2024 Holiday Spending Trends and Insights report, and with it, the launch of contextually-Indexed Audiences. Advertisers can use this new offering to blend […]
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