News and Analysis
Uniting Marketing and Tech Teams to Unlock AI Success
The majority of marketing and tech teams have historically been siloed within organizations, with each focusing on their own goals and paths for execution. Now, as the adoption of AI to enhance customer experiences and drive greater results takes off, that separation is no longer sustainable. In fact, according to McKinsey, nearly 65% of marketers […]
C-Store – Stop…Charge…Drink…Earn…Repeat
What’s new at the C-store (convenience store)? The lowly truck stop is now tech-powered, innovative, and a model for other MULO (multi-location) brands to learn from. Among the seven big trends we’ll see along the road at at the corner store in the months ahead are: EV chargers. Forecasters believe these necessary roadside amenities will […]
420 Goes Digital With the Help of Vistar Media
The cannabis industry is unique in that it was one of the first major sectors to benefit from technology from its inception. A highly-regulated space, marketing cannabis (like the financial, liquor, and pharmaceutical industries) is filled with regulations. That’s where digital media comes into play, keeping major cannabis brands from “going up in smoke.” April 20th […]
Commentary
Third-party Cookies, The Future is Here
The future is here. As the clock strikes midnight on December 31, 2023, another clock gets set into motion: the beginning of the end of third-party cookies. Google’s long-debated cookie depreciation will begin in January incrementally and support for them will be gone by the end of the year. While anyone tracking this environment has seen […]
Unveiling the Crystal Ball: 5 Predictions for Digital Advertising in 2024
As we say goodbye to 2023 and look forward to 2024, the digital advertising landscape is poised (yet again) for significant shifts and transformations. Here are five bold predictions that are set to reshape digital advertising in 2024. Political Ad Spend Will Soar to Unexpected Heights Creating Unanticipated CPM pain for ALL Marketers and Brands […]
The Evolution of Social Media Advertising in 2023: What Lies Ahead in 2024
In the rapidly shifting terrain of social media advertising, a single platform is stealing the spotlight, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. TikTok, with its exponential growth, is racing ahead as one of the most prominent social platforms of 2023. But the story doesn’t end there. Meta, the tried and true veteran in […]
Latest Posts
Ad-Tech Experts Weigh In on Using GenAI
“Experiments are easy, but scale is hard.” That’s according to Jennifer Fleck, Senior Principal at Slalom Consulting, who talked about the challenge of scaling GenAI initiatives. The key is in balancing innovation, risk and feasibility, she said. “Most of the GenAI we see happening at enterprise organizations right now is an ambitious idea that stays […]
EVs, Gas, and Targeted Marketing: The Future of Car Dealerships, According to Stirista
Car dealerships, like many MULO (multi-location) businesses, are evolving. You can now buy used cars online, some dealerships are opening showrooms in shopping centers (rather than on traditional lots), and consumers are shopping around for the best deals nationwide. About 18K car dealerships exist in the U.S. today, but how consumers shop at them (and […]
Klaviyo Integration: Leveraging Pinterest for Enhanced Social Commerce
Social commerce is growing rapidly, with US retail social-commerce sales projected to hit $80 billion, representing 5% of total US e-commerce by 2025. To stay competitive, brands must offer personalized experiences across various social media platforms. To better support this direction, Klaviyo has expanded its ecosystem of over 350 integrations with the addition of Pinterest. […]
The People Have Spoken: BrightLocal Reveals Review Ratings
When consumers search their small screens to decide where to shop, eat, buy groceries, or exercise, they often consult reviews. In fact, poor scores may send someone off to your competitors’ brands—never to return. We all know that UGC (user-generated content) and consumer reviews play a big role in decision-making today. The annual consumer review […]
Surveys 2.0: Chatmeter’s AI-Driven Solution for Enhanced Customer Insights
Chatmeter has announced the release of Surveys 2.0, a new solution from its Pulse Ai: Signals platform. This AI-driven tool offers multi-location brands a 360° view of customer insights by continuously analyzing survey data, reviews, and social data in real-time. This looks to be the first time such comprehensive, real-time analysis has been available in […]
The Billboard Now Big Screens: OOH Trends from Kevin Bartanian
We know that many consumers today use their small screens (i.e., phones and tablets) to organize their lives, find the things and experiences they need, communicate with friends, family, and colleagues, and watch countless hours of strangers and animals doing bizarre and sometimes comical/inspirational things. Marketers from MULO (multi-location) brands use those screens to push […]
Can Target’s Private Label Products Help Them Compete? Three Brand Experts Weigh In
Target launched its first private label brand in 1984 with the launch of the Honors clothing line. These product lines are now called “owned brands” by the MULO (multi-location) retail giant, which now has nearly 50 owned brands, some of which they have begun to sell to other retailers, making Target a wholesaler and shopping […]
Going for Retail Gold: How the Olympics Impacts MULO Retail & Food
We recently wrote about “momentjacking” and how MULO (multi-location) brands take full advantage of events — big and small — to boost sales and consumer engagement. BTW, “the bon moment” in French means “the right time.” So, why is the Summer Olympics the bon moment for MULO brands? 15 “global partners” have signed on to the Paris […]
Tinuiti Q2 Ad Report Sees Spike in AI-Powered Digital Campaigns
So how did the digital ad economy perform in Q2? Tinuiti explains it all for us in its Digital Ads Benchmark Report, released July 24, which looks at quarterly trends across Google, Meta, Amazon and other dominant platforms. First off, AI-powered digital campaigns drove spending up for the likes of Meta Advantage + and Google Performance […]
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 […]
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