News and Analysis
“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 […]
Commentary
GenAI : Where Brand Marketers Need to Upskill for the Future
Generative AI (GenAI) was one of the most talked about technologies in 2023. We saw it support Google searches, streamline A/B testing efforts, and even play center stage in last summer’s SAG-AFTRA strike. With the ability to automate repetitive tasks and streamline processes, GenAI is becoming an invaluable tool in marketing – and its potential […]
Interest in Alternative Currencies Grows, But Legacy Currency Still Reigns
The U.S. joint industry committee (JIC) granted “conditional certification” to three alternative ad currencies for cross-platform negotiations: Comscore, iSpot and VideoAmp. The certification of these alternative currencies suggests that the industry is more open to the usage of alternative currencies, and that there is room for multiple currencies to transact against. Our insights back up […]
Navigating the Fragmented CTV Landscape: Strategies for Brands and Agencies
2023 was a year of exploration and education. As the industry begins 2024, agencies and brand marketers will continue to gain a better understanding while leveraging necessary campaign elements like transparency, incremental reach and co-viewing to navigate the new challenges and opportunities within the CTV (Connected TV) landscape. Today’s brand marketers are confronted with crucial […]
Latest Posts
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 […]
Google’s Privacy Shift: Balancing User Privacy, Ad Utility, and Industry Concerns
A recent Google approach for the Privacy Sandbox moves away from deprecating third-party cookies. Instead, it introduces a new experience in Chrome where users can make informed choices about their privacy settings across their web browsing, with the flexibility to adjust these choices. This change aims to give users more control over their privacy while […]
BUST: Clothes & Pizza
Last month, two very different MULO (multi-location) brands, Bob’s Stores and Mod Pizza, had significant financial challenges. MULO retailers and restaurants shuttering their brick-and-mortar operations or restructuring is certainly not major news these days. However, the recent announcements from these two brands prove that just because a consumer category is stable or growing, some businesses […]
Yelp Empowers Multi-location Brands with New Features and Enhanced Tools
Yelp announced today its Summer Ad Product Release, designed to deliver greater value to multi-location service businesses and national brands through a series of new features and updates. This latest rollout includes tools for multi-location service businesses to generate and manage high-intent leads, such as the newly introduced Request a Quote for Brands with a […]
June Retail Sales See Moderate Growth Amid Solid Economy
Retail sales in June demonstrated moderate growth, reflecting the stability of the current economy and near-zero inflation for retail goods, according to the latest CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions. This report, by the National Retail Federation (NRF), provides a detailed overview of retail sales trends and consumer spending behaviors. Economic Overview Despite facing […]
“Coupon Clippers” are Now “Coupon Clickers and Viewers”
The concept of discount coupons for grocery items originated in the 1800’s. After all, who doesn’t want a deal? But we’ve come a long way from paper envelopes filled with individual pieces of paper. Although local “circulars” still fill our mailboxes, automation and precise consumer targeting have taken the concept to a whole new level. […]
Big MULO Moments: Amazon Day 2024 Recap & Insights
Amazon Prime Day has passed. In the MULO (multi-location) retail and restaurant worlds, analysts and the media use certain major moments to” temperature-check” consumer spending behavior, marketing tactics, and economic trends. Super Bowl Christmas Back-to-School (which we’ll soon be covering) Valentine’s Day Mother’s and Father’s Days Wedding season (which seems to be year-round these days) […]
Brand Loyalty is Being Hit Hard by Inflation, According to New Resonate Report
A new study from Resonate reveals that consumers are radically changing their spending behavior and becoming less loyal to brands due to inflation. A whopping 97 percent of consumers have changed their spending, and about 19% have bought different brands or shopped at other stores or online because of prices. The full report can be […]
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. […]
Emerging Trends and Innovations Shaping the Future of AI in B2B Sales
AI has already transformed B2B sales, but it is poised to do even more in the coming months and years. According to a report by McKinsey, companies that leverage AI in their sales processes are already seeing an ROI uplift of 10-20% and a revenue increase of up to 15%. As AI-driven technologies continue to […]
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Meta Is Automating Ads, But Brands Still Face a Bigger Problem