News and Analysis
Tinuiti’s CMO Tips for 2025
As if Google doesn’t have enough headaches, between the DOJ trial and calls for it to be broken up, now it has to contend with ChatGPT and Perplexity, which could destroy its search business. Those blue links of highlighted text curated on a Google search are becoming an endangered species, according Tinuiti’s Big Bets for […]
Toilets, Termites, and Terraces: A $1.2 Trillion Opportunity
When we think of franchise businesses and other MULO (multi-location) operations, we tend to think of retail, restaurant, convenience stores, and service businesses like walk-in clinics and tax prep services. But a huge category exists called home services. Although many of these operations do not require brick-and-mortar locations (beyond a co-working space or small office […]
What Innovid Brings to the Mediaocean Table
Once the Mediaocean acquisition of Innovid (for upwards of $500 million) goes through, the company will have one tough tech stack. “Being able to manage everything from Meta to TikTok to Snap, to now Reddit, is the latest one,” said Mediaocean CMO Aaron Goldman. Managing ads inside walled gardens is something that Flashtalking does very […]
Commentary
Rootstrap Co-Founder on AI Regulation
First of all, Anthony Figueroa wants everyone to know he is a big believer in the power and potential of AI. As co-founder and CTO of outcome-driven software development company Rootstrap, he is both amazed and afraid of AI’s potential based on what he has seen so far. “I think the biggest danger is that […]
The Next Big Change for Brands: Digital Trust
Data privacy and consumer trust are key priorities for multi-location brands, users, and the U.S. government. On January 1, the California Privacy Rights Act was put into effect, a solid sign that federal privacy laws may be in the near future in the U.S. In fact, a recent McKinsey report explored the topic of “Digital […]
How Multi-Location Brands Can Improve Customer Experience
According to recent reports, 43.5% of brands agreed that positive CX is a critical differentiator when it comes to getting an edge on the competition. Creating positive customer experiences seems like a no-brainer, but in reality bridging the CX perception gap between customer service, marketing, and sales teams and potentially 10s or 100s of store […]
Latest Posts
Marketing Innovator Hummingbirds Raises $3.3m
Des Moines, Iowa-based Hummingbirds has successfully raised $3.3 million in a recent venture round, just a year after its initial $1 million funding. CEO Emily Steele, along with COO Charise Flynn, founded Hummingbirds in 2022 with a unique approach to hyperlocal influencer marketing. Unlike traditional influencer marketing platforms, Hummingbirds connects brands with local individuals in […]
Advertisers Can Learn from Political Marketers
Political advertising can be viewed as the north star for B2B and B2C marketers. In politics, voter outreach and paid advertising campaigns are building towards the ultimate one-day sale event – Election Day. From crafting campaigns around tentpole events and timely big moments, to planning ahead from a budgeting perspective, political marketers know how to […]
Adomni, TikTok, and Screen Power
Jonathan Gudai is the co-founder and CEO of Adomni, which has developed a state-of-the-art platform that enables digital marketers at brands and agencies to make smarter and faster media buys on screens in the real world. Adomni has connected 37 screen types ranging from large format digital billboards to digital screens in retail locations, gyms, bars/restaurants, and more. […]
Sheeva.ai and Visa To Enable In-Vehicle Payments
Visa has joined the in-vehicle payment revolution. The brand’s heritage is in plastic credit cards, but for quite some time, it’s been a sophisticated global digital-payments platform. Its Visa Acceptance Solutions division has entered a partnership with Sheeva.ai, which enables digital payments using network tokens activated from the dashboards inside vehicles. “Network tokens are the […]
Sneak Preview: Holiday Season 2023 Retail Sales
Black Friday and Cyber Monday are behind us. A lot of shopping and feasting still remains. But Street Fight wants to glimpse what retail sales have seen so far and what you might expect in the shopping and eating days until the end of 2023. What’s especially interesting is that in-person shopping seemed to take […]
The MULO Dozen: November Brands in Review
As we wind down 2023 and head into the holidays, here are some of the latest happenings among MULO (multi-location) brands. Because consumer sentiment and social media buzz can have a huge impact on brand reputation and sales, we’ve added a new section this month — consumer voices. If you have any news to add […]
AxleHire CEO Goes Deep into Delivery Experience
If you think the retail industry is overwhelmed at this time of the year, when the holidays take center stage, try working in the shipping industry. Raj Ramanan is CEO of AxleHire, a last-mile shipping service for e-commerce retailers, touts its “Amazon-like” service experience of next-day and same-day delivery as desired. And satisfaction goes right […]
How Retailers are Keeping the Grinch from Stealing This Holiday Season
Sadly, it’s not just the Grinch ruining the holidays for many retailers. It’s thievery. Last year, about $112B was lost to various types of retail crime, including shoplifting, flash mobs, and organized crime. Technologies, including AI-based video at point-of-sale, sensory heat maps, cash automation technology, and autonomous security robots, are helping retailers prevent, spot, and […]
Streets Ahead: GBP Data Glitch, Google Supercharges Search, Instagram Tests Insights