News and Analysis
Looking for New Growth Strategies? Look at C-Stores!
Convenience stores (C-stores) are no longer just a lowly truck stop or much-needed bathroom break along a highway. These retailers are a prime example of a category that has “blurred the lines” across MULO (multi-location) categories — retail, food, and service. They have incorporated technology and loyalty programs (and even online merch sales) into their […]
Kevel Launches AI-Powered Kevel Console to Transform Retail Media Campaigns
Retail media continues to evolve rapidly, with growing demands for automation, cross-channel efficiency, and deeper audience personalization. Last week, retail media technology provider Kevel announced the launch of the Kevel Console. This AI-powered, self-service platform is built specifically for retailers, marketplaces, and publishers seeking greater control, speed, and performance from their media networks. Kevel Console […]
WiRL-ing with Satyne Julianna Doner
Although technology is booming, human connections remain extremely valuable in the MULO (multi-location) restaurant world. A whopping 77% of restaurant operators say that talent acquisition and retention are significant challenges. Associate Editor Satyne Julianna Doner recently gathered a group of executive women in the MULO (multi-location) restaurant industry to discuss their career paths and how to foster […]
Commentary
The Demise of Third-Party Cookies is CTV’s Opportunity to Shine
On January 4th, we finally reached the beginning of the end of third-party cookies (for real this time?) On that date, Google Chrome began removing 3rd party cookies from 1% of traffic. By the end of the year, 3rd party cookies will be completely eliminated from Chrome and opening a new opportunity for CTV. This […]
Navigating the Post-Cookie Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities for Brands
Google’s long-awaited post-cookie world is now here, with the company officially turning off cookies for 1% of Chrome users last month. The loss of third-party cookies means that brands will lose one of the most frequently used ways to identify potential target audiences on the open web. Post-cookie, brands will have to find different ways […]
The Privacy Arms Race May Kill Ad Tech
A dangerous digital advertising arms race is brewing as browser makers try to prevent cross-site tracking. The desire of digital ad companies to keep tracking users, despite browsers’ preventative privacy measures, is leading our industry down a hazardous path for users, browser makers, and ad tech. In an effort to protect user privacy, browsers are […]
Latest Posts
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 […]
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. […]
Street Fight’s Big 3
Street Fight Columns
Street Fight Categories
The Strongest Brands Don’t Copy Their Competitors