News and Analysis
Fat Brands Blasts Off for Success
This writer was honored to be invited to an all-franchisee gathering of Fat Brands corporate team members, franchisees, and partners. Live events have made a comeback, as illustrated by the attendance of close to 2K people who enjoyed a close-up view of the Las Vegas Sphere, which was in keeping with the space theme of […]
How B2C Marketers are Spending in 2024
A new study among senior-level B2C marketers was just completed by Stirista, a company that offers data-driven performance marketing. Among the highlights of this 200-executive survey are: Marketers are optimistic. An overwhelming 91% of respondents have a positive outlook on meeting or exceeding marketing goals over the next year. Although 81% of marketers have seen […]
Vericast Introduces nCountR Platform and Market Experience Center for Retail Advertising Innovation
Despite the rise of e-commerce, in-store experiences remain crucial for retailers. Recent studies indicate that a significant portion of consumers still prefer to make their purchases in physical stores, underscoring the importance of effective in-store advertising strategies. Against this backdrop, Vericast has unveiled the name of its advanced retail media platform: nCountR. Alongside this announcement […]
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
One Location Wonder: MULO is Not for Everyone
Some MULO (multi-location) brands measure success by the number of locations they have. However, other retail, restaurant, and service businesses choose to remain small and mighty. Lisa Richards, Founder and CEO of RPZL (as in Rapunzel), falls into the second category. She has one location now but has found ways to scale creatively without adding […]
Caffeine and Commerce: MULO Coffee Perks
Starbucks and Dunkin may be the giant-size MULO (multi-location) players in the brew space (with 38K and 13K locations respectively). However, coffee is a staple of many consumers’ routines and represents a market size of close to $500B. Many regional and national players are heating up the field and coffee brands are offering a wide […]
BUST: Multi-Location Movie Theater Chains Struggle
With Oscar season around the corner, let’s examine the silver screen (or lack thereof). A 100-year-old movie theater MULO (multi-location) operation just declared bankruptcy. Founded in the day of silent films, Metropolitan Theaters has 16 theaters and 87 screens, including two IMAX auditoriums in California, Colorado, and Utah. The pandemic and the rise of the […]
BOOM: Industrious Brings Hospitality to Work
This year, about 5M people will use co-working spaces as their offices and meeting places. The concept of shared space has expanded to include podcasting and warehousing/shipping. The concept of co-working is about 30 years old and it is now a cornerstone of the “sharing economy.” As the media was filled with stories of WeWork’s […]
Subscription Fatigue: How Streaming Services Can Keep Customers Happy
Streaming is big business, and looks to only keep expanding in 2024 and beyond – with more players, more dollars to win, more subscribers, and a proliferation of new ad tiers. Eighty-three percent of Americans have at least one streaming service subscription and the average American subscribes to four services. For streaming platforms at first […]
A MULO Brand Scales With a Shark
CEO and Founder of Crispý Cones Jeremy Carlson is on his way to a total of 300 stores across the country. Shark Tank Barbara Corcoran gave him $200K for a 20% interest in his company, which he runs with his wife Kaitlyn. Their back story is a true inspiration to other MULO (multi-location) brands that […]
Navigating the Evolution of Digital Advertising: Merging Innovation with Privacy
Digital advertising is undergoing a seismic shift. Traditional methods no longer capture consumer attention or drive brand impact like they used to. This decline is exacerbated by the increased focus on privacy across platforms and publishers. However, one of the promising byproducts of this change is the emergence of new tools and channels that big […]
How AI Is Transforming Phone Calls Into Data