News and Analysis
BOOM: MULO Health & Wellness
Despite Weight Watcher’s recent bankruptcy, the MULO (multi-location) health and wellness ecosystem—and the consumers who spend there—is booming. Weight Watchers jumped on the weight loss drug bandwagon, but it may have been too late for the iconic brand, founded in 1963. So, other than looking for miracle injections, where else are today’s consumers going to […]
MULO Hotel Brands Go Glamping
We recently wrote about how many multi-location (MULO) hospitality brands are getting into the extended-stay space to meet the needs of business travelers, digital nomads, and other transient professionals. Not only major hotel brands providing these creature comforts but they are also putting guests closer to real creatures with their entrance into the glamping (upscale […]
Crafting a New Future: Michael’s Buys Joann Brands
When MULO (multi-location) fabric and crafts store JOANN declared bankruptcy and closed stores, crafters were up in arms. They took to social media, fretting about where they would buy their favorite handcraft supplies. Michael’s just purchased the failed brand’s 600 products across multiple categories, including fabric, quilting and sewing supplies, sewing machines, and yarn. Those crafters […]
Commentary
5 Generative AI Tools for SMB Marketing
Staying ahead of the curve in SMB marketing is more than just a competitive advantage; it can be the key to survival. As the martech landscape evolves, more business owners are finding themselves dealing with the challenge of producing engaging, relevant, and unique content that can cut through the noise and capture the attention of […]
The Mall of the Future
The media love to show pictures of vacant and deteriorating malls. But the reality is that the mall isn’t dying. It’s just changing. Let’s think back to 1992 when The Mall of America opened and became a destination — not just for shopping but for dining and playing. It’s now a major tourist attraction and […]
Jordan Blakesley Answers the Question: Do You Really Need PR?
Jordan Blakesley is the founder of B Public Relations (BPR), a company that manages 24 PR professionals in five cities. In addition to SMB boutiques and independent hotels, destinations, and restaurants, the company works with many multi-location brands, including Snooze, an AM Eatery, Next Level Burger, and King’s Seafood Company. We have observed at Street […]
Latest Posts
Will “Sneakerheads” Dash to Foot Locker’s New Store Concept?
The average American owns about 12 pairs of shoes. Many of those are sneakers. Sneakers represent about $80B in sales worldwide, and that spending appears to be on the upswing. Once reserved primarily for athletes, sneakers are now a wardrobe staple and are selected based on purpose, comfort, fashion statement, and various other factors. Foot […]
How Generative AI is Propelling Local Advertising
The digital advertising landscape has never been more dynamic or more complex. As small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) grapple with these changes and challenges, they also face opportunities for growth. Generative AI technologies are empowering marketers with intuitive, powerful, and personalized advertising strategies, helping them to save time and effort and compete like never before. […]
AdLib and Kargo Partner to Democratize High-Impact Ad Creation
Today, AdLib Media Group, known for providing accessible DSP (demand-side platform) solutions for independent agencies and in-house programmatic teams, announced a strategic partnership with Kargo, a leader in creating breakthrough ad solutions for the world’s top brands. This collaboration aims to bring Kargo’s innovative advertising technologies and creative formats to a broader audience, significantly enhancing […]
How Can IHOP Become an International House of Profit?
Fluffy pancakes are not the only thing being served at IHOP these days. Formerly known as International House of Pancakes, the MULO (multi-location) brand, run by California-based Dine Brands Global, Inc., has about 1,800 restaurants worldwide, including outposts in all 50 states, two U.S. territories, and 13 countries outside the U.S. The parent company also […]
Do Stores Need Walls? Wayfair Seems to Think So!
While some retail brands (like Lord & Taylor and Bed Bath & Beyond) have transitioned to online-only models, others are heading in the other direction, building physical locations. The latest example is Wayfair, which will open its first store later this month in Edens Plaza in Wilmette, Illinois. The 150,000-square-foot outpost will take a page […]
What’s New at The Cheesecake Factory?
We’re not talking menu items (although that ahi tuna salad looks pretty amazing). The company had a great first quarter ($891.2 million compared to $866.1 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2023). Fortune also named the Cheesecake Factory a “best company to work for” for the 11th year running. Cheesecake Factory’s performance is especially […]
Apple, McDonald’s, and Disney Lead Rise in Q1 OOH Ad Spend
As the upfront presentations wound down, and negotiations began in earnest this month, it’s worth noting that a recent news report signaled a distinct set of diminishing media spending returns in linear TV. The article also said the beneficiaries of TV’s decline are social media spend and OOH ad spend. The Out of Home Advertising Association […]
Weight Loss Centers Firm Up
The weight management industry in the U.S. generated $90B in revenue in 2023. Fed by demand for weight loss drugs (contributing close to $12B in sales), trimming down seems timeless, although brick-and-mortar centers have evolved over the years. Weight Watchers was founded in 1963 by Jean Nidetch and grew to thousands of locations worldwide. In 2018, […]
Raptive Connects Brands to Diverse Creator Media
When Raptive, which describes itself as a “creator media” company, launched Raptive Represents earlier this month to provide direct access to premium, diverse creator media at scale, it was also part of its partnership with Media Framework’s Media Advertising Vendor Encoding & Nomenclature (MAVEN). MAVEN helps buyers understand which media are majority-owned and controlled by diverse owners and supplies certificates so […]
“Momentjacking” is the New Holiday Promotion
You may have heard of “newsjacking.” It simply means that brands and influencers plan their social media posting and content around current events and consumer trends. However, as the world (and social media feeds) move faster than ever before and people jump on a wide range of “fauxlidays” (contrived holidays meant mostly for marketing purposes), reality […]
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