News and Analysis

Brands & Concepts On the Rise in 2025

BOOM: Brands & Concepts On the Rise in 2025

Who would have ever guessed that the bookstore would make a comeback?  Barnes & Noble plans to open 60 new stores this year. Once considered a dying retail category, the bookstore is back and on the rise, selling more than just reading materials. Although physical books remain the brand’s main revenue source, stores have tapped […]

Stanley Tucci Hosts Allbirds New Series Cards on the Table

Stanley Tucci Hosts Allbirds New Series

It might be common knowledge by now that Allbirds, a footwear brand favored in Silicon Valley (and elsewhere), has launched an unscripted series in collaboration with actor Stanley Tucci, who hosts, and production company OBB Pictures and Salt Productions. It isn’t hard to find and stream the 20-minute episodes: They’re running all month on Rolling […]

Local Businesses: Social-First, Tech-Driven, and Highly Adaptable Street Fight

Local Businesses: Social-First, Tech-Driven, and Highly Adaptable

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, a new breed of businesses is emerging. These businesses are rewriting the playbook by prioritizing social media, embracing advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), and maintaining agility in the face of uncertainty. Constant Contact’s latest Small Business Now report sheds light on these trends, offering valuable insights for multi-location […]

Commentary

multi-location food brands

Celebrities Who Help Turn Multi-Location Food Brands Into Stars

Celebrities, including actors and athletes, have long invested in businesses that will help guarantee them a nest egg after their fame has waned. Many now even have their own investment firms. Some, like Mark Wahlberg and Michael Jordan, developed branded concepts, while others invested in multi-location brand franchises. Among the multi-location food brands with celebrity investors […]

C-store of future retail

The C-Store of the Future: Beyond Gas & Gum

Although the industry has consolidated in recent years, close to 150K convenience stores (C-store) exist in the U.S. We may take them for granted, but they are a staple of modern life. The C-store is a solution whether we need pain relief, diapers at 2 AM, or a much-needed rest stop and re-fuel (physically or […]

Rootstrap on AI Regulation

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 […]

Latest Posts

Broadsign Enters Partnership with Zitcha

Broadsign, a SaaS digital marketing platform, works with retailers globally to plan and deliver content across in-store display screens, including for stores like Auchan, Ahold Delhaize, Coles, and Woolworths. Now, it’s taking its capabilities a step further by entering into a partnership with Zitcha By partnering with Zitcha, a retail media platform, Broadsign will help […]

The Gift of Attention: Mobile Gaming Influence on Holiday Advertising

If advertisers looked inside their ad budget stockings this holiday season, they’d find that Santa left a prime opportunity to capture the attention of their target audiences through mobile gaming. US consumers spend more daily time on mobile games (28 minutes) than any major social network. Overall, people spend about 11% of their mobile time […]

Building MULO Grocery Loyalty via Innovative New Approaches

Consider how YOU shop at your local grocery store (if you visit them yourself versus ordering staples online). Many of us view grocery stores as a commodity. Perhaps we frequent one or two local stores based on proximity, selection, or prices. We get coupons (either in the mail or digitally) and may be swayed to […]

Marketing Innovator Hummingbirds Raises $3.3m

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

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. […]

Enhancing Customer Engagement: Vericast and MessageGears Collaborate

Vericast NXTDRIVE and MessageGears have strategically collaborated to redefine customer engagement, promising a seamless solution that delivers scalability, speed, and efficiency. Set to launch early next year, NXTDRIVE represents a customer data marketing platform (CDMP) designed to elevate brand communications through personalized messaging across various channels, including email, short message service (SMS), and push notifications. […]

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

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 […]