News and Analysis

Gregg Majewski, CEO of Craveworthy Brands, on Restaurant Trends StreetFight

Gregg Majewski, CEO of Craveworthy Brands, on Restaurant Trends

Gregg Majewski is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Craveworthy Brands, a multi-concept restaurant platform company and franchisor that launched in 2023. Majewski has built the MULO (multi-location) company brick by brick, adding iconic brands such as viral Dirty Dough, Food Network-founded Taim Mediterranean Kitchen, and Southern California-favorite Fresh Brothers Pizza. Earlier this year, […]

10 Design Offers Four MULO Design Principles for Brick-and-Mortar StreetFight

10 Design Offers Four MULO Design Principles for Brick-and-Mortar

10 Design is an architectural design firm that has created retail spaces (and mixed-use complexes) globally. 10 Design asserts, “Brick and mortar retail isn’t dying. It’s evolving. The most successful retail spaces today merge commerce, culture, and community, turning shopping into an immersive experience.” That principle can be applied to MULO (multi-location) retail design in […]

A BOOM and a BUST: Harry & David & Hooters StreetFight

A BOOM and a BUST: Harry & David & Hooters

Openings, expansions, and bankruptcies are standard fare in the MULO (multi-location) retail and restaurant space. This month, we saw one significant opening and one bankruptcy declaration in the MULO ecosystem. Harry & David recently announced they are getting back into the retail game. This 91-year-old seller of gift baskets and gourmet food items shuttered most of its […]

Commentary

fifty-five was founded in 2010 by former Google executives who understood and anticipated the potential of data in brands’ marketing strategies.

In the Age of AI, 3 Must-Have Skills for Digital Marketers 

Everything changed in November 2022. That’s when OpenAI’s ChatGPT launched to the public, and having a clear understanding of how to harness generative AI instantly became a requirement for digital marketers around the globe. In the eight months since generative AI went mainstream, the field of digital marketing has undergone a metamorphosis. Marketers today find […]

From Google to Social to Generative AI: The Evolution of Search Journeys

Remember when search ads were just a bunch of blue links? Believe it or not, that wasn’t that long ago – when a mention of search conjured a near-identical image in everyone’s minds. If you asked 100 people to describe their search journeys today, you might get 100 different answers. Those answers would almost certainly […]

How to Actually Get a Return on Your Technology Investments

Impossible? How to Actually Get a Return on Your Technology Investments

Technology investments have been a priority for most companies since before the pandemic, which brought new urgency to the implementation of new solutions.  However, fully implementing a digital transformation is surprisingly uncommon – a new study found that only 15% of businesses with digital transformation programs have completed them. That low success rate is concerning because […]

Latest Posts

Navigating the Post-Cookie Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities for Brands

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 […]

MULO / Multi-Location Grows Up

MULO Grows Up

What the heck is MULO anyway?  MULO refers to multi-location businesses. They could be run by a corporate entity or franchises. MULO brands may be retailers, restaurants, health and wellness entities, personal services (like tutoring, tax prep, ear piercing,  hair styling, or even podcasting) or even entertainment centers like those offering pickleball, golf, and baseball. […]

What a Yahoo Exec Brings to Today’s Agencies

Alia Lamborghini, SVP, Head of US Sales and Strategy at Yahoo explains why Jeff Rossi was brought in as VP of Global Agency Partnerships to focus specifically on agencies and agency integration. “Agencies require a dedicated partner to navigate issues like cookie deprecation, deliver on first-party data, and provide the transparency essential for supporting brands.  […]

Social Factor Partners with Emplifi to Fuel the Social Commerce Wave

Social Factor Partners with Emplifi to Fuel the Social Commerce Wave

Social Factor, a prominent digital agency specializing in social CRM and strategy, has recently announced an agency-level partnership with Emplifi, a leading customer engagement platform. This partnership ties in with a shift in digital marketing, aiming to revolutionize customer engagement strategies through a social commerce-first approach. Social Factor, known for its expertise in working with […]

Vericast Collaborates with Snowflake to Transform Marketing Engagement

Vericast Collaborates with Snowflake to Transform Marketing Engagement

Vericast, a prominent marketing technology company, has embarked on a partnership with Snowflake, the Data Cloud Company, to pioneer solutions aimed at empowering marketers to engage with consumers in more impactful ways. Leveraging technology innovations and exclusive data available in Snowflake Marketplace, the company is set to revolutionize marketing engagement, driving meaningful commerce across various […]

Optable Integration Ushers in a New Era of Privacy-Centric Advertising

Optable Integration Ushers in a New Era of Privacy-Centric Advertising

Since Google’s announcement regarding the eventual end of third-party cookies, the advertising industry has been actively seeking alternatives to ensure continued effectiveness while respecting user privacy. Among the proposed solutions, data clean rooms have emerged as a promising avenue, offering a secure environment for data collaboration in the absence of traditional tracking methods. Optable, a […]

Swiftly Connects the Cart to the Screen for Save a Lot

Swiftly Connects the Cart to the Screen for Save a Lot

Large multi-location (MULO) grocery stores have the resources to develop technologies that enable consumers to make their shopping lists, see sales and coupons, and arrange for delivery or pick-up. But smaller stores may have been at a disadvantage — that is until Swiftly stepped in.  Swiftly, a leading provider of innovative technologies, partnered with Save […]

Placer.ai, ESRI Form Analytics Partnership

Placer.ai, ESRI Form Analytics Partnership

What do you get when you cross a location-analytics company with a company that uses sophisticated geographic-information system (GIS) technology? It’s no joke, and this isn’t a punchline: Placer.ai and ESRI have formed a partnership to provide advertisers and their partners with new and advanced analytics and insight. The goal is to get deeper insights […]

The MULO Dozen: January Brands in Review

The MULO Dozen: January Brands in Review

2024 is off to a fast start! As MULO (multi-location) retailers, restaurants, and service businesses head into a new year, they face new challenges and opportunities. And, of course, “The Big Game,” when brands get to flex their creative and digital muscle. Here’s what we saw this month. Have news? Please e-mail me. Fridays is […]

Empowering Brick-and-Mortar Businesses with Foot-Traffic Analytics for Effective OOH

Empowering Brick-and-Mortar Businesses with Foot-Traffic Analytics for Effective OOH

In today’s competitive marketplace, brick-and-mortar businesses constantly seek innovative strategies to attract and retain customers. Recognizing this need, DOmedia, in partnership with location analytics leader Placer.ai, has launched PeopleToMySpot.com—a innovative website tailored to help local marketers and business owners harness the power of foot-traffic analytics to enhance their out-of-home (OOH) advertising efforts. The collaboration between […]