Study Reveals Why You Got those Ads
We’ve all been served ads that made us wonder, “How’d that sucker get in my feed?” The answer is inefficiency. Adlook, a global media tech company specializing in digital advertising solutions, conducted a study that showed how outdated data results in reaching the wrong audiences with ads. The chief offender is demographic targeting. In a poll […]
Not Your Momma’s Market: The Grocery Store Embraces Technology
Like all other MULO (multi-location) industries, grocers or more correctly the grocery store sector is amplifying its use of technology to aid the shopping experience, increase consumer preference, and streamline buying and inventory management. Swiftly, a leading integrated retail technology platform trusted by grocers like Target, IGA, and Save Mart, recently announced a major expansion […]
Going Local with Paige Sawin of Sparkcatcher Media
Paige Sawin, President of Sparkcatcher Media, won our virtual scavenger hunt at Street Fight LIVE 2024. She knows the local search space intimately and works with brands to ensure that when people search “near me,” her client brands, products, and services can be quickly and effectively found. We sat down with her to discuss the […]
Yext Scout: AI-Powered Search & Competitive Intelligence Agent
Yext officially launched Yext Scout, its new AI-driven search and competitive intelligence agent, designed to help multi-location brands navigate an increasingly complex and fragmented search landscape. With consumers turning to a mix of traditional search engines (Google, Bing) and AI-powered platforms (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Grok) to discover businesses, brands must understand where they appear, how […]
Keeping the Shelves Well Stocked: A Conversation With Joe Spisak
Joe Spisak is the CEO and Founder of Fulfill.com. Supply chain issues are certainly not as sexy and creative as that new ad campaign, AI-powered marketing system, or redesign of a MULO (multi-location) brand footprint. But they are critically important to brands and customers alike. After spending a small fortune on SEO and media campaigns, […]
Streets Ahead: Google Traffic Surges and AI Mode Launches
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses the 2024 surge in Google search traffic and the Google launch of AI Mode as a search alternative. Google Search Traffic Surges 22% in 2024 The News A new study from Rand Fishkin at Sparktoro reveals an eye-opening trend: Google search traffic surged by 21.64% in 2024 […]
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
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 […]
What an Ugly Burrito Can Teach Us About Local Marketing
Many companies focus the majority of their marketing energy and budgets on developing a national brand. This can often be true even for those who do business locally. Although Starbucks and Chipotle mostly behave in our lives like local businesses, we still think of them as brands like Nike or Apple, whose reputations rest on […]
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 […]
Streets Ahead: Google Reviews and Local Business Information
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses Google wanting to help businesses to get more reviews and the new Local Pack feature providing insight into where Google is sourcing local business information. Google Helping Businesses Get More Reviews The News With all the recent buzz about Google cracking down on fraudulent (and some legitimate) […]
MULO Brands With Soul: February Pick
This year, some MULO (multi-location) brands declared that they were disbanding their DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) initiatives. As we all know, having a team dedicated to DEIB is not nearly as important as “walking the talk” if you declare yourself an inclusive brand. Read here about why having a DEIB policy today may […]
Addressing Advertising’s Overreliance on the Open Web
In recent years, the allocation of advertising spend has failed to keep pace with rapid shifts in consumer behavior and technology capabilities. As a result, many brands are pouring tremendous spend into the open web, neglecting the fact that targeting capabilities and consumer attention aren’t what they used to be. At the same time, brand […]
More Ad Transparency, Control Come to RE/MAX
Brands that advertise on real-estate site RE/MAX, now have the benefit of centralized control over their data and ad operations via a media automation platform called Unify. The platform also enables brands to precisely target local audiences. As with any big-ticket purchase, the journey to buying or selling a home begins online, often times with […]
A First Glimpse Into Street Fight LIVE 2025
Street Fight LIVE made its comeback in 2024. Now, we’ll give you a sneak peek at the 2025 version. Although dormant for several years (due to the pandemic), the curated and dynamic event at Meta’s headquarters in Chicago was met with rave reviews from attendees, sponsors, and speakers. We believe it’s the only think tank conference that […]
Commerce Insights Fuel Brand Loyalty Through Integrated Marketing
Digital-first consumers are constantly exposed to shopping opportunities, from social media to the open web. While this presents marketers with an opportunity, it also poses a challenge: how can brands reach consumers at the right touchpoints in a way that resonates? The key is leveraging commerce insights. By tapping into first-party, intent and transaction data, […]
The MULO Dozen: February in Review
The MULO (multi-location) ecosystem is continuously re-inventing, expanding and shrinking, and enhancing the consumer experience with a wide range of new products, technologies, and ways to buy. Here are the trends of the month. Have news to share? Please e-mail [email protected] and join us in September for our Street Fight LIVE 2025 gathering, which will […]
Netflix Takes on YouTube. Should Podcasters and Advertisers Rejoice?
If we’re “Netflix and Chillin,’” consuming movies, streaming series, and other entertaining and inspiring content, why don’t we listen, watch and learn from podcast content creators too? Now we can. Netflix is entering the podcast market, leveraging its massive database of more than 300M subscribers (and growing). Podcasts also show no sign of slowing down […]
Streets Ahead: Cheeg Sues Google, Terakeet & AI Overviews
In this week’s Streets Ahead update, SOCi discusses the first major lawsuit against Google’s AI Overviews as well as the Terakeet study highlighting the positive impact of AI Overviews on website traffic. Chegg Sues Google Over AI Overviews, Claims Major Revenue Loss The News Chegg, a well-known education technology company specializing in study resources and […]
Why Q5 Signals a Shift for Ecommerce in 2025
The start of a new year always marks the end of the holiday season, and as the frenzy of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Boxing Day subsides, many retailers shift their focus away from advertising, assuming that consumer interest and spending have peaked. But in reality, a lucrative Ecommerce opportunity remains hidden in plain sight: […]