D-list Platform Cameo on Shaky Financial Ground
All is not well with Cameo. That’s the app where you can get lesser celebs like disgraced former member of Congress George Santos to record
Charles Laughlin
July 31, 2024
Charles Laughlin
Charles Laughlin, senior analyst with Localogy, is a seasoned journalist with more than 20 years experience covering the industry.
E86: AI’s Impact on the Venture ‘Recovery’
In Episode 86 of Localogy’s This Week in Local podcast, my co-host Mike Boland and I examine the meaning behind recent data showing that AI-focused
Charles Laughlin
July 30, 2024
Is OpenAI Too Good to Fail?
My colleague Mike Boland and I have remarked many times in our discussions on Localogy’s This Week in Local podcast that one of the notable
Charles Laughlin
July 29, 2024
Coming to an Urban Wildfire Near You – Better Predictive Data
I live in Illinois. It’s home but it’s not among America’s prettiest states. Yet there is a mantra that makes us feel a little better about
Charles Laughlin
July 24, 2024
E85: What’s Driving TikTok Ad Spend & Usage Shifts?
In Episode 85 of Localogy’s This Week in Local podcast, my co-host Mike Boland and I look at some data suggesting that not all is
Charles Laughlin
July 23, 2024
Is $41.5 Million Enough for Fizz to Become the ‘Anti-Facebook’?
Sometimes what sounds like a lot of money isn’t very much at all. Many had this reaction when Elon Musk raised a reported $6 billion
Charles Laughlin
July 22, 2024
AI Startups Dominate Q2 Venture Tally
According to research firm CB Insights’ State of Venture Q2 report, AI-focused startups accounted for 28% of venture funding globally in the second quarter of
Charles Laughlin
July 19, 2024
Is TikTok Shop the Villain in Usage Softening?
I am not a rabid TikTok user. Nor has anyone flattered me by accusing me of being in TikTok’s target demo. But I do enjoy
Charles Laughlin
July 18, 2024
E84: The Rise of the Individual Large Language Model
In Episode 84 of Localogy’s This Week in Local podcast, my co-host Mike Boland and I use the example of AI startup Ario to discuss
Charles Laughlin
July 16, 2024
Will Bots Be Influencer Marketing’s Undoing?
In April, I wrote about the possibility that AI influencers will supplant flesh and blood influencers. My colleague Mike Boland and I also discussed this
Charles Laughlin
July 15, 2024
U.S. “Ban” Puts the Squeeze on TikTok Ad Spend
The U.S. ban on TikTok, signed into law in March (which isn’t quite a ban) appears to be harming ad spending on the platform. Spending
Charles Laughlin
July 12, 2024
Chatmeter Rolls Out New SEO Tool for MULO Brands
The reputation management platform Chatmeter has rolled out Local Pages 2.0, a tool designed to help multi-location brands “dominate page one search results” in their
Charles Laughlin
July 11, 2024
What Happens When Startup Categories Fall Out of Favor?
Misery loves company. Such is the premise (kind of) of a recent piece from Crunchbase that shows the receipts on a pattern in the startup
Charles Laughlin
July 10, 2024
E83: How Target and Shopify Are Revolutionizing Retail
In Episode 83 of Localogy’s This Week in Local podcast, my co-host Mike Boland and I discuss the rapid evolution of retail media from the
Charles Laughlin
July 9, 2024
Amazon Also Under Pressure from EU Regulators
We’ve recently covered Meta’s challenges with European regulators. According to a recent story in Reuters, Meta isn’t the only big tech big dog to find itself
Charles Laughlin
July 8, 2024
E82: Meta’s European AI Training Roadblock
In Episode 82 of Localogy’s This Week in Local podcast, my co-host Mike Boland and unpack what appears to be an uncomfortable fact. European regulators
Charles Laughlin
July 3, 2024
Meta’s European Problems Mount
European regulators don’t strike me as being particularly fond of Meta. Google, Apple, Amazon, et al seem only marginally more popular, if at all. In
Charles Laughlin
July 2, 2024
Is There a Glimmer of Hope for CRE?
San Francisco is a city that I have never lived in (I am a Chicagoland lifer) but have visited often and have always loved. Yet
Charles Laughlin
July 1, 2024
Ario Wants Everyone to Have an AI Assistant
Reading today about the notion of everyone having an AI personal assistant evoked the 1994 movie Swimming with the Sharks. This nerve-wracking movie made a
Charles Laughlin
June 28, 2024
Data Firm Precisely Leans into Spatial Analytics
The data analytics company Precisely has rolled out a new set of solutions that bolster its spatial analytics capabilities. The Massachusetts-based software company today rolled
Charles Laughlin
June 27, 2024