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Business Wire
17-06-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Consumer Fusion Named Preferred Vendor by the International Franchise Association
SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Consumer Fusion, a leader in AI-powered reputation management and digital marketing tools for franchises, has been officially named a Preferred Vendor by the International Franchise Association (IFA). This recognition highlights Consumer Fusion's ongoing commitment to helping franchise brands protect their reputation, increase visibility, and grow revenue through scalable, centralized digital tools. 'Franchises face unique online reputation challenges — we're here to make it easier, faster, and more effective.' – Brynn Gibbs, CEO, Consumer Fusion Share Supporting over 100 franchise brands, Consumer Fusion offers a comprehensive platform that simplifies reputation management, local SEO, and social media oversight — all from a single, intuitive dashboard. This designation reinforces Consumer Fusion's role not only as a technology provider but as a strategic partner dedicated to empowering franchise systems. 'Franchise brands today must be able to manage their digital presence effectively across locations,' said Sheila Fischer, CFE, IFA Senior Vice President for Sales. 'Consumer Fusion offers our members real solutions — from AI-powered reputation management and sentiment analysis to streamlining social media and local SEO — that strengthen brand integrity and help drive growth.' A trusted partner to more than 100 franchise brands, Consumer Fusion delivers franchise-specific technology and strategic support to help both franchisors and franchisees thrive in today's digital-first marketplace. Consumer Fusion's platform is designed to meet the operational needs and compliance requirements unique to franchising. Their offerings include, but are not limited to: Review Generation Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys AI-powered review monitoring and automated responses Centralized review and social media management dashboards Optimization of Google Business Profiles and 60+ directories Illegitimate review and photo removal Dynamic social content creation tools and localized publishing AI Review Listening to uncover customer sentiment and trends Dedicated support teams with deep franchise expertise 'We're thrilled to be recognized by IFA as a Preferred Vendor and honored to serve franchise systems nationwide,' said Brynn Gibbs, CEO of Consumer Fusion. 'This partnership will help us reach new brands and support their business growth while allowing franchisees more time to focus on serving their customers. Franchises face unique challenges in managing online reputation at scale, and we're here to make it easier, faster, and more effective.' A long-time member of the IFA community, Consumer Fusion's CEO Brynn Gibbs serves on both the IFA Supplier Forum Advisory Board and the Marketing and Innovation Committee. Beyond software, Consumer Fusion is committed to providing tailored tools, expert support, and a deep understanding of the franchise industry. To learn how IFA members can benefit from this new partnership, visit About Consumer Fusion: Consumer Fusion is a trusted AI-powered platform for Online Reputation Management, Social Media, and Local SEO, supporting over 100 franchise brands. Our tools help franchisees improve reviews, engage customers, and boost local search rankings while ensuring brand consistency across every location. With white-glove support, advanced sentiment analysis, and actionable insights, we serve as an extension of your team to build trust and grow your digital presence. Recognized as one of Entrepreneur's Top 5 Franchise Suppliers for three consecutive years, Consumer Fusion delivers results through innovative technology and personalized service. Learn more at About the International Franchise Association: Celebrating over 60 years of excellence, education, and advocacy, the International Franchise Association (IFA) is the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations, and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the approximately 830,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 8.8 million direct jobs, $896.9 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy, and almost 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees, and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology, and business development.
Associated Press
11-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Zocdoc Teams Up with Blue Shield of California to Simplify the Appointment Scheduling Experience for its Members
Company announces first-of-its-kind collaboration to power seamless in-network scheduling within a health plan's provider directory NEW YORK, June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Zocdoc today announced a new collaboration with Blue Shield of California, a nonprofit health plan, to help its members seamlessly schedule in-network, in-person and virtual care appointments through the plan's Find a doctor tool in the member portal. Blue Shield members can now see providers' real-time availability and easily access more than 1 million hours of bookable appointments available over a 90-day window. This marks the first time Zocdoc is working with a health plan to power scheduling for its online member portal. It builds on the company's expansion beyond its marketplace as it already powers scheduling on providers' websites, Google Business Profiles and practices' phone lines via its new AI phone assistant, Zo. Underlying this collaboration is nearly two decades of Zocdoc's expertise in facilitating patient-provider interactions, understanding complex healthcare scheduling logic, and integrating with a broad base of EHRs. No other company in healthcare has the depth of experience, infrastructure, and intellectual property when it comes to seamless online scheduling across a large, diverse, decentralized provider network. 'We know that patients rely on their health plans to find quality, in-network care, and we are proud to partner with Blue Shield of California to power a seamless experience that helps their members access the right providers for their needs,' said Oliver Kharraz, MD, Zocdoc founder and CEO. 'This collaboration—a first of its kind for Zocdoc—is symbolic of our expansion beyond our marketplace; we are leveraging nearly 20 years of scheduling expertise to help patients easily book appointments wherever they are seeking care, to help providers connect with patients across more channels, and to help payors modernize their members' access experience and care coordination.' The collaboration is a part of Blue Shield's effort to create high-quality, seamless experiences for members; it enables 24/7 appointment scheduling for members seeking care from Blue Shield's network of primary care, specialist, vision, dental, mental and behavioral health providers who are also in Zocdoc's bookable provider network. Across all types of care, outdated scheduling systems have become a barrier to healthcare access. According to a Zocdoc-commissioned survey conducted earlier this year, more than half of patients who were unable to reach their doctor by phone admitted to delaying care (54%), while one in three admitted to giving up on scheduling a visit entirely (33%). Digital tools can help address these barriers. 'As we continue to address healthcare access issues, making it easier and faster for our members to get connected to in-network care is absolutely essential,' said Jigar Shah, chief marketing and strategy officer at Blue Shield of California. 'To make healthcare worthy of our family and friends, we must deliver best-in-class member experiences, and Blue Shield is leveraging digital tools to do exactly that. We are proud to work with Zocdoc on an important part of our strategy to improve access to care.' Appointments are now available for members across all Blue Shield of California employer-sponsored plans, Individual and Family Plans, and Medicare plans. Blue Shield and Zocdoc will continue to add more in-network provider schedules for members to book quickly and seamlessly. Blue Shield's in-network providers who are interested in adding appointments to the system can visit this site for more information. There is no cost to providers to participate, and set-up is a simple, one-time activation. Zocdoc has built more than 175 calendar integrations with commonly used healthcare scheduling systems. About Zocdoc Zocdoc is the leading healthcare marketplace that aims to help every patient find and book every type of care. Each month, millions of patients visit or use the Zocdoc app to find quality, in-network doctors, see their real-time availability, and instantly book appointments for in-person or virtual care. Zocdoc doesn't just make healthcare easier, it also accelerates patients' access to care with the typical appointment happening within 24 to 72 hours of booking. While Zocdoc's mission is to give power to the patient, the company supports healthcare providers, too. Doctors across every state, specialty and segment — from solo practitioners to large hospitals and health systems — rely on Zocdoc to grow their practice, at every stage. With Zocdoc, they can reach new patients where they're seeking care, save staff time with tools that integrate into their practice software, and delight their patients through great experiences that keep them coming back. Overall, Zocdoc delivers the seamless, modern healthcare experience patients deserve. About Blue Shield of California Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. The health plan is a taxpaying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with 6 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $27 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $60 million to the Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last three years to have an impact on California communities. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit Or follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook. CONTACT: Zocdoc PR Team, 19293499190, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Zocdoc, Inc.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zocdoc Teams Up with Blue Shield of California to Simplify the Appointment Scheduling Experience for its Members
Company announces first-of-its-kind collaboration to power seamless in-network scheduling within a health plan's provider directory NEW YORK, June 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Zocdoc today announced a new collaboration with Blue Shield of California, a nonprofit health plan, to help its members seamlessly schedule in-network, in-person and virtual care appointments through the plan's Find a doctor tool in the member portal. Blue Shield members can now see providers' real-time availability and easily access more than 1 million hours of bookable appointments available over a 90-day window. This marks the first time Zocdoc is working with a health plan to power scheduling for its online member portal. It builds on the company's expansion beyond its marketplace as it already powers scheduling on providers' websites, Google Business Profiles and practices' phone lines via its new AI phone assistant, Zo. Underlying this collaboration is nearly two decades of Zocdoc's expertise in facilitating patient-provider interactions, understanding complex healthcare scheduling logic, and integrating with a broad base of EHRs. No other company in healthcare has the depth of experience, infrastructure, and intellectual property when it comes to seamless online scheduling across a large, diverse, decentralized provider network. "We know that patients rely on their health plans to find quality, in-network care, and we are proud to partner with Blue Shield of California to power a seamless experience that helps their members access the right providers for their needs," said Oliver Kharraz, MD, Zocdoc founder and CEO. "This collaboration—a first of its kind for Zocdoc—is symbolic of our expansion beyond our marketplace; we are leveraging nearly 20 years of scheduling expertise to help patients easily book appointments wherever they are seeking care, to help providers connect with patients across more channels, and to help payors modernize their members' access experience and care coordination." The collaboration is a part of Blue Shield's effort to create high-quality, seamless experiences for members; it enables 24/7 appointment scheduling for members seeking care from Blue Shield's network of primary care, specialist, vision, dental, mental and behavioral health providers who are also in Zocdoc's bookable provider network. Across all types of care, outdated scheduling systems have become a barrier to healthcare access. According to a Zocdoc-commissioned survey conducted earlier this year, more than half of patients who were unable to reach their doctor by phone admitted to delaying care (54%), while one in three admitted to giving up on scheduling a visit entirely (33%). Digital tools can help address these barriers. "As we continue to address healthcare access issues, making it easier and faster for our members to get connected to in-network care is absolutely essential," said Jigar Shah, chief marketing and strategy officer at Blue Shield of California. "To make healthcare worthy of our family and friends, we must deliver best-in-class member experiences, and Blue Shield is leveraging digital tools to do exactly that. We are proud to work with Zocdoc on an important part of our strategy to improve access to care." Appointments are now available for members across all Blue Shield of California employer-sponsored plans, Individual and Family Plans, and Medicare plans. Blue Shield and Zocdoc will continue to add more in-network provider schedules for members to book quickly and seamlessly. Blue Shield's in-network providers who are interested in adding appointments to the system can visit this site for more information. There is no cost to providers to participate, and set-up is a simple, one-time activation. Zocdoc has built more than 175 calendar integrations with commonly used healthcare scheduling systems. About ZocdocZocdoc is the leading healthcare marketplace that aims to help every patient find and book every type of care. Each month, millions of patients visit or use the Zocdoc app to find quality, in-network doctors, see their real-time availability, and instantly book appointments for in-person or virtual care. Zocdoc doesn't just make healthcare easier, it also accelerates patients' access to care with the typical appointment happening within 24 to 72 hours of booking. While Zocdoc's mission is to give power to the patient, the company supports healthcare providers, too. Doctors across every state, specialty and segment — from solo practitioners to large hospitals and health systems — rely on Zocdoc to grow their practice, at every stage. With Zocdoc, they can reach new patients where they're seeking care, save staff time with tools that integrate into their practice software, and delight their patients through great experiences that keep them coming back. Overall, Zocdoc delivers the seamless, modern healthcare experience patients deserve. About Blue Shield of CaliforniaBlue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. The health plan is a taxpaying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with 6 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $27 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $60 million to the Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last three years to have an impact on California communities. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit Or follow us on LinkedIn or Facebook. CONTACT: Zocdoc PR Team, 19293499190, zocdoc@ View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Zocdoc, Inc. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Cision Canada
06-06-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
Rise & Rank with RankPast Podcast -- Created Entirely by AI
VICTORIA, BC, June 6, 2025 /CNW/ - What happens when you hand the mic to artificial intelligence and ask it to make local SEO... fun? You get the Rise & Rank with RankPast Podcast —a bold new show that's 100% powered by AI, from research and scripting to the voices, laughs, awkward silences, and even the marketing materials (including this press release). The podcast kicks off with a Google Business Profile edition, which launched Tuesday, June 3rd. This 14-episode weekly series is built for local business owners who want to master their Google Business Profiles—without sitting through another boring SEO webinar. Each bite-sized episode delivers smart, strategic tips in a style that's punchy, witty, and surprisingly human. The hosts? AI-generated personalities named Kai and Aileen (both conveniently featuring "AI" in their names). Their sidekick? A snorty little pug named Arti—short for artificial and based on the team's real-life office pug. This trio serves up SEO tips with personality, purpose, and a few well-timed umms and ahhs—also AI-generated. Rise & Rank is built on a foundation of AI-driven content, using tools like ChatGPT and advanced text-to-voice generators for everything from scriptwriting to vocal performances. The show's cover art, visuals, and promos? Also AI-made. Behind the scenes, human editors ensure the final product is crisp, clear, and fun to listen to. "We wanted to show what's possible when AI is used with intention," says RankPast Digital's founder Reese Richards, the show's producer. "This isn't just a tech experiment—it's a real educational resource, crafted by SEOs, powered by AI, and refined by humans who care about the experience." New episodes drop every Tuesday, covering everything from setting up your Google Business Profile to flagging spam listings and decoding Insights—served with the sass, smarts, and humour of a morning talk show (if that talk show had zero human hosts). "I see AI podcasts becoming a new way to share knowledge while making learning fun and effective," Richards adds. About RankPast Digital: RankPast is a digital marketing agency based on Vancouver Island, Canada, helping local businesses grow through SEO, automation, and AI-powered strategy.
Time Business News
23-05-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Voice Search and Local SEO: Are You Ready?
In an era where digital assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant are just a phrase away, voice search is rapidly changing the local SEO landscape. More people are using voice commands to find businesses 'near me,' ask for shop hours, or locate services on the go. For local businesses, adapting to voice search is no longer optional – it's essential. Here's how to prepare your business for the voice-first future of local search: 1. Optimise for Conversational Queries Voice searches tend to be longer and more natural than typed searches. Instead of 'best pizza Keighley,' users might ask, 'Where can I get the best pizza near me?' Tip: Use natural language and long-tail keywords in your content. Create an FAQ page that answers common customer questions in a conversational tone. 2. Strengthen Your Google Business Profile Digital assistants pull a lot of local info from Google Business Profiles. Ensuring your profile is complete, accurate, and regularly updated is critical. Tip: Include your business hours, correct address, phone number, service areas, and real-time updates like holiday hours. 3. Get Mobile-First (If You Haven't Already) Most voice searches happen on mobile. If your website isn't mobile-friendly, you're losing valuable traffic. Tip: Use responsive design, compress images, and keep load times under 3 seconds. 4. Embrace 'Near Me' Optimisation Phrases like 'near me' or 'close by' are common in voice searches. Tip: Include local landmarks, neighbourhoods, and geo-specific terms in your content and meta tags. 5. Prioritise Fast, Clear Answers Voice search favours quick, authoritative responses. Tip: Structure content using headings, bullet points, and schema markup to help search engines quickly extract relevant answers. 6. Collect and Respond to Reviews Voice search platforms often reference reviews when recommending businesses. Tip: Ask satisfied customers to leave positive reviews and always respond to feedback – good or bad. 7. Use Structured Data (Schema Markup) Schema helps search engines understand your content more clearly, which is vital for voice search. Tip: Use local business schema to mark up your address, hours, reviews, and services. Final Thoughts Voice search isn't the future – it's already here. By aligning your local SEO strategy with how real people speak and search, your business will stand out when it matters most: at the exact moment a customer is asking for what you offer. Ready to get started? Start small by optimizing your Google Business Profile and updating your FAQs, then build from there. Your customers (and their smart speakers) will thank you. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
