Industry Press Highlights, Media, Retail, Advertising and the Economy

It’s probably an understatement to say that so many aspects of the workplace have changed in the past few years. We’ve seen the ‘expectations pendulum’ dramatically swing – in everything from employees’ relationship to the workplace, to how they think about their wellbeing, and even more fundamentally than this, how work and life actually intersect.

A new study from the American Association of Political Consultants Foundation suggests that AI disclaimers on political ads may be reducing voter trust rather than improving transparency. For local media sellers and ad agencies, the lesson is clear: political advertisers will need more than legal compliance—they will need credible media environments, careful creative execution and voter-sensitive messaging. Radio, TV, cable, print, outdoor and digital platforms can strengthen their value in political campaigns by helping candidates communicate clearly, disclose responsibly and avoid turning transparency into suspicion.

Comerica reports small businesses are entering 2026 optimistic but selective—confidence is high, yet owners are still managing inflation, tariffs, and policy uncertainty, which makes them cautious about waste and complexity. For local media reps and ad agencies, the opportunity isn’t “bigger budgets by default,” but a receptive window for plans that feel practical, measurable, and easy to execute. The most actionable signal is that capex is back, and those investments (new equipment, locations, service lines, hiring) often trigger immediate local-market marketing needs for awareness, leads, and foot traffic. With rate cuts improving sentiment for many owners, the winning pitch frames advertising as a controlled investment—a simple 90-day system that protects cash flow, reduces vendor sprawl, and produces visible progress.

The new world of work that we face in 2022 requires new leadership competencies. For example, many employees are struggling with mental health issues. As leaders, you must develop the competency of emotional intelligence so that you can create authentic and deep connections with your employees and support their mental well-being. In this new video, learn more about this and the other leadership competencies you need to lead in 2022.

A sales manager needs to be seen and heard if they are going to lead their sales force. One of the downsides of our technologies is that the salesperson can monitor their sales force’s results over long distances. For as long as there have been CRMs, salespeople have feared their sales manager would act as Big Brother, monitoring their every move, tallying up their activities

Even after a modern history of 70+ years (and many more years in development), the TV set is still a magical device. Never has it been more of the doorway into an endless entertainment adventure than today. It is also a companion, a teacher, a breaker of barriers between people and nations and a special source of warmth and solace after a long day – like a member of the family.

Sales teams aren’t losing deals because they lack effort—they’re losing time to inconsistent prep, scattered follow-up, and vague positioning. This article outlines 10 proven AI prompts that help local media reps and agency professionals move faster on the work that actually drives revenue: discovery, conquest strategy, objection handling, proposals, and next steps. Each prompt is designed to produce clearer thinking and cleaner execution—so you sound more strategic, not more “salesy.” The result is a repeatable system that helps teams win more meetings, protect renewals, and build bigger, longer-term contracts.

The U.S. Latino economy now produces roughly $3.6 trillion in annual GDP, making it one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets. Within that growth, Latinas (Hispanic women) contribute about $1.3 trillion in economic output and drive most household purchasing decisions. Younger cohorts— Gen Z and Gen Alpha—are highly bilingual, racially mixed, and expect brands to demonstrate authenticity and cultural relevance. Hispanic households show wide diversity in country of origin, language use, and multigenerational structure, demanding more nuanced marketing than one-size-fits-all campaigns. For local media sales teams and ad agencies, tailoring content and ad packages to these demographic, cultural, and technological shifts is critical to capturing a rapidly expanding share of consumer spending.

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Sales trainer Amy Franko shares highlights from a webinar she presented recently for SMM Connect on the most important metrics for sales managers to monitor. Before we dive into that, I speak with Amy about her shift from B2B sales in the tech world to starting her own sales consultancy. She talks about how she goes to market and how companies can be smarter buyers of sales training.

Small businesses are entering 2026 confident but not carefree—80% say they’re confident over the next year and 79% expect revenue growth, yet the mood is shaped by inflation, tariffs, and regulatory uncertainty. For local media sellers and agencies, the takeaway is that optimism won’t automatically convert into bigger ad budgets, but it does create a receptive moment for plans that feel practical, measurable, and easy to execute. The “confidence hotspots” (South; tech, healthcare; 10+ employee firms) double as a prospecting map, while more cautious categories call for shorter commitments, tighter offers, and clearer ROI proof. The most actionable signal is that capex is back (57% planning spending, averaging $109K), which often triggers immediate marketing needs—new capacity, locations, services, and hiring—especially as rate cuts nudge owners toward controlled, calculated investment.

Sales meetings are a critical component of keeping your team aligned and motivated. But too often, they can feel like a chore rather than an opportunity for growth. With proper planning, these meetings can energize your media sales team and drive results.

A few of the panelists started showing organization charts, discussing how they were restructuring their organizations to improve results. Each chart showed hierarchies of boxes, each with a functional name. Some showed how they were restructuring sales and marketing, moving to a Revenue structure. The presented the “before” and “after” org charts, the only thing that seemed to have changed is the CRO role and a RevOPs hierarchy combining marketing and sales ops.

The ability to imagine the future is something only the human species possesses, and it can be leveraged to help us feel more confident about our actions and be prepared for tomorrow. For centuries crystal balls have been objects connected with clairvoyance, fortune-telling and predicting the future. Looking into the crystal ball, or the process of “seeing” into it, is known as scrying –