Some may dismiss the notion that linear TV has any remaining “strengths.” Despite the onslaught of streaming services and video platforms, linear TV continues to attract a substantial audience and provides advertisers with a level of reach only radio can rival. Undoubtedly, the television experience, for both viewers and advertisers, is evolving and expanding, but linear TV is still an essential and unique component of that experience. It delivers coveted audiences that newer platforms can only offer in limited numbers.

A new report shows that 55% of Americans say their online search habits have shifted significantly over the past five years—and they're increasingly discovering products through ads, editorial content, and apps rather than traditional search engines. This evolution marks a major opportunity for local media sellers: consumers trust ads across multiple platforms and make quick purchasing decisions when they discover products via native, embedded content. For local sales teams, the key takeaway is clear—you don’t have to be Google to win in the search-driven economy. You just need to help advertisers show up in the right context, across trusted platforms.

Dec 2, 2024 | Digital Media and Technology, Industry Press Highlights Executive Summary: X, formerly known as Twitter, has launched new labels for parody and fan...

Part 1 of this two-part Special Report focused on the current data and insights on consumers’ behaviors, perceptions and attitudes. Brands and retailers can’t develop, implement and manage strategies and tactics to “reach, attract, capture and retain” consumers until they understand how consumers think about the buying process and the path they choose for each unique purchase journey.

Business Background

• The combined market size for Pilates and Yoga studios in the US is estimated at a substantial $14.7 billion in 2024 [IBISWorld, Pilates Yoga Studios in the US industry analysis].
• According to Yoga Alliance, an estimated 38.4 million people in the US practice yoga regularly, which is roughly 10% of the population [Grand View Research, Yoga Market Size, Share, Growth Trends Report 2030].
• Demographics are evolving: While traditionally female-dominant, the gender gap is narrowing with more men attending classes, particularly those focused on strength and athletic aspects.
• Age is becoming less restrictive. Yoga studios offer classes designed for all ages, with programs specifically tailored to seniors and children.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the 2025 evolution of SEO, focused on securing brand citations in AI-generated answers from platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, and Perplexity, where only 2–7 sources are cited per query.
For media sales reps and agency pros, GEO is a new revenue channel—helping clients win high-intent leads, protect brand reputation, and outpace competitors in AI search results. Success requires a 10-step framework, including auditing current AI visibility, mapping real customer prompts, structuring AI-friendly content, optimizing technical signals, and building citation authority.
Local market case studies show GEO can quickly boost inquiries, reservations, and sales when executed with clear KPIs like visibility score, citation count, and positive sentiment. Reps who understand and pitch GEO now will position themselves as forward-thinking partners, securing long-term client trust before competitors catch on.

Fred Smith, founder of FedEx, turned a college paper into a global logistics powerhouse. After serving in the Marine Corps and earning multiple honors in Vietnam, Smith launched Federal Express in 1973 with a bold idea: overnight delivery via a hub-and-spoke model. Despite early financial struggles—including a legendary blackjack win to cover fuel costs—Smith’s vision and discipline helped FedEx become the first U.S. startup to reach $1 billion in revenue within a decade.
He pioneered real-time package tracking and built a culture rooted in service, accountability, and innovation. Smith’s leadership style, shaped by military experience, emphasized clarity and empowerment. Personally, he was a devoted father of ten, aviation enthusiast, and philanthropist, turning down a second offer to serve as Secretary of Defense to be with his daughter in her final days.
Smith’s legacy offers timeless lessons: trust your instincts, build scalable systems, lead with empathy, and stay mission-focused. His story is a blueprint for entrepreneurs and sales professionals aiming to deliver impact with purpose.

Dec 3, 2024 | Media, Retail, Advertising and the Economy, Industry Press Highlights Executive Summary: Black Friday 2024 saw a resurgence in in-store shopping, with a record-breaking...

(By Loyd Ford) The power in sales starts with what you believe. It’s in what your local sellers believe, too. To flip around the old saying, “If you believe it, you will sell it.” Every single person on your team wants to win. The difference between those sellers at the top of their game and those in the middle or dragging up the rear comes in what each one thinks actually produces winning for them.

Trust isn’t given—it’s earned, moment by moment.
At Marketing Insights, we know that authentic relationships are the foundation of lasting success.

Whether it’s with clients, colleagues, or communities, trust grows from integrity, empathy, and consistency. Building strong connections is more than business—it’s about nurturing a culture where people feel seen, valued, and understood. This collection of quotes shines a light on the power of genuine relationships to fuel loyalty, reputation, and growth.

This collection highlights:
✨ The role of honesty and empathy in building trust
✨ How consistent actions shape meaningful connections
✨ The impact of personal and organizational integrity on reputation

What takes a long time to build and a short time to destroy? Trust. One of the greatest attributes a leader can acquire is the ability to build trust. Even though competency is part of the trust formula, trust isn’t gained by being the hardest worker, having the most seniority or being the most skilled at a particular job.

Steve Jobs fused craftsmanship and commerce, turning Apple into a culture-shaping brand through ruthless focus, taste as strategy, and storytelling that sold meaning before specs. Formed by a machinist father’s “back of the cabinet” ethic, Reed calligraphy, Zen simplicity, and partnership with Steve Wozniak, he built products—and narratives—that felt humane. Fired in 1985, he reinvented himself at NeXT and Pixar, then returned to save Apple by subtracting complexity, staging launches, and insisting on outcomes, even while his perfectionism and abrasiveness carried real costs. His private life—minimalist habits, walking meetings, family, music—underscored a philosophy of clarity and intention. For media sellers and agencies, the playbook is concrete: lead with a promise, reduce to essentials, rehearse obsessively, measure what matters, and “ship”—because trust and renewal are built on disciplined wonder.

The competition is fierce for you and your station – and your prospects and clients. With consumer confidence very high, a strong economy and people’s personal financial situation continuing to improve rapidly, you have many opportunities during summer 2018 to make a big splash in your local market. Consumer confidence increased from 123.1 during December 2017 to 125.4 for January 2018, according to The Confidence Board Consumer Confidence

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.

SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 200,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our newsletter. How effectively do you help your teams arrive at their own solutions rather than giving a solution to them? Very effectively: Almost everything we do is the team’s idea: 17.52%