Omnicom and Publicis report that advertising spending remains stable in early 2025, with clients continuing to invest to maintain brand strength despite economic uncertainty. Both agencies caution that volatility in inflation, tariffs, and geopolitics may impact future spending, but Q1 growth was solid—7% for Omnicom and 4.1% for Publicis in the U.S. Clients are taking a wait-and-see approach for the remainder of the year, holding off on major new investments until conditions clarify. Analysts warn that a potential decline in consumer spending could lead to modest reductions in ad budgets later in 2025.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) forecasts a 14% growth in digital video ad spending in 2025, reaching $72 billion. This growth presents a significant opportunity for local media salespeople to tap into new revenue streams by selling video ads on their websites. The shift towards digital video is driven by its ability to deliver engaging, personalized, and shoppable experiences, despite economic uncertainties. As digital video is set to capture nearly 60% of total TV/video ad spend, local media salespeople can leverage this trend to enhance their sales strategies and offer more value to advertisers.

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.

Kick off the week strong with these must-run co-op campaigns your customers will be excited to promote!

• Bring Outdoor Spaces to Life With Miracle-Gro! — Help customers grow vibrant gardens and lush landscapes with trusted Miracle-Gro products.
• Subaru Spring Service Event! — Keep vehicles running smoothly with seasonal service specials designed for the road ahead.
• Serta Perfect Sleeper Closeout Sale! — Upgrade sleep with unbeatable savings on Serta’s popular Perfect Sleeper mattresses.
• Vermeer’s Biggest Cash Back Deals of the Season! — Power through tough jobs with major cash-back offers on reliable Vermeer equipment.
• Volkswagen Driver Days! — Celebrate the joy of driving with limited-time offers on Volkswagen vehicles.
• Whirlpool Spring Savings! — Refresh the home with great deals on dependable Whirlpool appliances.
• Can-Am Yellow Tag Event! — Get ready for adventure with bold savings on Can-Am off-road vehicles.

Gen X—and soon older millennials—are redefining what “50-plus” looks like, and the market opportunity is enormous: this group drives a disproportionate share of spending and expects modern, respectful portrayals. For local advertisers, agencies, and media sellers, the practical move is to drop “beige” stereotypes, assume cross-platform tech adoption, and segment by life mode (caregiver, late-career, downsizer, active empty-nester) rather than age alone. The action plan is to audit creative for accidental ageism, build trust-led local + streaming bundles, and anchor messaging in outcomes this cohort values—clarity, competence, time-savings, and confidence.

Our presentations to our clients should be DIALOGUES not MONOLOGUES. Far too often, we ask for money by spouting all we know about our stations and our advertising in general. We talk about us, us, us instead of them, them, them. Turning monologues into dialogues is not difficult. We can begin the path to “Yes” by getting small agreements throughout our presentation. We get these “mini-contracts” by using “check-in” questions. Here are some examples:

Increasingly, you hear the argument being made that CEOs need to allow their employees to do more — that is to say, to take part in the leadership process. The upshot? As the senior leader, it’s no longer about asking your team to blindly execute a job description or tasks you feed to them and judge them by, then wonder why they seem less than engaged.

As consumers cut back on restaurant spending in 2026, operators are shifting from expansion to retention, raising prices while demanding more precise, outcome driven marketing. The Popmenu data shows restaurants increasing menu innovation, personalization, and communication frequency—creating strong demand for media that delivers relevance, cadence, and local context rather than broad reach. For local broadcast, print, outdoor, and digital sellers, the opportunity is to position media as a strategic partner that helps restaurants win fewer, higher stakes dining decisions through consistent, well timed messaging.

Have you ever played the hot and cold guessing game? “You’re freezing cold, you’re thawing out, you’re getting warmer, you’re on fire!” The person in charge of the game hides an object and then gives you feedback based on how close (hot) or far (cold) you are from what they’ve hidden. Now imagine searching for their hidden object without receiving any feedback on how hot or cold you are.

A new survey from the Local Media Consortium finds that 83% of local media professionals expect digital revenue to grow or remain steady in 2025, with gains driven by video, subscriptions, and newsletters. While some challenges persist—particularly around digital ad revenue and staffing—AI adoption, cross-platform content strategies, and audience engagement are gaining ground. These trends provide a strong foundation for media sellers to deliver smarter, more tailored solutions to local advertisers. The data underscores the continued relevance and revenue potential of trusted local media in a fragmented digital landscape.

These events below provide excellent opportunities for

• Ad agencies to build campaigns and promotions
• Local media sales professionals to sell advertising to retailers

These events attract large audiences and offer high visibility for brands. By aligning advertising campaigns with these events, retailers can effectively reach and engage their target customers.

A sense of community is key for employees. It gives them a feeling of belonging while helping build culture and learning. This article discusses how companies can be sensitive and promote community. In her book Retirement and Its Discontents, Michelle Pannor Silver’s research reveals that for millions of people work is much more than output or income they generate. It is a source of meaning and social identity. It is where they feel intellectually stimulated and can express their creative selves. It is where they feel a sense of community and connection.

Fuel your week with these can’t-miss co-op deals!
• The Yamaha Holiday Sales Event! — Hit the road or the trails with Yamaha’s holiday deals on motorcycles, ATVs, and more.
• The Bosch Kitchen Sales Event! — Upgrade your kitchen with Bosch appliances and enjoy incredible seasonal savings.
• Browning Safes Holiday Savings Rebate! — Keep what matters safe with Browning’s secure storage solutions — now with holiday rebates.
• Holiday Offers From Weber! — Make every meal memorable with Weber grills and accessories at festive prices.
• Honda Gifts That Go Sales Event! — Gear up for adventure with Honda powersports and seasonal specials.
• Cash in on Year-End Savings From Bobcat! — Tackle any project with Bobcat equipment while enjoying end-of-year savings.
• Stearns Foster New Year’s Event! — Sleep better in the new year with Stearns Foster’s luxury mattress deals.

Weekly Newsletter January 19, 2026

Since its inception, television’s journey across the media landscape has been steady and relatively smooth. More recently, however, the media landscape has changed and television has had to adjust its course. That journey into the future will be an exciting ride because of the many new opportunities the changes in viewing habits, advertisers’ needs and technology will create for content creators and ad sales teams.