Consumers plan to spend an average of $890.49 this holiday season—the second-highest level in 23 years—despite concerns about tariffs and rising prices. About $628 will go toward gifts, showing budgets remain strong even as shoppers grow more value-conscious. While 42% begin browsing before November, 63% plan to buy mainly over Thanksgiving weekend, with 60% finishing in December. Online leads all channels (55%), followed by grocery, department, and discount stores, underscoring the need for integrated digital and local strategies. For local media and agencies, success will hinge on value-driven, well-timed, and locally relevant campaigns that blend digital precision with community connection.

With uncertainty in the economy it is time to prepare for a tougher sales season. When the economy slows down, advertisers often ask, “What can I cut?” But the smarter question is, “What can’t I afford to lose?” And the answer—especially for local and regional businesses—is radio. That’s because radio provides one of the strongest, most consistent, and most personal connections to the consumer. At a time when trust, familiarity, and influence matter more than ever, radio delivers them all in abundance.

A study by Horizon Media reveals that Millennial parents and their Gen Alpha children are exhibiting new consumption behaviors, emphasizing multi-platform, interest-driven engagement. Traditional top-down influence models are becoming obsolete, with peer and community-driven influence gaining importance. The study highlights the shift from hyper-personalization to community-driven discovery and the importance of content relevance over creator popularity. These insights are crucial for local media salespeople, helping them adapt their strategies to resonate with today's dynamic audience.

Podcasting has rapidly grown into a mainstream media channel, with over 135 million monthly U.S. listeners and more than 5 million active shows worldwide. A June 2025 study by Sounds Profitable and Signal Hill Insights found that podcast ads outperform other media in driving consumer action, with 22% of listeners making immediate purchases and high rates of promo code use, brand searches, and social engagement. The personal, trust-based nature of podcast ads makes them especially effective across diverse product categories. Local media outlets—radio, TV, newspapers, and magazines—can extend their advertising offerings by integrating podcasting into their content and sales strategies. As consumer behavior shifts, podcasting offers a high-conversion, high-engagement opportunity that traditional media can no longer afford to overlook.

You are a modern leader, one smart enough to engage your team, improving their plan by allowing others to contribute to their decisions. Some of your team’s contributions are valuable, with many ideas stemming from their different views and experiences. Because you invite them to own and participate in certain decisions, your team is more committed to the plan.

The FTC’s March 13 warning letters to 97 dealership groups signal that auto advertising is entering a period of sharper scrutiny, especially around price transparency, mandatory fees, financing conditions and vehicle availability. For local media sellers and ad agencies, this is not just a compliance issue but a business issue, because misleading offers can undermine campaign performance across radio, TV, print, digital and outdoor by eroding consumer trust. The opportunity for media professionals is to help dealers create cleaner, more consistent and more credible messaging that improves both legal defensibility and sales effectiveness.

Fuel your week with these can’t-miss co-op deals!
• The Genesis Signature Event! — Step into luxury and style with Genesis and enjoy special offers during this signature sales event.
• E-Z-GO Merry Markdown Sales Event! — Get moving this season with E-Z-GO and take advantage of festive markdowns on golf carts and utility vehicles.
• Simmons Beautyrest New Year Sale! — Sleep better in 2026! Enjoy amazing deals on Simmons Beautyrest mattresses and start your year refreshed.
• Chevy Red Tag Sales Event! — Drive into the New Year with Chevy and save big during the Red Tag event.
• Start Your Year With a New John Deere! — Power through your projects and adventures with John Deere equipment and seasonal savings.
• Lincoln Year End Service Event! — Keep your Lincoln running like new with exclusive year-end service offers.
• The Nissan Year End Sales Event! — Don’t miss out—get behind the wheel of a Nissan and enjoy limited-time year-end deals.

In the dynamic world of sales, regular training is essential. Whether you’re adapting to emerging trends, changing circumstances or new technology, continuous learning is an important part of staying ahead of the curve and optimizing sales performance. Sales games make training fun and interactive. They’re an effective way to help your sales teams develop and retain new skills.

The media has been filled with stories about a so-called “retail apocalypse,” citing the large number of store closings, abandoned and eerily quiet shopping malls and the explosion of the Amazon phenomenon (and online shopping in general) as some of the primary reasons. It’s true that retail has been battered and bruised during the past years, especially 2017, but just as life must evolve to sustain itself, so must retail.

Sales teams are vital to business growth, yet they often face high turnover and low morale. Effective sales training programs not only enhance performance but also play a crucial role in boosting employee morale and retention. Investing in sales training provides salespeople with the skills and confidence they need, reducing stress and increasing job satisfaction. Research indicates that companies with robust sales training programs experience significantly lower turnover rates, with improved employee income and retention.

Too many sales reps are dull in their sales conversation. You can blame this on onboarding processes that gaslight reps into believing that their company and solution are the most important things. This establishes parity with competitors, meaning one salesperson is no better than another. Instead of being average and turning yourself into a commodity, aim to be a more dynamic, engaging salesperson.

AI may be transforming advertising workflows, but it’s not ready to control the highest-risk levers—spend authority, brand meaning, and accountability—so humans will remain “in the loop” for the foreseeable future. While generative tools can produce endless creative variations, they can’t replace taste, lived experience, or the ability to read cultural context, and audiences increasingly detect and distrust “AI-feeling” work. Trust and liability are the real brakes: consumer skepticism, brand safety, bias, hallucinations, privacy, and governance requirements make “lights-out” automation unrealistic and risky. The practical path forward is human-led orchestration—use AI to accelerate ideation and optimization, but keep people responsible for budgets, judgment, disclosure, ethics, and the final decisions that define outcomes.

Kick off the week with strong co-op campaigns built to drive seasonal demand and customer action.
• Dough for a Doughboy Event! — Durable above-ground pools made for easy backyard summer fun, now with seasonal savings.
• May Savings on Firestone Tires! — Trusted all-season tires built for safety, performance, and everyday driving value.
• Get Big Savings This Spring From Lennox! — High-efficiency HVAC systems designed for reliable, year-round home comfort.
• Benjamin Moore Kick Off Summer With Color! — Premium paint for bold color, smooth coverage, and lasting results.
• HEVI-Shot Tom Takedown Rebate! — High-performance hunting loads built for precision and power in the field.
• The Stearns Foster Memorial Day Sale! — Luxury mattresses designed for premium comfort and supportive sleep.
• Honda Marine’s Coverage Plus Sales Event! — Reliable marine engines with strong performance and added coverage benefits.

Podcast advertising continues to outperform expectations, with Nielsen data showing strong lifts in brand awareness, purchase intent, and consumer engagement across nearly 2,000 case studies. Host-read ads are especially effective, with listeners rating podcast hosts as likeable, credible, and relatable—making brand endorsements feel authentic and trustworthy. The medium commands 19% of daily ad-supported audio time among U.S. adults, with even higher engagement among younger and Hispanic audiences. Local media companies, sales reps, and ad agencies can capitalize on this trend by launching community-focused podcasts and offering host-read ad packages to regional advertisers. As podcasting grows, it offers local professionals a powerful new channel for storytelling, brand building, and audience connection.

It’s long been a tradition and badge of honor among journalists to accept their role as the targets of the slings and arrows of the public, politicians and the business community. Journalists have willingly crashed the gates of propriety and power to reveal the facts we all deserve to know and to shine a light of truth on those who would mislead or use their position to exploit or to seek gain unfairly, unethically and/or illegally.