Dear Local Media Director,
We’ve been talking about Phase 2 for a bit now, pivoting priority. And I’ve seen you do good work adjusting and customizing the Local marketing plans for your clients and brands. Your ability to shift quickly, pinpoint where the action is, whether that be market, state, brand or platform, is of huge value to advertisers.
And, I believe it puts you in a position to have great influence and help an area desperately needing adjustment inside your agency – network budgets – sitting for the most part in limbo.
For years, industry observers and insiders have questioned the antiquated network upfront buying process, yet it has gone on. Now that the long anticipated disruptor has arrived, it is LOCAL’s time to shine and take the reins of best practice marketing.
When it makes almost no sense to do a straight network buy with states re-opening at different times, local nuances and consumer data more important than ever, who best to craft and execute marketing plans that meet local folks in their local markets, on local mediums and content they consume and trust the most? This is your domain, Local Media Director, you and your team’s expertise!
Political agencies have been leveraging, prioritizing, and capitalizing on Local brands and platforms for years. We know the phrase “all politics is local.” Where then is the phrase “all marketing is local” in our common lexicon?
For the last 2 weeks I’ve expected to see a ground swell of network dollars moving to local spot, content and platforms. What’s holding this back? I doubt it’s brand-driven. Brands want results against their marketing dollars – to be in the best possible position for their long-term health.
Results defined by lowest cpm, highest margin for the agency or by the force of agency personalities do not necessarily equal success for the advertiser. If it’s time for effectiveness, macro and micro targetability, consumption patterns and context to drive the value of media and media choices, then those with Local focus and knowledge should lead.
The time has come for Local first, network as the filler.
Let facts back up this metamorphosis:
- Local brands, local content and platforms INCREASING viewership and usage
- Local VIDEO BASED CONSUMPTION UP, across every demographic
- Buying Locally adds FLEXIBILITY
- Local brands and news content CONTINUE to be most TRUSTED
- Local News is a ‘tent pole’ event EVERY DAY
- Local platforms can TARGET trading areas open for business
- Local imagination, integrations, and ACTIVATIONS stand out
- Local delivers RESULTS for brands, for advertisers
There’s so much data to support the facts – pull from TVB’s website, resources, and studies; from BIA/Kelsey’s in depth analysis; from attribution companies like TVSquared; and from your partner local media companies. Local media is armed with success story upon success story across all platforms, markets, in every advertising vertical and for every advertiser size.
Local Media Director – how can we, local media, help you shift the value and leadership equation inside your shop? You can be, and should be, the future of smart, results driven, targeted advertising on behalf of your agency and clients.
(View more Prime Time Leadership posts on current happenings in media leadership here:)
We’re having lots of conversations with senior leaders about subjects like this. If we can be a sounding board for you or your company during this time, please reach out. jim@jimdoyle.com and angela@jimdoyle.com