A lot has been happening in the ad business lately, all emblematic of the industry’s rapid and ceaseless tech-fueled evolution.
Originally Published at MediaVillage
Let’s start with what we’ve heard from the measurement sector just this year so far.
As eMarketer noted, in Q2 2024, linear TV delivered the majority of ad impressions, accounting for nearly 90% of the time viewers spent watching ads on TV screens.
The Media Rating Council (MRC) accredited Comscore across local markets based on Comscore’s big-data device-tuning measurement. This comes on the heels of Nielsen’s own MRC accreditation for its Big Data + Panel solution, which combines first-party data with its core panel methodology. The MRC imprimatur likely better positions Nielsen as it faces growing competition not only from Comscore but iSpot and VideoAmp among others.
Not to be outdone, at the recent NewFronts, VideoAmp announced it has begun its own MRC accreditation process—after recently snagging Paramount Global’s business from Nielsen and then prevailing over the measurement giant in court in a patent dispute.
These developments underscore the disaggregation in currencies designed to gauge the success of video advertising and to align it with audience trends.
Of course, it’s all “TV” as far as the consumer is concerned… but for those of us in the trenches buying and/or selling “video” (broadly defined to encompass all digital and linear video) inventory, all the recent activity is vitally impactful.
Meanwhile, other advertising platforms that we’ve discussed in recent columns—such as digital out-of-home (DOOH) and retail media networks (RMNs) continue to grow not just in terms of revenue but in their roles within the overall media mix.
In 2024, programmatic-fueled U.S. DOOH ad expenditures grew more than 7% to surpass $3 billion and are expected to grow to nearly $6 billion by 2028, per various sources. RMN spending, though still dominated by Amazon and Walmart, has grown nearly five-fold since 2019, per eMarketer.
So, we’re seeing constant, profound change, maybe even upheaval, in the very concept of the currency in which our industry trades -- audience-measurement data -- and the relationship of these data and methodologies to emerging tech-enabled ad platforms.
At the same time, local advertising continues along a steeper growth trajectory than national. Global brands are allocating more of their marketing budgets to local efforts, with 83% expecting to allocate more than 20% in 2025, per Digiday.
The branding so powerfully delivered by national platforms, including linear network TV, remains crucial. Yet, ultimately, it’s about making the local cash register ring.
And then there’s the trust factor. Survey respondents consistently rank local TV highest for trust and loyalty among all news platforms, typically followed by local newspapers. National TV platforms follow further behind, with social platforms ranking at bottom. For all the talk of shifting ad dollars, did you know that three digital giants - Amazon, Apple and Meta – spent more than $1 billion in 2024 advertising on linear TV, including local spot, per MediaRadar data?
Here’s another way to look at that: People grouse about lawyers, except for their own attorney; they’ll complain about Congress while supporting their own elected representative; and many disdain “the media” … but not their favorite local TV anchor.
The late House Speaker Thomas J. “Tip” O’Neill famously said, “All politics is local.” Many marketing experts assert that all marketing is local too.
In local markets, the pool of truly impactful inventory providers is naturally tighter -- but marketers still need to apply the optimal mix. In this ever-fragmenting, highly dynamic, mobilized and attention-challenged environment, buying local linear TV or programmatic or social or outdoor in isolation may leave too many desirable audiences untapped.
Evolving consumer habits and attention… disruption in audience measurement… the trend toward local engagement… The changing dynamics impact marketing plans of advertisers, large and small, and how marketing executives justify budgets.
In other words, the riskiest strategy for ad buyers and sellers alike is to stand still.
All this may seem to be stating the obvious, though I do have a point -- which is to underscore our reasons for the most transformational step in our company’s quarter-century history.
We recently acquired LocalFactor, a digital ad firm specializing in omnichannel programmatic solutions for large regional and national brands and agencies. We’re combining LocalFactor’s expertise in locally optimized, data-driven digital campaigns with Viamedia’s expansive linear TV and digital ad infrastructure to power a localized engine offering brands precision and reach across all channels. LocalFactor founder Evan Rutchik, who, with his colleagues, built such a remarkable company in a few short years, joins our senior management team and board.
Among many complementary attributes, LocalFactor brings established agency partnerships that unlock incremental demand from global brands, particularly in markets where Viamedia’s exclusive local inventory and data capabilities are structured to give advertisers a performance edge.
When we made the announcement, I noted that LocalFactor and Viamedia share two essential traits: a “local-local” marketing philosophy that has served our respective clients well and a people-first culture that empowers employees to innovate and do their best work for clients. The newly combined team’s mandate is clear: build the industry’s most advanced, privacy-first omnichannel advertising platform -- where national scale meets local precision, and every campaign is powered by exclusive inventory, proprietary tech, and differentiated data. Our people are tasked with simplifying execution for advertisers and inventory partners alike, across every format, screen, and market.
So now we’re serving buyers more effectively by moving across national, local, linear and all forms of digital -- in fact, reflecting where the business and the eyeballs are going -- and assembling the integrated and targeted multi-platform media packages and campaigns they’re increasingly demanding.
And our objective is to bring along for the ride with us the many inventory suppliers -- be they MVPDs, SSPs, broadcasters, DOOH providers or others -- across our network of more than 100 video service providers in 75 DMAs. Together, with more than 7,000 brand partners and 7,500+ active digital campaigns delivering billions of impressions annually, we’re building a truly integrated ecosystem that empowers precision-driven advertising, at scale.
Because today, it is imperative to make it extremely simple for media buyers to purchase all forms of content in a way that meets their objectives of even the most sophisticated targeting… and to make those local cash registers ring.
Posted at MediaVillage through the Thought Leadership self-publishing platform.
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The opinions expressed here are the author's views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage.org/MyersBizNet.
