Local advertising is thriving and is projected to pull in an impressive $33 billion this year, showing a strong 16% year-over-year growth. At the same time, including diverse audiences in media plans can unlock access to a staggering $6+ trillion in potential buying power for brands. It’s like finding a treasure chest brimming with gold coins: the value is undeniable, but the real magic lies in how you spend it. I recently interviewed two media leaders in these respective areas—Peter Jones, VP of Revenue at Premion, and Sheila Marmon, Founder and CEO of Mirror Digital—how they’re helping businesses unlock these opportunities and turn those numbers into real-world marketing value, one shining idea at a time.
The Local Advertising Renaissance: Beyond Fragmentation to Focused Outcomes
The fragmentation of the media landscape that we hear about all the time has created challenges but also opportunities, especially in the local space, where advertisers can target audiences more accurately by leveraging first and third-party data. Jones said that Premion is focused on maximizing those opportunities in local via data-driven decision-making for omnichannel presence and measurable outcomes.
For Premion, those are the three pillars of a smart advertising strategy: Inventory, Data and Measurement. “A big thing that we’re trying to educate clients on,” Jones stressed, “is their omnichannel strategy: ‘what different media are you looking at to help drive outcomes?’ Then, try to be agnostic, rather than relying on intuition or preference. “Everyone has their favorites, like live sports” he acknowledged, “but let’s just look at what’s driving the outcomes,” he said, leading into his mantra of “outcomes over impressions.”
And those impressions should come from omnichannel presence. “If you’re getting outcomes from one media or one inventory set, great, let’s repeat that behavior. Let’s find that data or find that inventory to drive that outcome for you.” That means making data-driven media decisions, Jones emphasized.
Inventory: The Groundwork for Effective Campaigns
CTV promises vast opportunities to reach consumers, and that’s where more dollars are flowing than ever, but there’s that fragmentation issue. Advertisers must navigate multiple platforms and publishers to identify the best inventory for their campaigns, which, for Jones means how well consumers engage with content, wherever it is. “Consumers love streaming because they have choices,” he said. “They have the control of what they want to subscribe to, and then it’s the convenience of being able to watch what you want, when you want.” So, Premion applies those same principles—convenience, choice, and control—to advertisers, allowing them to select inventory, leverage data, and measure outcomes in ways that make sense for their specific goals.
First-Party & Third-Party Data: Fueling Hyper-Local and Personalized Campaigns
That second pillar, data, represents an indispensable resource for advertisers hoping to optimize outcomes. Jones stressed the dual importance of first-party and third-party data in crafting effective campaigns, which is where local can really shine. “If there’s not a first-party data strategy with every brand or agency—or even a local business—that needs to be their priority this year,” he stated. First-party data, often derived from direct consumer interactions, serves as a powerful tool for personalization and long-term strategic growth, while third-party data complements these efforts by providing broader market insights.
Measurement: Turning Insights into Action
Jones’s third pillar, measurement, is maybe the most vital for driving actionable results. He believes that without proper measurement tools, advertisers are left in the dark regarding campaign performance. Fortunately, today’s ad tech landscape offers sophisticated measurement solutions that track engagement, attribution, and omnichannel outcomes.
Outcomes and attribution are the beacon for most sellers and buyers, with marketers aiming to prove Return on Investment (ROI) in Connected TV (CTV) and digital media, with sellers aiming to claim attribution and deliver outcomes. Attribution is a hot button. Some companies, like audio rep and network, Audacy, are advocating for longer attribution windows, noting that only 8% of the impact occurs within the first 20 minutes of audio advertising in its usually “screen-free” moments, with the majority or impact unfolding over a longer period. For Premion, Jones has been able to illustrate quicker results, citing a case study for a quick serve restaurant that had powerful and direct results using Premion’s sales transaction data to track campaign effectiveness. “They leverage our sales transaction data off of their campaigns,” he said, explaining, “so we can show them what their cost per transaction is off of our media, and it’s coming down to about a buck. So for every dollar media, they’re seeing a sales transaction come through within one of their physical locations.”
This kind of attribution lets advertisers optimize based on real business outcomes, and test different approaches, such as looking at seasonal patterns, and analyzing time-of-day performance, to drive better results. Jones encouraged brands to move beyond outdated models, like focusing on last-click attribution, and adopt a more holistic view of performance metrics. Remaining flexible and open to diverse inventory sources allows advertisers to replicate successful behaviors and make informed decisions that amplify campaign effectiveness.
“But Wait! There’s More!”
For brands concerned about brand safety—a growing issue in today’s polarized media environment—Jones highlighted Premion’s TAG Platinum certification, which ensures strict guidelines are followed across all inventory sources. This certification addresses not only brand safety but also ad fraud prevention, providing advertisers with greater confidence in their placements. “All of our campaigns, how we execute them, no matter what type of media you’re getting or what type of inventory has to follow those guidelines in order for us to actually secure the inventory, order to place the buys,” Jones explained.
Including More Audiences: A $6.8 Trillion Opportunity
While Premion focuses on geographic targeting, Mirror Digital takes a complementary approach by helping brands connect with diverse and inclusive audiences. Founded 13 years ago, Mirror Digital recognized the significant market opportunity represented by underrepresented audiences. In describing how some respond to multicultural audience targeting, Marmon bristles, explaining that “you’ll frequently hear people say, ‘oh, it’s a niche.’ But it’s absolutely not a niche. It is over 43% of the US population and represents $6.8 trillion in buying power. That’s trillion with a T… that’s larger than the GDP of any country in Europe, any country in Latin America.”
Beyond Demographics: Just Connecting Authentically
Marmon’s company focuses on digital channels where precise targeting is possible, working with publishers, social media creators, and podcasters who understand cultural nuances. Mirror Digital has partnered with major brands like General Motors, Verizon, and Amazon. In addition to multicultural audiences, Marmon emphasized women as drivers of growth. “It’s 80% of household purchasing decisions are made by women. So just think about what that means in terms of the power of the purse. The power of the purse is literally in a purse,” she noted.
The Future of Data-Driven Advertising
Both Jones and Marmon represent different facets of advertising’s evolution, but they share a focus on leveraging data and technology to reach audiences more effectively. For Jones, this means helping local advertisers utilize advanced measurement and attribution tools to drive tangible business outcomes. For Marmon, it means applying digital innovation to help brands connect authentically with diverse communities.
As we look ahead, the ongoing integration of tech and media will only accelerate these trends. Jones is excited about one example of emerging technologies reshaping advertising that he saw at POSSIBLE showing how AI and machine learning can expand inventory opportunities even more by providing sponsored responses in a chat widget. And with the more than one thousand diverse creators that Mirror Digital can tap for brand engagement, the multicultural multiplier of inventory is exponential.
For marketers looking to stay ahead, the message is clear: focus on measurable outcomes rather than media preferences, invest in first-party data capabilities, and recognize the significant growth potential in both local markets and audiences that have traditionally been underserved.
For the full conversations with Peter Jones and Sheila Marmon, follow “Insider Interviews: With Media & Marketing Experts” on any podcast platform, or watch here
This article originally appeared on Mossappeal.substack.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
Featured Image Credit: AlexandreFagundes/Istockphoto.
