Despite Tech Advances, Local Ad Sellers Under Pressure to Achieve Growth Goals

Even equipped with cutting edge technology including AI, local advertising sellers are feeling the pressure to meet expectations. Frequence, a Madhive company, recently surveyed 500 local-market ad sellers and found that 65% say they face moderate to extreme pressure to grow digital ad revenue by 20% or more — and 64% have been tasked with growing revenue by as much as 30-40%. 

Making it more difficult is that an overwhelming majority (78%) of respondents report an expectation to hit revenue goals with fewer resources (often in the form of decreased headcount). And it isn’t just coming from the client side — 83% of those surveyed say they’re under moderate to extreme internal pressure. 

“Advertisers demand performance across channels, which means that sellers need robust automation and advanced tools more than ever before,” said Jim Wilson, President of Madhive. “This year’s findings underscore the ongoing pressure on media professionals to optimize campaigns with limited resources and emphasize the importance of technological advancements in sustaining growth.”

So what can be done? More training and tools, for starters — especially since 73% of respondents feel like they can’t keep up with the latest in digital ad tech (programmatic buying, CTV/OTT and omnichannel). There’s also a strong demand for detailed performance metrics and ROAS measurement across digital video and CTV, the absence of which make it challenging to properly track and quantify impact. 

And while AI usage continues to grow (80% say they’ve used it in some capacity, up from 75% last year), many feel like they aren’t equipped to fully utilize these tools. 

Frequence notes that “to fully capitalize on the potential of digital video and CTV, media companies need to prioritize the training of their sellers…By addressing these training and technology gaps, advertisers will be able to demonstrate the value of CTV, optimize campaigns in real-time and secure larger investments for video advertising.”