The article below is a Part 1 of a deep dive into the future of Local media marketing and how digital marketing can transform TV advertising going forward. Please let me know what you think so I can either keep the goods stuff available for you on this site or drop it as it's too burdensome. Philip Jay LeNoble, Ph.D.

Part 1: The future of local: How data-driven insights are transforming TV advertising

Part 1: The future of local: How data-driven insights are transforming TV advertising

 

The streaming revolution promised simpler, more personalized entertainment for viewers — but for advertisers, it's created one of the most complex marketing environments in history. Behind all that content consumption lies a fragmented patchwork of platforms, each with unique audience characteristics that vary significantly from one local market to the next. This has transformed local advertising from a straightforward media buying exercise into a sophisticated data science challenge. 

Now, the same technological evolution that created this fragmentation is providing the tools to convert those challenges into opportunity.

Keith Kazerman, President of Streaming at Locality, a provider of local advertising services, has witnessed this transformation firsthand. 

“Data-driven technology has significantly improved the local advertising landscape by making it more efficient to navigate what has been a highly fragmented and complex marketplace,” Kazerman says. “As audiences spread their attention across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms, advertisers need sophisticated tools to understand and reach them effectively.”

This is at the heart of Locality’s unique position as a media solutions provider hyper-focused on matching relevant ads to local audiences using the latest technology. Locality acts as a consultative partner, working closely with clients and agencies to guide strategic investment decisions between streaming and broadcast while ensuring the right budget allocation for each unique local market.

 

The Power of ACR

The evolution of technologies like Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) enables advertisers to gain unprecedented insights into local viewing behaviors, helping them craft more relevant messages that resonate with specific communities. This shift is changing how ads are delivered while also fundamentally reshaping the relationship between brands and local audiences in ways that benefit viewers and advertisers alike.

“ACR allows us to truly understand the engagement that audiences are having across every screen, and every delivery mechanism — whether that’s broadcast, cable, streaming, or all of the above,” Kazerman says. “That information about when and what they’re consuming is really powerful; it allows us to be smarter at planning, activation, and measurement.”

ACR is a technology embedded in smart TVs that identifies what content is being watched  by matching it to a library of audio and visual “fingerprints.” It can detect whether it was delivered via broadcast, cable, or streaming, giving advertisers a clear view of where and how audiences are tuning in. That granular level of data makes ACR a bridge to understanding consumption habits across platforms. It also opens the door to measuring incremental reach with more precision. 

 

An Audience-first Strategy

One key path to addressing fragmentation is a tight focus on the audience.

“An important strategy is starting with a brand’s target audience at the center and aligning that with a clear understanding of the market,” Kazerman says. “Tapping into consumer preferences at the local level drives how we plan everything around the people we’re trying to reach.”

Advertisers now have the ability to activate their deep, first-party data into the mix. That’s particularly important in local, Kazerman says, where data can be combined with third-party sources for a more complete picture. That allows the Locality team to get as close as possible to the audience and what they care about — which helps ensure the next big piece of the puzzle: relevance. 

 

Relevance Drives Engagement

In Locality’s 2024 Local Lift study, one of the findings was that 7 out of 10 viewers expect ads to be localized. And when that expectation is met, it changes how people respond. As Kazerman notes, people lean in because localization conveys relevance and trust, and that in turn makes them more likely to take action.

“So, as we tailor the messages to reflect audiences in their locations as well as the context of the content that they're consuming, it creates a more personal and resonant experience — and that fuels engagement.”  

 

Locality’s Integrated Approach

With “local” built into its very name, Locality occupies a unique position. Since they work with over 400 local broadcast stations and are connected to all premium streaming publishers, they’re a one-stop shop for agencies and clients. Add in the highly detailed local data they gather, and it ensures advertisers have the right reach and penetration based on local market consumption and behaviors.

Being able to deliver the synergy of broadcast news and sports with the wide world of streaming content results in a single, integrated workflow unmatched in the industry. Kazerman says the company’s Reach+ service was created to make it all work.

“Reach+ was built to simplify how advertisers reach unique local audiences at scale,” he says. “It brings planning, buying, and delivery into one seamless workflow. ACR powers incremental measurement that shows exactly how campaigns are driving the right reach across broadcast and streaming — not just counting impressions, but delivering impact.” 

 

National Brands with Local Appeal

It’s one thing for a local brand to understand its own markets well enough to make targeting decisions. But for national brands, it’s a heavier lift simply given the scale involved. With all the advanced data-driven tools now available, national brands have more opportunities than ever to localize effectively — even at scale.

“Every buying decision happens at the local level, no matter how far a brand’s reach extends,” Kazerman says. “We’re passionate about helping national brands localize their message in ways that feel authentic and truly connected to the communities they serve.”

The classic example of not advertising snowblowers in Florida might seem obvious, but there are countless products and services whose appeal varies significantly by location. Combined with that fragmented media landscape, it requires sophisticated data collection and analysis to ensure viewers see ads that truly matter to them.

“The examples are endless when you look from market to market — which is why it’s so important for national brands to lean into locally tailored messaging,” Kazerman says. “It’s all about addressing what each market needs and speaking directly to that audience. If you’re even slightly off, the message can be lost.”

There is, however, an extraordinary tool getting better every day to help with customization and much more.

 

An AI on the future

Underpinning much of today’s — and particularly tomorrow’s — ad-buying landscape is, of course, Artificial Intelligence. As it improves at breakneck speed, AI puts another potent tool in the hands of advertisers. But since it’s changing so quickly, it’s a key focus for Locality to stay on top of it, tune out the noise and define the concrete advantages.

“The acceleration of AI is going to enable faster personalization of creative, as just one example,” Kazerman says. “It’s also a powerful enabler for breaking down big data sets, harnessing insights, and turning them into real action during campaign execution.”

Local advertising technology, he predicts, will transform in the next two or three years to become more unified, automated and insight driven. All of that adds up to making local more accessible, adaptable — and an absolute necessity.

“Local is, and should be, on every media plan whether it’s a national or local advertiser,” Kazerman says. “You don’t want to be left behind here.”