The Local Marketing Trends Podcast

AI is quickly becoming a marketing advisor for small businesses -- perhaps even replacing ad agencies and trusted media advisors. But there are pitfalls. SMB marketing maven Shannon Kinney signs in as guest co-host for this episode and explains why businesses need to think of AI as a happy intern, a powerful assistant that needs training and direction to deliver real results. The conversation also explores how AI can empower small businesses to handle more marketing themselves while increasing the need for strategic advisors who add real insight. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

Despite the narrative that traditional media is shrinking, one channel continues to grow. In this episode, Gordon & Corey explore why out-of-home advertising is defying gravity and how new technology is opening the door for more SMBs to buy. The show features an interview with out-of-home expert Dave Rivera from Vistar Media, which is making Digital OOH widely available through its programmatic platform. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

In her first-ever podcast interview ever, Audacy CEO Kelli Turner discusses the company's content-first strategy and how it will help a radio company remain relevant to digitally-obsessed local advertisers. She also describes how different Audacy might look like a decade from now. With Corey on vacation, Gordon is joined by guest co-host Shannon Kinney, an SMB marketing expert weighs in on how advertisers might view Audacy's gameplan. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

In this episode, Gordon Borrell and Corey Elliott put their own assumptions about local advertisers to the test by bringing in Shannon Kinney, founder of Dream Local Digital, who has worked with more than 90,000 businesses. Together, they unpack what SMBs really think about marketing today: deep skepticism toward inflated audience claims, an obsession with proving ROI, and a pragmatic—if still uneven—embrace of AI as a “happy intern” rather than an all-knowing oracle. The conversation challenges the idea that email and traditional media are dead, showing instead that targeted newsletters and branded content can still perform, while underscoring that scattered, low-budget tactics are often the real culprit behind disappointing results. The episode ultimately lands on a nuanced truth: local advertisers aren’t anti-media or blindly pro-digital—they’re searching for trust, clarity, and partners who can help them connect the dots between marketing effort and real business outcomes. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists.As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review! Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

Local advertisers have shifted from seeking reach to demanding proof. Reminiscent of a dozen years ago when Facebook revenue exploded, TikTok seems at the same inflection point with a new measurement tool, TikTok Pixel. In this episode, Corey & Gordon Borrell dig into fresh research about businesses obsessed with measurements and reach a counterintuitive insight:The future of local advertising may not belong to just pixels and clicks, but to a smarter, full-funnel mix that includes a dose of good instinct as well. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

Gordon and Corey kick off a new season by announcing a new direction for their podcast -- talking directly to local businesses that are screaming for more help with marketing. The hosts cite evidence that many of these businesses no longer trust intermediaries and are turning to technology and self-education. It's both a wake-up call for media and agencies and a renewed commitment by Borrell to directly support the entrepreneurs who drive local economies. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

Did you know AI has an official "hallucination rate?" Do you know why most AI engines have female voices? Are you aware AI isn't really your friend? Join Corey & Gordon for an entertaining episode that not only puts AI in perspective, but also has AI spitting out some practical advice for media companies. Funny and intriguing, as always. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

From lessons learned at MTV and AOL to what genuinely keeps him up at night as CEO of iHeart, this interview with Bob Pittman offers a rare, straight-talk look at the future of radio, audio, and media leadership from one of the industry’s most influential figures. Corey & Gordon weigh in on the notion that, in a world focused on AI, this CEO sees more value focusing on humans. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

Despite decades of digital innovation, advertisers still struggle to measure whether their marketing truly works. Corey & Gordon discuss new survey findings showing that vanity metrics like clicks and "likes" fail to provide real ROI clarity. They interview GroundTruth CEO Rosie O’Meara, who describes a solution: linking precise mobile-based location data and transaction integrations. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

While Target, Kroger, and Walmart and other bit stores create their own retail media networks, Paypal plans to one-up them all by democratizing things. Corey & Gordon offer their thoughts on Paypal's plan to facilitate ad placement on millions of SMB websites, sending ad revenue to those small businesses. The episode features an interview with the executive heading it up -- Dr. Mark Grether, SVP and General Manager of Paypal Ads. The hosts conclusion: Hmmm, this might actually work. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

In this episode of Local Marketing Trends, Gordon & Corey dive into Amazon’s move into the audio landscape. As Amazon forges partnerships with Spotify, SiriusXM, and traditional AM/FM radio groups, the e-commerce giant is redefining how SMBs can buy geotargeted audio commercials. Gordon sits down with Amazon DSP director Meredith Goldman to explore whether traditional radio should see Amazon as a competitor or a collaborator. The conversation reveals how technology, targeting, and a renewed focus on SMBs are reshaping the ad game. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

What's Amazon doing in the local advertising space? Beyond offering geotargeted video and display ads on its own massive network, will Amazon make purchasing a radio, TV, or newspaper ad as simple as its "BUY NOW" button? In this episode, Gordon & Corey take their questions to Jennifer Mock Donohue, a former local radio and TV executive now heading up Amazon Local Advertising. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

Could a radio company that snubbed digital advertising for two decades wind up with the industry's winning strategy? This episode features an interview with Saga Communications CEO Chris Forgy, who forsees a steep decline in radio advertising and an aggressive digital sales effort aimed at reviving it. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

As search engines traffic falls due to the fast-growing popularity of AI search, what will become of SEO? In this episode the hosts address the urgency and timing of what’s happening, and how SEO providers are rushing to deliver an AI-optimization product. The podcast features an interview with Patrick Briggs, CEO of Semify, who describes what he thinks agencies and media companies should be doing to address the issue right now. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

The episode features a candid conversation with the key executive of Gannett, owner of the nation’s biggest newspaper chain and operator of the one of the largest news audiences on the Internet. In an interview, Chairman and CEO Mike Reed shares insights on why Gannett is moving away from dependency on search engine traffic, how partnerships with AI platforms might yield a large source of new revenue, and why he continues to see local journalism as the company's biggest competitive advantage. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

Where is one of the nation's largest Christian and conservative broadcasters placing its bets on the future? Salem Media CEO Dave Santrella discusses a new financial discipline for the company's radio stations, skyrocketing growth in podcasting, and record revenue for political. He also talks about strong digital performance and whether he considers the Salem a "digital first" company. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

Beasley Media's CEO foresees a fast-approaching future for radio companies and believes bold steps and tough decisions will be necessary for those who want to survive it. In an interview, CEO Caroline Beasley becomes the industry's second radio executive to embrace a "digital first" strategy and outlines what that will mean for a 64-year-old company that owns 57 radio stations. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

Rob Weisbord, Sinclair's President & COO of Local Media, weighs in on how the nation's second-largest operator of TV stations is investing in the future. The episode kicks off a series of interviews with media executives asking how they intent to compete with the likes of Google, Spotify, Hulu, Facebook, Amazon, and others who annually invest billions in R&D. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

Thinking about AI brings back the old drinking-from-a-firehose analogy. But podcast guest Matt Britton, who's just published "Generation AI," has a simple suggestion. Corey & Gordon seize on a single word from the interview that sums what needs to STOP if we want to unlock the potential of AI. Britton's book can be accessed at https://generationai.bot/ Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.

The outdoor advertising industry is the only legacy media that's been emboldened by internet, continuing to grow while competing media shrink. Hosts Gordon & Corey explore the possibility that the outdoor advertising industry might leverage its digital signage to compete with the local news industry. They bring on outdoor industry consultant Kevin Gephart to pick his brains what's next for outdoor. Stay in the loop with all things Borrell when you join our Research Alert Lists. As always, thank you for listening. If you like the episode, leave us a review!  Want to join the conversation? Share your comments at borrellassociates.com/podcast.