Adbiz

Among the news stories that caught Editor-in-Chief Adam R Jacobson's attention on Thursday morning was a report out of the U.K. involving Channel 4, a major commercial broadcaster. It held a "summer upfront" on the Fourth of July, and the channel is trying out "a new linear ad format," The Wall Street Journal reports. Marketers may be salivating, but our editor argues that there's nothing wrong with the :30 or :60 — except the content.

Auto dealers were brisk with buyers and browsers on Saturday, as the end of the first half of 2018 brought out the customers ready to drive off with a new set of wheels. Helping lure traffic to car and truck vendors were TV spots. But, auto dealer associations were not alone with their big use of television going into July 1. A health and beauty brand and a big chicken vendor were also present.

Yum! With kids out of school for the summer, what better way for QSRs to help boost sales than via a spot cable effort? Someone in the front office must have thought this way, as two big Yum! Brands quick-service restaurant chains are in the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Cable report.

A rapidly growing clothier? We bet you thought "mall stores" were a dying breed. A brand first known for its "you saw it in that airline magazine" outreach is growing fast, with retail locations from Santa Monica to South Florida popping up. This hot chain is now using radio to help bring in the customers.

It's Car-Selling Season again! Five of the top 10 brands seen in the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten TV report are for auto dealer associations. Which one is on top this week? It's no surprise for those who have been keeping track of the ad spending.

Two QSRs under the Yum! Brands banner are big users of spot cable, according to the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Report. One of them soars into the Top 5, thanks to 42,500 spot plays detected by ad monitoring service owned by iHeartMedia.

With a massive play count of more than 97,000 spins in the latest Media Monitors Spot 10 Radio weekly report, this home improvement chain is far ahead of any other advertiser using national radio to reach potential consumers. Seriously -- not even the No. 2 brand using radio is close.

If you have sales reps who claim to have a "hot prospect," only to find that the buyer can't or won't buy, this column is just for you. In this latest Media Information Bureau installment from expert sales trainer Barrett Riddleberger, five questions that you should ask your salespeople about each new opportunity are discussed and explained. It's great learning for your sales team!

A digital audio advertising platform connecting national, regional and local advertisers to a potentially global audience will soon have much closer access to important decision-makers from Santa Monica to beautiful downtown Burbank. At the same time, it also hopes to be a key player in bridging the gap between brands and multicultural consumers across the U.S.

There is lots of movement in the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten TV report, which puts a formidable health and beauty brand at No. 1. Meanwhile, two automotive dealer associations revved up their engines in the week leading up to Father's Day. Want to know all of the details?

It's another big week for this home improvement retailer on the Media Monitors Spot Ten Radio report. What other brands are big on AM and FM stations in mid-June? Click here to get all of the details!

Yes, auto insurance brands are very much using spot cable to attract consumers. But, look what brand is No. 1 in the latest Media Monitors Spot Ten Cable report? It is a venerable retailer, perhaps looking for some Father's Day shoppers.

Should a "next generation ad server" focused on digital audio advertising solutions be part of the long-term growth plan for a radio broadcasting company? One San Francisco Bay Area operation, now owned by Pandora, believes so. RBR+TVBR spoke with AdsWizz VP/Product Erik Barraud to learn more about its programmatic solution for online audio, and why AM and FM stations may wish to follow iHeartMedia and Rogers Media's lead to further monetize their audio streams.

Entravision Communications' Headway programmatic advertising business unit, perhaps the Hispanic-focused media company's most profitable in 2018, has just expanded through the acquisition of a Barcelona-based ad tech company.

"Your sales reps can differentiate themselves by asking great questions," says featured Media Information Bureau columnist Barrett Riddleberger. "However, the art of the follow-up question can really set them apart." With that, Riddleberger offers the following advice, meant for C-Suiters to share with their reps as a guide for improved sales performance.