SalesFuel conducted our eleventh annual State of Media Sales™ survey in August 2021. The nearly 400 respondents to this survey were media sales reps and media sales managers including broadcast TV, cable TV, radio, newspapers/magazines, direct response and those who have more than 50% of their revenue from digital sources. All were actively employed by media sales companies in the United States. Note that some respondents sell multiple media formats.
The questions in this survey were designed to help us understand the level of optimism in the media sales industry. The data we collected revealed the extent of the shift to digital formats in media sales and where media sales professionals see their greatest opportunities and challenges. Sales reps also revealed how they divide their time across specific selling activities on a daily basis.
SELECT FINDINGS
DEFINITIONS
Survey participants were asked which media category best represents the type of media company they sell for based on the following definitions:
TV (OTA) – All revenues generated by local television stations for sale of time to either national or local advertisers. Does not include any advertising sold by the over-the-air national networks, nor any retransmission consent revenues generated by these local television stations. Over-the-air includes traditional and digital sellers.
Cable TV – All revenues generated by local cable systems for sale of time to either national or local advertisers on all of their aired networks. Does not include any advertising sold by national cable networks. Includes traditional and digital sellers.
Print – Newspaper and magazine, includes traditional and digital sellers. All revenues generated by local daily and weekly newspapers and magazines from national and local advertisers from their print editions. Does not include any revenue generated from subscriptions. All revenues generated by local daily and weekly newspapers and magazines from national and local advertisers from their online editions. Includes the share retained by local newspapers after reselling other online platforms (e.g., Google AdWords).
Digital – Includes digital marketing agencies. These advertisements could be sold by local pure-play online companies, OTT companies, or national companies selling geo-targeted advertising. Includes search, display and classified/vertical advertising. Search includes dollars spent on online local inquiries with search engine sites (such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Yahoo, Ask, AOL).
All – Includes radio, out of home, direct response, and cinema advertising, along with the above-mentioned properties.