Pundits in/around the local media business have observed that local media advertising salespeople are "glorified order takers" who are not qualified, willing, or able to do anything more than sling print advertising.
Having met a few of these folks and their managers, I think it's a bit of a generalization. Sure, a lot of people who have sold ads for many years are committed to doing business the way it has always been done. But for every "old school" ad sales rep, there are probably 5 younger people in the organization who have the hunger to take on new products and services.
Why? It's in some ways a generational gap. Younger people are, by now, expert social media users unless they've been hiding under a rock for the last 4-5 years. Many of their interactions are online. Very few of them have the experience of getting news and information from print and not television and/or the Internet. Remember, your 30 year old ad sales reps may have had the Internet for half their lives.
As time passes and we all experience media in new ways, we'll all gradually get more comfortable with modernized local content and advertising. Advertisers and younger people in the ad sales force are already there. When will you make the leap?
Merry Christmas everyone!
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