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sales@spotsndots.com Copyright 2018.The Daily News of TV Sales Tuesday, March 20, 2018

DIGITAL/PHYSICAL RETAIL LINES BLURRINGOMNICHANNEL WORLD FOR ALL Traditional and online retailing are increasingly intertwined as customers seamlessly shop across touchpoints and the industry uses both platforms to better serve them. That’s the main finding of the latest State of Retail Online Study released by the National Retail Federation (NRF) and Forrester. This year’s data reveals that 43% of store-based retailers surveyed expect a net increase in the number of bricks-and-mortar stores they operate by the end of 2018 compared with 2017, and only 16% expect a net reduction. Additionally, retailers are proactively working on their real estate assets, whether testing new store formats such as opening some type of pop-up store (24%) and opening new warehouses or distribution centers (12%). New physical locations are important because 42% of retailers surveyed say that faster delivery of online orders is their top customer-facing priority, and many plan to use stores to achieve that goal. Omnichannel services such as buy online, pick up in-store are an in-store priority for 21%, along with 15% that cite ship-from-store as a fulfillment priority. ”More brands plan to open stores versus close them this year, which proves that the physical retail store is not doomed as many think it is,” said Forrester VP Sucharita Kodali. “Smart retailers understand that the two go hand-in-hand, but customer-obsessed retailers will continue investing in areas like omnichannel to provide customers with the seamless on and offline experiences they expect and now require.” Of the companies surveyed this year, 32% were “pureplay” online retailers while 57% were multichannel retailers, including traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers that also sell online. “This report shows more than ever that retail is retail regardless of where a sale is made or how the product is delivered,” said NRF VP Mark Mathews said. “Products ordered online are increasingly picked up in-store or shipped from a nearby store, and digital technology being used at bricks-and-mortar locations lets retailers help customers find what they want or make the sale even if the product is out of stock.” Personalizing the shopping experience was cited by 15% of store-based retailers as a priority. Retailers surveyed are also focused on using technology to better enable store associates to help customers (12%), as well as improving the in-store experience (12%). Digital continues to contribute significantly to retail overall, both directly and as it influences sales in stores. 70% noted that online conversion rates—the number of people browsing an item online who actually make a purchase online—increased in the past year. Further good news: 62% said repeat customers were up and 57% said average order values had increased.

ADVERTISER NEWS After a decent holiday season, Macy’s executives are doubling down on new technology to avoid losing sales. Macy’s is introducing virtual reality to the furniture departments at 60 of its 650 stores. In addition, the retailer said on Monday that it will update its shopping app and site this year so the merchandise it suggests to shoppers is more in tune with their interests. Visitors to Macy’s

website or shopping app are greeted by generic merchandise and information about a discount. But by the end of the year, Macy’s plans to welcome digital shoppers with merchandise that is tailored to their past shopping and spending patterns along with other information provided by the customer, according to Fortune.com...

Walmart is bringing Handy’s installation and assembly services to more than 2,000 of its 5,000 U.S. stores, the companies told CNBC Monday. The service, available in 45 states, will offer Handy’s help in putting together televisions and furniture. Walmart shoppers can buy the option at checkout and schedule an appointment with Handy from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Handy, founded in 2012 as an app, is a network of 80,000 workers who provide in-home services like cleaning and installation.....Kroger’s Fred Meyer stores will stop selling guns and ammunition. The chain says it made the decision after evaluating customer preferences. The firearms category represents about $7 million of its annual revenue, and sales are declining. The company has more than 130 stores in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska....Toys R Us liquidation sales will start as soon as this Thursday at some locations. The company has notified workers that stores and warehouses in several states will shut down by May 14....Claire’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday. The teen retailer is closing 92 stores across the US and Puerto Rico....Lidl has debuted its first multimedia ad campaign highlighting what it calls the “bloated supermarket shopping experience” facing most U.S. consumers. Using the theme, “Don’t let them waste your money,” the German discount supermarket chain is focusing on what it sees as its main assets — lower prices and a better in-store experience, says fooddive.com. The spots were produced by The Martin Agency....CVS and Walgreens are each piloting programs that will allow people in some markets with participating Blue Cross/Blue Shield insurance coverage to get free Lyft rides to stores, according to Forbes. CVS will cover the cost of Lyft rides to their pharmacies for qualifying members who live in specific transportation deserts in Pittsburgh, and Walgreens will do the same for those in some similarly underserved parts of Chicago.... Volkswagen plans to invest $340 million to bring a third vehicle to its assembly plant in Chattanooga, TN -- a five-seat version of its large Atlas crossover. The new crossover, in concept form, is to be revealed next week at the New York auto show, says autonews.com

PAGE 2 The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com

NETWORK NEWS The Will & Grace revival has picked up a new season order from NBC. The third season order is for 18 episodes. In addition, the second season episode order for the comedy was upped from 13 episodes to 18. The news of a third season was unveiled as the cast and producers gathered Saturday night for a panel session held as part of the Paley Center for Media’s Paleyfest at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The new Will & Grace reunited original cast members Debra Messing, Eric McCormack, Sean Hayes, and Megan Mullally with creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. The series is produced by Universal Television. The original Will & Grace aired on NBC from 1998 to 2006……Rachel Bay Jones has been added to the cast of God Friended Me, the CBS pilot from producer Greg Berlanti. Jones, who starred in the Broadway production of Dear Evan Hansen, has been cast in a recurring role. The show revolves around an outspoken atheist, played by Brandon Michael Hall, whose life is turned upside down when God friends him on Facebook. Jones will play an investigator looking into God’s account……. The untitled comedy pilot from Bobby Bowman at ABC has cast Carson White. The series is based on Bowman’s own childhood growing up with a father with mental illness. White will play Buzzy Jr., the youngest child in the show’s family. His character is described as sensitive, sweet, enthusiastic, and creative with a love of dance……The final two episodes of Once Upon a Time on ABC will feature several returning cast members to celebrate the end of the series. The series finales being airing on Friday, May 18th. The returning cast members include Tony Amendola, Lee Arenberg, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Robbie Kay, Sean Mcguire, Victoria Smurfit, Keegan Tracy, Beverly Elliot, and Jared Gilmore. All will reprise their roles as fantasy figures that have appeared in the series……Sarah Jones (Damnation, The Path) has been added as the female lead in the CBS drama pilot L.A. Confidential. Jones will play Lynn in the TV adaptation of the James Ellroy classic noir novel, the role that won Kim Basinger an Oscar for her work in the acclaimed 1997 movie. Jones will join a cast that already includes Walton Goggins, Alana Arenas, Brian J. Smith, Mark Webber, and Shea Wigham……The CBS reboot or Cagney & Lacey has added Ving Rhames to co-star opposite Sarah Drew and Michelle Hurd. He will play a police captain who is the LAPD Homicide Coordinator, an unflappable leader that inspires loyalty in everyone around him. His credits include all the Mission Impossible movies, and he won a Golden Globe for Don King: Only in America. He was the star of the reboot of the classic CBS crime drama series, Kojak on the USA Network……Actor Matt Ryan, who has a recurring role as John Constantine in the CW superhero series DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, has been promoted to a series regular in Season 4, should the series be renewed. The CW has yet to announce renewals for next season, but Legends of Tomorrow is fully expected to be back on the schedule in the fall.

AVAILS KRIS Communications is looking for a Director of Sales for our Corpus Christi Broadcast group. Are you capable of more and want to be well compensated for delivering results for both the company and your clients? Here’s your chance! This rare opening with KRIS Communications, the leading broadcaster in the Coastal Bend, oversees the sales operation for 5 TV stations (NBC, CBS, CW, Telemundo, and KDF) and co-manages the sales of our full service digital agency including two local news websites. A minimum of 3 years of media sales management is

required. Get more details and learn how to apply HERE. WAVY-TV10 and WVBT FOX43 in the Norfolk, VA, market seeks a results-driven Account Executive. Responsibilities include managing agency business, new business generation, client relationship building, proposal preparation and presentation to a diverse customer base. The ideal candidate will be a people person who is responsible for developing

large-scale new business clients and growing digital revenue. Must have a minimum 2 years of media sales experience, a winning attitude and a desire to succeed. To be considered for this job you must apply HERE. No calls. Pre-employment background & DMV check. WDVM in the Washington, DC market is seeking a Local Sales Manager. Position requires an individual with creativity, leadership skills, high energy and the ability to hire, train and motivate the sales team. The ideal candidate will also be an excellent negotiator with the ability to manage multiple sales projects and lead by example. Multi-platform sales experience and a solid understanding of WO, Matrix and strata a plus. If you are ready to take the next step in broadcast television sales, please send your cover letter and resume to: dbiser@localdvm.com. EOE.

See your ad here tomorrow! CLICK HERE for details.

COMPETITIVE INFO Google and Facebook may control the bulk of the U.S. digital ad market, but eMarketer says their competitors are starting to eat into that share. eMarketer estimates the two companies will capture a combined 56.8% of U.S. digital ad investment in 2018, down from 58.5% last year. These figures have been adjusted downward, as smaller players such as Amazon and Snapchat are experiencing faster-than-expected growth. Importantly, Google and Facebook’s share of new digital ad dollars is declining as well. This year, they will garner nearly 48% of new expenditures. By comparison, that figure was nearly 73% in 2016. Amazon is slowly but surely chipping away at its larger advertising rivals. This year, its U.S. ad revenues will climb 63.5% to surpass $2 billion for the first time. This expansion will give Amazon a 2.7% share of the country’s digital ad market, according to eMarketer. Snapchat’s U.S. ad revenues will jump 81.7% this year, topping $1 billion for the first time. That increase means it will garner a 1.0% share of U.S. digital ad spending.

3/20/2018

Jim Gaffigan

Hot Dogs are like strippers. no one want to know the

backstory.

The Daily News of TV Sales @ www.spotsndots.com PAGE 3

TDG: ALL MAJOR TV NETS TO OFFER OTT The unbundling of cable TV packages will accelerate over the next five years, with all major TV networks launching standalone streaming services by 2022 says a new report from The Diffusion Group (TDG). The industry first flirted with direct-to-consumer models three years ago when HBO and CBS launched the industry’s first standalone subscription services. Today, both brands enjoy five million paying streaming subscribers. Also, Disney is set to launch its much-anticipated ESPN Plus product and plans to roll a Disney-branded service in early 2019 featuring animated films and Marvel and Star Wars titles, among other high-value content. TDG notes that this is timed to the expiration of Disney’s contract with Netflix. “Big media companies are reacting more boldly to changes in TV viewing behavior,” says Mike Berkley, TDG senior advisor and author of the new report. “Consolidating, bulking up on originals, and marketing directly to consumers are driving their strategic direction.” The analyst calls this early signs of “an emerging media tribalism.” According to Berkley, “Major networks will increasingly reserve their best titles for their own direct-to-consumer services, which will help drive total network direct-to-consumer subs close to 50 million by 2022.” There are risks, though, especially for TV networks. “The legacy model is built upon decades of comfortable relationships between networks and operators. If networks extract too much high-value content too quickly, channel conflicts are inevitable,” said Berkley.

THE SECRETS TO CREATING ADS PEOPLE LOVE B2B ratings and review firm Clutch surveyed over 1,000 U.S. consumers about what they wanted in advertising. TargetMarketing.com says the survey shows the secrets to creating ads people love. Consumers Prefer TV and Good Eats: While marketing dollars are moving away from TV, when it comes to the channels consumers prefer, TV still leads the way. A clear majority (58%) of Clutch’s respondents prefer TV ads. Online ads got the nod from 13%, while social media and print tied at 11%. Survey takers strongly preferred ads about food, drink and restaurants. In fact, epicurean ads were enjoyed by 80 percent of respondents; while no other single segment came in at more than half. Fashion/Health/Beauty ads (49%), Travel & Leisure (48%) were more popular than Sports/Entertainment (37%) and Technology (36%) ads. Consumers liked these attributes in ads: Humorous (52%), From Trustworthy Brands (51%), New Product of Interest (46%), Relatable (44%) and Informative (44%).

ABC TV STATIONS SIGN WITH MEGAPHONE TV Megaphone TV allows viewers to engage in real-time polling, live trivia contests, hashtag voting in Facebook Live streams, emoji reactions, live Twitter chat and digital surveys on local station websites. Viewers sign up on local station websites. ABC-owned TV stations will sell new inventory that appears in linear broadcasts, mobile and station websites.

SOCIAL GAINS AUTO CREDIBILITY A new study by customer experience firm MaritzCX shows that social media reviews are gaining traction and credibility as a trusted source when making vehicle purchase decisions. The study results are based on the responses of more than 13,300 U.S. car and truck buyers who purchased a vehicle between 2015 and 2017. 56% of survey participants report referencing social media reviews when making a vehicle purchase decision. Generationally, two-thirds of Millennials report referencing social reviews when making purchase decisions—the highest

among the generations surveyed. The top-ranked sites for vehicle reviews are Edmunds (31%) and Google (21%), with Facebook and DealerRater tying (4%). The study reveals social reviews also help many choose a dealership. Among respondents, 38% said social media reviews influenced their decision on which dealership to visit. Dealer reviews are sought most frequently on Google, 32%, Edmunds at 12%,

followed by Facebook and DealerRater both at 11%. Also, the majority, 80%, of people who read reviews consider both positive and negative reviews to inform their decision.

ACCOUNT ACTIONS Dish Network has selected The Richards Group, Dallas, as its new creative agency of record, following a review. The incumbent, Camp & King, did not participate……The Martin Agency, Richmond, VA, is the new U.S. creative agency for the Lidl discount grocery chain. The first :30, “Don’t let them waste your money,” has launched on TV in the six U.S. states where the German chain has stores.

3/20/2018

FunnyTweeter.com

Why don’t furniture stores just tell us when they’re NOT

having a huge sale?

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