From Forecast to Revenue: Turning Market Data into Sales Advantage

In today’s complex local media landscape, data alone isn’t enough. It’s how you use it that drives revenue.

In this episode, BIA’s Christina Hurley is joined by AdApt partners Jeff Gallop and Dave Buonfiglio, along with industry expert Shannon Kinney, to explore how BIA’s partnership with AdApt is bringing local market intelligence directly into the sales workflow.

The conversation highlights the shift from intuition led selling to data informed strategy, and how integrating BIA’s advertising forecast into AdApt’s platform helps sellers prioritize accounts, shape smarter conversations, and build more effective proposals.

If you're looking to turn market data into a true sales advantage and see how BIA and AdApt are redefining sales execution, this is where to start.

Transcript

Welcome And The Sales Problem<br>

Christina Hurley 0:34

Welcome to BIA's Leading Local Insights Podcast. I'm Christina Hurley, VP of Sales at BIA, and I'm really excited for today's conversation because we're talking about something that's top of mind for everyone right now, and that's sales. Revenue pressure is rising, media mixtures are more complex, and advertisers expect measurable results. So the question is, how do you bring clarity and really confidence into the sales process? Today, we're diving into how local media sales is evolving, and more importantly, how teams can use data to sell smarter, not just harder. I'm joined by our new partners from Adapt, Jeff Gallup and Dave Buonfiglio, both partners at AdApp, along with local media sales expert Shannon Kinney, founder of Dream Local Digital. Hello everyone. Hi. All right. To set the stage earlier this year, BIA partnered with AdApps to bring our local market forecast data directly into their CRM platform. The goal for this integration was simple. We wanted to connect intelligence to support and improve day-to-day sales executions. And that's exactly why that's exactly what we're going to explore today. Welcome everyone. So let's get let's start. Let's start with the big, bigger picture. We've been talking about how local media sales is at an inflection point. But when you look at what sellers are actually dealing with day to day, the challenge feels more even more immediate. There's more data than ever, but it's not always connected to teams actually to how teams actually sell. Jeff, from your perspective, what's broken in the current sales process and why is it getting harder for sellers to keep up?

What Modern Advertisers Expect Now<br>

Jeff Gallup 2:37

Well, thanks, Christina, and I appreciate you having us today. Uh, you know, I think you're exactly right. Um, you know, the lack of data, it's not an issue of lack of data. There's so much data lives in different places, uh, and isn't integrated into one workflow and as much as it should be. Sales teams are often under the pressure to move faster, be more strategic with our results, but they're still piecing it all together uh manually. So what you end up with is a gap between what sellers know and what they can actually act upon at in the moment.

Christina Hurley 3:11

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense and really highlights the shift we're seeing across the industry. Shannon, I'll turn to you now. What's driving the change from your perspective?

How Forecasts Change The Pitch<br>

Shannon Kinney 3:23

You know, sellers today aren't really they're changing in the level of complexity of what they have to manage. And they need to really lead with insights and value on every single connect that they have with potential prospects. And that's become harder and harder for them to keep up with as they try to increase their sales. So while there's a variety of tactics that they have to learn, they really want to manage how to add insights and value. So advertisers expect you to understand their category, their market, and where growth is happening. And that's difficult to do without reliable data and insights.

Bringing AI Insights Into CRM<br>

Christina Hurley 4:11

Great. That sounds great. So let's make that real. I get this question all the time. How does forecast data actually help a seller in the field? At its core, it comes down to one thing: where's the money going and where is it going next? And to give sellers the data they need to take to act on, our ad revenue forecast breaks down it, breaks it down by market, by category, and by media channel. So now with VIA data, a seller walks into a conversation knowing which categories are growing, which media are gaining share, and where advertisers are likely to spend more dollars. And importantly, it's not just about media, it's about understanding which categories are driving growth in your local market. That's what changes the conversation from here's what I'm selling to here's where your category is investing and how you can win. And that's really the connection between data and execution and our partnership with Adapt comes in. What does all of this actually look like inside the sales workflow? Can you paint a picture for our listeners?

Real Category Plays Auto Restaurants Politics<br>

David Buonfiglio 5:28

Sure. So you all, the BIA, they you've got this enormous amount of very useful data about what's happening in the marketplace. And of course, you've got software that allows people to sort of look at that and and you know, draw some analysis and pull some reporting, which is great. But we are more and more competing against the world of AI, uh, which is done, you know, which works 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and doesn't get tired. And so what the relationship I think between BIA and and Adapt is doing is trying to bridge the gap between all of that wonderful data that you have, but put it in more of a of an AI-friendly workflow so that you can pull reporting and information and um and ask for actionable insights um through uh uh an AI filter. So that's the first part about what this looks like is being able to take that BIA data or or for that instance any other data that you're you know that we're talking about. Maybe it's you know uh um uh it's LinkedIn data or other kinds of contact data, and being able to work with that data in a way that's um more intuitive, more AI-driven, more AI friendly. And then be able to take that data and that that um that content and that output and be able to move it directly into a CRM seamlessly, which I don't think a lot of, frankly, a lot of media companies are doing right now. And so uh what this looks like is sort of BIA data or other data, move directly into, you know, uh being able to sort of work with it in an A in an AI environment and then be able to move it right into your CRM to be able to sort of optimize the work that you're doing and reaching out and doing that initial outreach.

Christina Hurley 7:29

Exactly. And that's really the heart of it, Dave, going from insight to action. And I'd like to share an example of how this can look day-to-day. Let's take auto, for example, which is always a major local category. If you know auto is growing in your market, as a seller, you will prioritize dealers and tier two tier two groups, lead with a video plus digital mix aligned to how auto buyers shop today. Now, think about restaurants. As a seller, you need to help your advertisers lean in into constant promotion cycles, build always on campaign, and then and then there's political, especially the upcoming midterm. Spending is concentrated in key markets. How do you know if your market is a key market? Sellers need to prepare early for this, and how do they do that? Inventory and pricing strategy really, really matter during this time, and how can you help address this? So, at that, so at the end of the day, it feels like what we are really talking about is prioritization and timing. Shannon, when you see data and sales working at its best, what does that actually look like for a seller?

Three Ways Data Improves Selling<br>

Shannon Kinney 8:47

You know, uh good data can really fuel a sales professional's performance. And I really see it in three different ways here. The first is they can prioritize the right accounts by understanding what categories are fueling growth, identifying new opportunities that they weren't seeing before, and understanding how to prioritize their time. The second would be, you know, shaping smarter conversations. As I mentioned before, you know, you just got to have really strong insights and value in every single conversation. And this combination of data and AI research really puts a lot of power in their hands. And third, it helps them take all of those great ideas and insights and put them into better proposals. You know, this really helps take the guesswork out of the process and helps you move from reactive selling to strategic selling.

Christina Hurley 9:49

Exactly. This feels like part of a bigger shift. Where do you see the industry heading from here, Dave?

The Future Is Tool Integration<br>

David Buonfiglio 9:56

Well, I would tell you that for me, the the magic word really is uh integration in that um tools and platforms need to talk to each other so that you can move seamlessly from one thing to another. And I know that there are a lot of local media companies that are sort of working on that, but I'm I'm not necessarily certain that they've worked at it in a way, particularly from the beginning of the sales process, that prospecting piece. That's the that's a hard one. So um so we want to make sure that you know market intelligence and then the sales tools are all connected and integrated. And clearly that's gonna be uh the the future of of how uh media companies are gonna be able to do the job their jobs better, particularly in the sales side. So um the organizations that will win will be the ones that can translate this data quickly and consistently through this integrated approach.

Christina Hurley 10:59

Right, right. And one of the things that we really liked about ADAP is the focus on building specific specifically for media sales teams. It doesn't feel like a generic CRM, but more one for how this industry actually works. How do you think about that differentiation?

Why A Media-Built CRM Matters<br>

David Buonfiglio 11:20

Yeah, so um I think that, well, Jeff and I both, when we were you know building this out, we realized that we that that the concept of of CRMs and data management um hadn't fully sort of baked in the media landscape, local media landscape. So we think that what we've built is something that is built for media uh and and frankly by media folks. And uh we we love that we're able to sort of build it around what we know to be is the workflow that exists in these companies. Uh and I don't know that a lot of CRMs are are necessarily built with that level of specificity. And so uh and then of course, with the partnership we have with you, bringing this you know, BIA's data into that environment is just an awesome way to strengthen this this process that we're trying to build.

Christina Hurley 12:17

Right. It really connects the dot, say, between market data, sales strategy, and day-to-day execution. And I think that's the best thing about it. For teams listening, what's one step you can take right now to start making this shift to use more data to drive and support your sales initiatives? It's a great question to talk about with your colleagues or sales team. And if you want to continue that conversation with us, we'd enjoy hearing from you. Jeff, I'd like to get your perspective as we wrap. How should teams be thinking about this moment?

Next Steps Resources And Closing

Jeff Gallup 12:53

Well, you know, thanks for the question, Christina. I mean, it really is a big moment. Uh, you know, again, there are just so many things out there, and that the media advertising world gets more and more complex every day, and you know, people are firing at them from every angle, and you know, the latest 29%. So we think it's really important for media sales uh media companies to give their sales people everything they need to be. That means using tools like what you all provide, uh PM, and integrating those with you know what we thought of what you know, many photos, but particularly you know, we need with the media or more from and making them flow, naturally and usually for the sellers. Um making the health process more efficient, we're also helping the sales people be smarter more preferred for every conversation with every other time. And I think the ultimate goal, and I think that the ultimate doll that any marketers should be to create tools for those that are purchasing their their tools. And so we think you know, if we can use all of the all of these uh things that we have uh to help our media professionals, it's ultimately going to benefit the advertisers because they're getting the right messages to the right audience in the most efficient and effective ways.

Christina Hurley 14:29

Yep, that really brings it all together. This is a big step forward, not just for VIA and Adapt, but for any local media team navigating a more complex, more competitive landscape. At the end of the day, it's about clarity, helping sellers focus on the right opportunities and have better, more impactful conversations with your clients, just like you had referred to. If you want to learn more about how BIA's forecasts are being integrated into sales workflows through Adapt, you can visit adaptsmedia sales.com. And if you'd like to learn more about BIA's advertising forecasts or discuss our forecast data, feel free to reach out to us at info@BIA.com. I have a big thank you to Dave, Shannon, and Jeff for joining me here today. I really appreciate the conversation and the partnerships, and we're very excited about what's ahead. And to our listeners, we appreciate your time and hope you found this conversation valuable. We'll see you next time on the Leading Local Insights podcast.