Locality entered the market with a distinct advantage. The company has extensive exclusive broadcast inventory encompassing over 300 stations, and unique relationships with more than 150 popular publishers that enable first-look access to streaming inventory before it enters the programmatic process. To add a finer point, because Locality is “in” the publisher ad server – with no DSP or SSP intermediaries – it’s completely direct and therefore always the most premium inventory available at the largest scale. This direct approach enables control over recency, frequency, and competitive separation, areas where most programmatic platforms sees limitations. Ultimately, this drives a better consumer experience, which drives success for the advertiser, and completes the circle by boosting revenue returns for the inventory owners, too.

“Streaming and broadcast can’t live in silos anymore. By bringing together the best players, tech, and inventory, we’re solving problems for advertisers and driving more dollars to local TV advertising.”
– Keith Kazerman, President of Streaming, Locality

Finally, by consolidating that inventory, Locality sells both very tight zip codes and markets at scale. This makes it an all-important advantage for political advertisers, for example, who can deliver messaging by region and in the tightest of voter districts. This gets enhanced by the robust capabilities of the now joint effort, enabling geo-location, demographic, and behavioral targeting, even the ability to layer on voter status data through a partnership with Tunnl.

Consumers formed a habit of supporting local businesses thanks in part to the “shop local” marketing campaign, which was reinforced by staying closer to home during peak pandemic years. However, it’s not only small, local businesses benefitting from this trend; regional and national brands are embracing local strategies. Responding to everything from “locavore” diners to the hyper-local delivery centers of major brands, ad dollars are coming home to roost, too.

Sum of the Parts

Completing the trifecta of Locality is its full service approach from an experienced bench in planning and creative innovation, making it a one-stop shop for buyers and bridging the gap between brand and location-based marketing. (Locality was honored by Cynopsis for “Outstanding Use of Attribution” at the June Measurement and Data Conference.)

Two well-known industry leaders – Ann Hailer, President on the broadcast side, and Keith Kazerman, President on the streaming side – form a combined team that powerfully aligns to reduce friction and increase results. They both report into Executive Chairman Mark Rosenthal.

As Kazerman notes, “Streaming and broadcast can’t live in silos anymore. By bringing together the best players, tech, and inventory, we’re solving problems for advertisers and driving more dollars to local TV advertising. With our premium inventory, we’re presenting more options to advertisers, at an incredible benefit for the consumer. That’s the power of local TV advertising; that’s what we’re driving.”

Not surprisingly, Hailer agrees, adding, “Brand advertisers are seeking authentic connections with local consumers, and this is coming at a pivotal time where we’re seeing TV audiences fragmenting as consumers broaden their content consumption habits. We’re experts on the local market, and that’s something special. In order to be very targeted in a specific zip code, advertisers need to be leveraging the potential of both streaming and broadcast.”

Adding to the one-two punch, the Locality platform is also significant for national advertisers who often settle for buying the most populous markets, and now helps them to close the gaps with 100% DMA coverage – or “precision reach.”

Boots on the Ground, Messaging all Around

Hailer and Kazerman are meeting with clients across the country, adding a personal touch to the introduction of the broadcast + streaming combined service. Backed by a team of 300+ sales professionals, Locality also has 11 field offices to ensure their services are geographically accessible and mindful of regional routines.

The physical staff presence is complemented by a range of customized creative solutions – from “pause ads” to QR codes, and content integrations with local broadcast news and sports. For example, one ad file can be localized to sometimes hundreds of versions to reach audiences with messages reflecting exact zip codes. The power of that is tangible: a well-known wine store worked with Locality to hyper-personalize local streaming ads, and doubled their lift (2.05X) in total purchases.

For Locality itself, the creative rebranding process was a collaborative effort involving a well-known strategy firm, Invencion, for brand positioning. Both internal and external focus groups agreed on the importance of connecting on a personal level and celebrating community in today’s advertising. After 200-some suggestions, the name “Locality” was chosen to reflect the core goal. The creative was further brought to life with the help of Athletics NYC, all under the direction of Locality SVP of Marketing, Shalyn O’Malley.

With its strong reputation established by the two separate entities – having served more than 1,500 ad agencies and 4,500 advertisers, to date – the now unified Locality emerges as the preeminent source for local-at-scale advertising opportunities. Their approach is already making waves, helping TV advertising buyers achieve the best business outcomes via streaming advertising and delivering new value to brand advertisers in local broadcast.