WJR Business Beat

As tracking and retargeting become more complex, the opt-in stands out as one of the few moments when a brand can earn a direct relationship with permission. Signups are the first signal that someone is willing to engage, and what a brand does in that moment sets expectations for everything that comes next. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about...

Consumers indicated that in most cases, influencer content serves as a trigger that sends shoppers into the research mode to do a deeper investigation. That leads to them getting on that purchase journey. Within that consumers check reviews, compare prices, and look for confirmation elsewhere before opening their wallets. It all starts with the influence made by an influencer. Hosted by Simplecast...

What are we buying for Valentine's Day? Chocolate and candles are the most popular gifts, 59% of people say that's what they're buying. Followed by 36% focusing their spend on restaurants and bar experiences. 33% are buying gift cards. 31% are purchasing clothing and accessories. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of p...

The MCSB is launching Michigan's next big idea pitch competition, and they're looking for innovative, high-potential companies to take the stage at the MCSB summit for a shot at a $10,000 prize and statewide visibility. To apply, go to Michigancelebrates.org. You'll need to complete an application online and provide certain key business documents as the application process takes about 30 minutes t...

What's the biggest driver of sales TikTok? It's price. Price is more important than influencer culture when it comes to driving sales in the TikTok shop, the data shows that over half of TikTok shoppers are primarily motivated by discounts. Now of those making purchases from the shop, two in five spent less than $50 and just 2% reported spending more than 500. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz comp...

Local broadcasting supports approximately 2.46 million jobs nationwide about 909,000 jobs in radio alone. The study identified some $1.19 trillion in gross domestic product from local broadcasting, including approximately $437 billion from radio. In total, radio and TV stations directly employ approximately 310,000 Americans and generate around $54 billion in GDP through journalism, programming, e...

Email newsletters is just so effective, simple, and relatively low cost to execute, so the process is basically plug and play and email marketing and newsletter tools are also abundant. And the most powerful aspect of it is that customers opt in, they enter into a value exchange in which they are giving you permission to contact them. So you can do just that. They wanna hear from you because they...

E-commerce purchases across all channels in the United States increased significantly in 2025, rising by 147% year over year. The top 5% of brands generated 54% of that total growth. Gains were concentrated among a relatively small group of higher-performing businesses rather than the increase being uniform across a broader set of brands, in which everyone in the space saw some meaningful level of...

As podcasts rapidly gain traction with global audiences, brands and platforms that embrace the medium's immersive shareable format stand to benefit from deeper engagement, stronger communities, and expanded monetization opportunities. The biggest change to the podcasting sector is the move from pure audio content to podcasts using the video format. Deloitte forecasts that an increasing share of po...

The Annual Freelancer Economic Impact Report was recently released by Fiverr International Limited, the company behind the popular Freelance Finder app, known as Fiverr. The report was based on data from millions of tax returns and non employer statistics compiled by the US Census Bureau. The report, estimates the size, growth and earnings of the independent professional workforce in various top m...

National Federation of Independent Business Bureau reports that in December, a seasonally adjusted net 31% of small businesses reports raising compensation. That's up five points from November and a seasonally adjusted net 24% plan to raise compensation in the next three months even further, and that's unchanged from November. Moreover, the latest report from the NFIB also finds that US small comp...

70% saying loyalty programs help manage their costs and the power of a good loyalty program goes even further as loyalty perks can inspire a shift in dining choices by consumers with 25% saying that they would switch to a less preferred restaurant for better loyalty perks with 50% comparing loyalty offers before deciding where to eat. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswi...

85% say they saw clear speed improvements from AI in customer service. According to the survey, nearly one third said benefits from AI include 24 7 support availability, and 20% said AI support was faster than waiting for a human. Now while most of the feedback was positive, consumers also made clear though that they do not desire AI to replace human interactions such as support services. 54% of r...

A UGC gaming report, examining brand presence on popular sandbox platform, Roblox, and other user generated content gaming platforms like Fortnite. The report highlights how 2025 was a banner year for brand engagement on Roblox. With now more than 210 brands present on the platform, according to Game FAMs Report, gen Z and Gen Alpha audiences spend more time on Roblox and Fortnite than they do on...

November 2nd to December 12th, that according to data just released by Adobe and in the critical seven days following Cyber week, returns fell by a 10th of a percent. It's not clear exactly why returns are down. Some believe that consumer use of AI to guide much of their shopping this year has helped streamline the process and the purchase selections as well. Which means, of course, that items are...

AAA is projecting that just over 8 million people will fly, while 110 million people will be driving. This year. Close to 5 million people will take other forms of travel, like buses or trains, during the holiday period. And of course, we know one traveler will be taking to the skies in his own unique form of travel. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for informa...

While Gen Z loves shopping at brick and mortar stores, they still demand shopping experiences that reflect their digital-first mindset, even when shopping in a store that provides them with an effortless and convenient experience. And retailers that align with these expectations, we'll define the next era of commerce. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for inform...

Brands need to understand their consumers and their different segments that exist within their diverse target audiences and ensure that they are meeting them where they are with regard to their own individual economic conditions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The options for gift cards can be limitless, but most shoppers say they'll pick up a restaurant or bank issued, or even department store gift card as a primary choice. So look, if you haven't purchased a gift for that, hard to shop for someone on your list this season, go with a gift card. And if you're a retailer who wants to not miss any opportunity to make a sale. Make sure you offer gift cards...

Marketers and media agencies continue to significantly overestimate audience shares to Pandora and Spotify, while massively underestimating AM/FMs. Audience Advertiser Perceptions August, 2025 study of more than 300 agencies and marketers found that AM/FMs perceived audience daily share was just 26% versus the actual 64%. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for in...

The power of influencers and creators today is now proven to be traditional advertising, messaging, and calls to action in driving sales. Particularly those from Gen Z shoppers. It's no surprise these days that social media platform shops are selling so effectively. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data f...

What's the key to increased sales in spite of all the challenges? It's AI, having a huge impact on consumer shopping. As reported by Reuters, the data shows that AI powered shopping tools help drive a surge in US online spending on Black Friday, in particular as shoppers bypass, crowded stores, and turn to chatbots to compare prices and secure discounts amid concerns about tariff driven price hike...

Demographics continue to shape platform preferences. Women are more likely than men to use Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok while men report higher usage of Reddit and X. Age differences are significant as well when it comes to defining platform preferences. Nearly half of adults ages 18 to 29 use TikTok daily compared with 5% of those 65 and older daily. YouTube use is also highest among youngest...

National Retail Federation reports that a record 202.9 million people shopped between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday this year, easily topping last year's 197 million, and beating the national retail federation's forecast by about 16 million people. This keeps sales growth projections on track for a 3.7. To 4.2% increase over the 2024 numbers totaling overall spend at over $1 trillion for the first...

What are the hottest sectors based on wage growth for young workers as we head into 2026? Healthcare jobs are the most in demand roles with rising pay for young workers. Glassdoor lead researcher Chris Martin, told CNBC make it another hot sector. Private education jobs. Overall healthcare, along with those private education jobs have propped up the economy for some time. They make up about 17% of...