There's good news for printers and paper companies. Despite the enormous migration to electronic media,  neuroscience research shows that paper-based content and ads offer special advantages in connecting with our brains.
  We certainly aren't going to see a massive switch back to paper content. But, those marketers who have been looking forward to the day when print content is gone entirely may be surprised by the latest neuroscience research.

  The need for digital sales reps in the newspaper industry is sky-rocketing but finding-and keeping-those reps on staff is a tough challenge for most media companies.
  "There's just such high demand," says media analyst Gordon Borrell. "People are paying premium rates for good digital sales reps. Everybody is trying to recruit them. You can expect them to be called on by a recruiter a couple of times a year at least."
But newspapers haven't given up. 

  They recognize the importance of digital sales, and if they want to succeed, they need to focus on recruiting these reps.

  The Interactive Advertising Bureau's Tech Lab recently released a blueprint of sorts that, in theory, would prevent another Methbot from happening.
  The IAB's effort, blandly dubbed "ads.txt," has been applauded by both publishers and ad tech vendors as a step in the right direction in the fight against ad fraud.
  But that doesn't necessarily mean it will succeed.

  In the last 15 years, more than half of the jobs at newspapers have disappeared, down from 412,000 to 174,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

  While I don't want to reflexively equate newspapers with local journalism, there is no way to ignore such a tremendous loss in local media capacity, especially in small towns and cities.

  I am OK with that.
  I am so sick of hearing about the death of newspapers, it is starting to drive me insane.
  Why do so many good journalists just accept that the industry is dying without looking at the mounting evidence that it is simply changing slightly and there are not just a few good years left, but decades, and more for a lot of us?

  Gordon Borrell's recently published update to its "Benchmarking Local Media Digital Revenue"says Facebook, Google and other global pureplays will continue to dominate digital ad revenue that comes from merchants and other businesses at the community level. 

  But it says local media organizations - particularly newspapers and other news publishers - not only can survive but prosper, if they're enterprising.

  For generations, coupons have helped families save money on the products they need. Millennials are continuing the coupon tradition-just in a more tech-savvy way.
Bloomberg reports that almost 9 out of 10 Millennials are coupon users. 

  But instead of clipping and filing coupons like their parents and grandparents, Millennials turn to websites like RetailMeNot, apps like SavingStar, or cash-back programs. In fact, more than 120 million people used mobile coupons in 2016.

  There's a myth that newspaper readers are greying. Data suggest this narrative is fatally flawed.
  Each year, Nielsen Scarborough conducts extensive interviews with over 204,000 adults across the country. Overall, these data suggest the audiences engaged with newspaper content-in print or on digital platforms-are well-distributed throughout all age groups.

  We are just coming out of the annual ritual that is the TV upfronts. The news seems to be that ratings are down, prices are up and commitments to buy airtime have been brisk. 
  This continues to baffle many who observe the TV ad sales market. How can something that delivers less cost more and sell out?

  Businesses need to start adapting their marketing efforts to keep up with the advances in technology. 

  Mobile device adoption rates are increasing at an incredible rate, surpassing 80% in 2016 alone. Even more importantly, average smartphone conversion rates are up 64% compared to the average desktop conversion rates for e-commerce alone. 

  In today's digital and interconnected world, the importance of tailoring marketing efforts so they are mobile-friendly cannot be overstated.

  We're not far from the day when any printed magazine or newspaper will be able to break free from its historic physical limitations by including a dynamic digital layer.   Augmented reality has the potential to revive the once-thriving, now-desiccated print industry-but it has to be done right.

  Publishers are trapped: In-your-face ads are coveted by advertisers that demand viewability, while viewers hate sites jammed with ads.

  The retail industry is undergoing a dramatic reorganization. Brick-and-mortar shopping is declining significantly, while online retail is reaching stratospheric heights. Amazon sales have increased by almost 2,000% over the last decade while several stores, including Macy's, Bebe and Payless, have announced massive closures.
  The overall trend is clear: People want to buy online and only retailers that can embrace the new e-commerce marketing landscape will continue to grow. 

  Here are some of the hottest trends shaping digital marketing, as well as tactics that retailers can use to stay relevant.