Advance Local

For three years, Laura Johnston and I have co-led Advance Local’s Advancing Women BRG, building programs around mentorship, professional growth, and community. But we had never actually met face-to-face. That changed today when Laura routed her drive home from vacation right through 'Cuse just to see me. We turned her pitstop into a walk across the Syracuse University campus, with (of course) a visit to the S.I. Newhouse School. What a soulful, joyful hour of connection. Sometimes the best part of remote collaboration is the moment it steps offline.

Subtext was recently named Overall Conversational Marketing Company of the Year in the 2026 MarTech Breakthrough Awards, out of thousands of nominations across the marketing stack from more than 15 countries. We keep coming back to why the category exists in the first place. Search, social, and email all depend on algorithms and inboxes that companies don't control. Text messaging doesn't. Right now that means more than 40 million subscribers reached through 10 billion texts a year, all built on permission rather than reach borrowed from someone else's platform. "This award reflects the trust our clients place in us every day," said Mike Donoghue, co-founder and CEO of Subtext. "We're committed to helping users deepen engagement, drive measurable business results, and create audience relationships they truly own." Read the full announcement: https://hubs.li/Q04s88jp0

Advance Local was using AI to rethink paywall decisions years before it became an industry imperative. At Press Gazette's Future of Media Technology Conference next month, Ann Poe of Advance Local and Ariel Burkett of Mather will share how that early vision evolved through its partnership with Sophi by Mather, from content-level decisioning to more personalized access across web and mobile, helping drive digital growth along the way. Join Ann and Ariel at #FOMT26 to hear the story and practical lessons behind that AI paywall evolution. #FutureofMedia #SubscriptionStrategy

The best true-crime stories are investigated by local reporters long before they become national headlines or hit podcasts. "Crime in America," hosted by Joe Budden, in partnership with Wolf Entertainment and Headline Studio at Advance Local, is built around that idea. The podcast follows cases as they're actually unfolding, sourced straight from the local reporters covering them on the ground. And made possible by Pearl, our AI-powered IP engine that transforms tens of millions of stories into ready-to-produce IP. Proud of the team and excited for listeners to come along for the ride. First episode drops Aug 11… I'll be listening! https://lnkd.in/eiueGNCH

Citizens deserve to see the court record. We petition the court. It’s what we do.

If vehicle prices keep reaching new highs, why are shoppers still buying? That's the question we explored in our Q2 State of the Industry Report. The answer isn't that consumers are ignoring prices. They're adapting by prioritizing affordability, fuel efficiency, used vehicles, and certified inventory. See which vehicles are benefiting from today's market shifts—and where dealers may be leaving margin on the table. https://hubs.li/Q04q0H3N0