WJR Business Beat

If you're a small business in particular, you need to be aware of the increasingly challenging playing field when it comes to managing your cash. You need to be prepared to be paid late in a meaningful number of cases, and to do that, you need to make sure you have a sufficient cash-on-hand position to hedge against these increasingly late payments due in from customers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

According to a 2026 Patient Choice report from healthcare reputation management firm Rater Eight, and as reported by MediaPost, reliance on AI to choose a healthcare provider has more than doubled in the past year from 17% a year ago to 36% this year, completely upending traditional methods like search engine marketing and referrals from other doctors. The report found that 47% of respondents have used AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or Google's AI Overviews to research providers, up from 31% in Rater Eight's prior research done nine months earlier. And one surprising finding, more 45 to 60 year-olds, reported actively using AI to find their providers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you're looking to add an effective marketing tactic to your campaigns, try influencer or creator campaigns, and set aside budget to add in order to boost these campaigns once they're proving effective. It's a tactic that's seeing more and more of the marketing departments' budgets these days, and again, that's for good reason. They're working. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Kaylin Lohmaster, Director Analyst in Gartner's HR practice, said in a statement with the release of the study's results, "AI is ultimately going to reverse the course and result in more jobs gained than those lost by twenty twenty-eight." This does depend, however, on the need for organizations to rethink how employees gain expertise and grow within the organization, or companies will find themselves without ready talent for the jobs AI will help to create in the future. As companies continue to harness the capabilities of AI in the workplace, it will become increasingly important for HR leaders to take a more skill-centric approach. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New data shows that there is a growing number of older adults that are actually staying in the workforce or reentering it, or even opting to start a business of their own in retirement in order to simply make ends meet. Roughly one in five Americans age 65 plus are employed or looking for work. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In an era when trust seems to be more in doubt than ever before with the proliferation of AI and media sources which take positions rather than adhering to basic editorial standards and practices, who can we trust? Well, a new survey from TD Bank sheds some light on what sources Americans find to be most trustworthy for information we can count on, and here are some highlights from that survey. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paul Krucke, president and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK, had this to say about their big day. "The event is an opportunity to reflect on the partnerships, innovation, and leadership that continue to move our region forward," he said. "This year's honorees represent the very best of what makes the Ann Arbor region unique: visionary leadership, entrepreneurial success, industry innovation, and a deep commitment to building opportunity for others." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Athletic apparel is a near-universal category in which Nike leads by a wide margin. They own a 22% mental market share, the broadest occasion footprint, in a new study conducted by Morning Consult. For reference, mental market share means a brand's mental availability, how often it comes to mind compared to competitors when consumers think of buying in a given category. The athletic apparel category is showing strong retail results for brands and retailers alike. One that aspiring entrepreneurs should take a close look at if they're thinking of starting or growing a business of their own. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Google has edged Apple out as the number one spot on this list now. Apple had occupied the number one spot for the last four years. This year, it's Google. The tech giant's brand value grew 57% over last year according to the data and analytics giant, which now values it at $1.48 trillion. The most powerful brands in the world according to Kantar Brands Report. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mother's Day shoppers spent an average of $284.25 per person for a total spend of around $38 billion. Who did all that spending? While both men and women spent more this year, it's men who continue to be most likely to splurge. This year, men budgeted an average of $346 per person, compared to women's $225 per person. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What are you worth? Well, that can be answered of course, in a lot of different ways, but in the context of business specifically, when it comes to your value, the average value of a US citizen in the advertising world. You're worth this, according to a recent report that analyzes and estimates the annual advertising value that people generate for Google's ad platform, the average US consumer generates about $1,605 per year in advertising value. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As consumers, we need to have our guards up more than ever to protect against fraudulent activity. And now new data from the Federal Trade Commission shows that social media has become the leading channel for consumer fraud, with reported losses reaching 2.1 billion in 2025. The figure marks an eightfold increase since 2020, highlighting the growing role of digital platforms in large-scale scam operations. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

David Cohen, CEO at the International Advertising Bureau says this, the revenue growth reflects a market that has reoriented around performance channel. As expectations for measurable outcomes rise, investment is concentrating in areas that can directly correlate to spend when it comes to advertising and marketing. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New data from a survey just released by True Caller, entitled The 2026 Phone Fraud and AI Threat Survey puts into perspective just how bothersome these calls are. First of the individuals polled, 75% say they've been targeted by a spam call or a text in the past 12 months. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Trying to find an angle in your marketing strategy, one that reaches your audience at an attractive cost per acquisition? One that will help you break out from the noise and get noticed. One that will stand out from the same old, same old approach to creating awareness and driving sales. While a creator marketing campaign is designed to do just that. E-marketer newsletter just featured a great story on how creator marketing is helping a brand break into public awareness. By using creators to make it happen last month, formula E, the Motor Sports Championship for electric vehicles, invited creators to test its cars and compete in a live knockout style race. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

LegalZoom Inc. America's number one online legal services company, has just released data from a new survey of business owners, which reveals that 33% of small business owners say compliance requirements have prevented them from pursuing new business opportunities. The most often missed opportunities according to business owners, include expanding into new areas, securing new partnerships or investment hiring, and launching new products or services. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The comprehensive program blends practical education, experiential learning, and personalized mentorship, providing a powerful foundation for veterans to launch and scale their own ventures. The program runs from June 10th through June 12th in Salt Lake City. You can go to patriotbootcamp.org to learn more and to register. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Roughly 65% of Americans have used an artificial intelligence search in the past six months. But only 15% trust it, according to a recent study conducted by Yelp. What's the issue? It's trust. Americans simply aren't trusting of AI yet to conduct the study. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Women owned businesses, those of which are owned, operated in control by one or more women with at least 51% ownership now represent 40.6% of all US businesses. In 2025, there were 15.7 million women owned businesses. Women owned businesses employed 12.6 million employees in 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Data shows that moms rely far more on recommendations from other moms. Reviews and real life experiences than traditional advertising key friction points to address in order to win them. 69% of moms struggle with home organization these days. 56% struggle to find time for themselves, and 52% struggle with meal planning. Word of mouth is the single most powerful driver of purchase behavior among moms. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This year's ranking shows six Michigan companies that made it on this list of recognition. The ranking evaluates companies largely on confidential employee surveys, measuring trust, job satisfaction, and workplace culture, and it is the feedback provided by these participating employees that determines the ultimate ranked order. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New data from the rental car company, Hertz, shows that Americans are traveling differently this spring break. With more flexible timing and longer getaway windows as top priorities in 2026. The data shows that more travelers are taking to the roads this year to avoid congestion in America's busiest airports. Following the partial government shutdown, according to Hertz, travelers are skipping the single peak traveled period and instead taking vacations across both March and April, opening more opportunities for families and groups to travel and save. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One of the most powerful assets an e-commerce platform can have these days is positive customer reviews to offer those who are considering a purchase on your site. The confidence it takes to close 'em is so powerful, in fact, that you simply can't compete as an e-commerce platform favorably today without offering third-party reviews as a guidepost and as a driver that moves potential purchases to sales. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For small businesses, being able to generate organic traffic to one's business website is simply gold. The primary way this is achieved, of course, is through search traffic, but like everything else in business today. AI is changing the playing field significantly, and now 26% of companies received more than half their traffic from AI search in 2025, and 49% expect to reach that mark by late 2026, according to findings from a just-released study from Branch Metrics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As consumers across the economy segments of the population are increasingly dealing with tighter financial conditions, and while that's certainly true for federal workers, for example, and people dependent on food assistance from the federal government, the reality is that it's also now likely increasingly true for middle income Americans as well, and that is certainly impacting how we feel as consumers these days. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Mascots are proving to have high value at little cost when it comes to establishing brand traction. How about all the insurance brands clearly benefiting from having a brand mascot like Liberty Mutual's, limu, imu, and Doug, which dominated in ad breakthrough messaging and branding in a market cast study. While All State, Mayhem, ranked first in likability and memorability, Progressives, Flo, excelled in message recall. While Geico's Gecko has maintained a 94% recognition rate and is a driving force in Geico becoming a leading US insurer. Research from Ipso shows that ads with brand characters perform six times better on brand recall than ads without double the attention of celebrity ambassadors. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you're a retailer, make sure you're optimizing for discovery, not only for traditional search, and for AI search optimization as well. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marketers often idealize loyalty as a form of emotional devotion, but research shows it's driven by far more practical factors, like providing that level of convenience, product performance, and situational needs. Says Nick Chidiac, chief Strategy Officer at Razorfish. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The small business holiday Outlook study says this, 77% of small business owners are confident that they will meet their targets this year and that certainly welcome news given all the economic challenges both consumers and retailers are facing these days. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shoppers won't just be chasing discounts this year. They're making strategic financial decisions with respect to their purchases. Even though many Americans are facing higher living costs, credit card debt, and tighter budgets, they're choosing to lean into sales this year, in particular, black Friday and Cyber Monday, as the best time to make their money go further. What's driving the spend this year? Predictably, 68% say it's discounts as their main priority. Free shipping also influences 52% of shoppers. What will we be shopping for? 53% of us will be looking for clothing and accessories. 47% for tech and electronics, 33% for toys and games, 28% beauty and self-care, and 24% home decor. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Recently on the Business Beat, I offered commentary relating to the decay and confidence of the media and how that reality is such a negative for society in broad in various ways. Now, this week at the National Association of Broadcasters Annual Conference in New York, NAB CEO, Curtis Ligate said this, on the subject of AI and its potential impact to further decay, confidence in media in particular as it relates to local news programming. He said, "this data reflects a real and growing concern among Americans that AI could erode the integrity of journalism and undermine the trusted connection between broadcasters and the communities they serve". Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The next wave of retail disruption will be driven by the ever evolving habits of the mobile shopper. Today, mobile shoppers aren't just buying on the mobile platform. They're actually using the mobile platform more and more as a point of discovery, as window shoppers, if you will, virtual window shoppers at that. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

How to Support Small Business Saturday Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Big city small businesses express confidence generally, while those in small towns, suburban or rural areas showed increasing concern about their future. These worries stem from factors like workers returning to offices, economic uncertainties, and challenges in securing finances. A bit of a mixed bag here. Small businesses holding their own for now and generally feeling good about current performance, certainly worried about the future, particularly those in rural areas. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The latest data from Payments, sheds more light on just how they are shopping and what they're shopping for, as well as highlighting what's most important to them when it comes to making their online buying decisions. First, as expected from the digital first-generation Genzer shop and buy on mobile more than any other generation, and what they're shopping for is influenced by influencers. More than any other source. Clicking is faster than going to a store. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New data from a study from Wonder Kind highlights the following: 53% of those surveyed said, US consumers are paying the financial costs for imported goods. This share was even higher for older people expressed by 67% of boomers and 61% of Gen X as well as women at 55% believe that consumers are the ones bearing most, if not all of the cost increases. Only 10% think retailers take on the cost, and 13% pointed to brands or manufacturers that bear this cost. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.