Here's the paradox: John Deere is one of the most admired brands in America, but it's caught in the middle of a tariffs-based trade war that is escalating costs and testing customer loyalty.

As sophisticated mix modeling tools migrate from the inner sanctum of marketing departments to the C-suite the data takes on new levels of regulatory accountability, namely Sarbanes-Oxley.

A new, first-of-its-kind analysis indicates local ad spending is a leading indicator for state economies. And it doesn't bode well for foreseeable quarters.