Why is an estimated $35 billion in co-op left unused each year? According to a new LSA survey of 178 marketing and media professionals, 42% said the biggest challenge with co-op is “showing a client the specific co-op opportunity for them.”

The “specific opportunity” for a local business depends on the amount of accrued co-op funding which is typically a percentage of local sales for a particular brand.

Other obstacles to co-op include: handling the paperwork (36%), working with the brand (31%), claiming and proof of advertising (21%), selling co-op (11%) and explaining co-op (10%).