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As our attention spans shrivel, the way in which ideas, concepts, and new initiatives are presented couldn’t be under more pressure and scrutiny.  Smart communicators work every day on their “elevator pitch,” finding ways to hone, abbreviate, and edit their presentations. But it’s not just about keeping it short – otherwise anything under five minutes […]

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As we navigate through these disruptively fascinating times, there’s always that question about what’s driving the change – the hardware or the software. Apple has always had its finger precisely on that pulse, and a new breakthrough ad for iPhone (yes, amazing how they continue to market their biggest successes) ends the debate. It’s about […]

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In conversations about media mix strategies in the world of advertising, there are more opinions floating around than there are so-called experts giving them. Should marketing dollars shift totally to digital?  Can you achieve reach, frequency, and engagement goals by just going with mobile, social, and the web?  Or is there still a need for […]

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In yesterday’s post, we talked about the importance of visuals in social media. So today, we’re going to focus on their value on the radio.  One of the best stories about video innovation in radio isn’t happening in New York, L.A., or Dallas.  It’s been a part of the Oasis cluster in Fort Wayne for […]

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The evidence continues to mount that in order to be effective in the social space, learning the art of visuals – photos and videos – has become table stakes. Last week, a client who has been advertising on Facebook told us that an ad they dreamed up was kicked back because it was too wordy.  […]

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I don’t want to suggest that we’re freakishly early adopters here at Jacobs Media and jacAPPS.  But for the past several years, that’s the way it’s worked out.  Since launching jacAPPS in 2008, the newest smartphones and tablets have made their way to our offices, often on the first day they’re available to the public. […]

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Over the past several weeks, I’ve attended my share of industry conferences.  And if you ask me the most uttered eye-roll inducing phrase at many of these media and radio-related events, it sadly has to be “Content is king.” I’ve no doubt said it myself while delivering Techsurvey10 results, too. The reason that it’s become a cliché, […]

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Last week, a big music story involving radio focused on SiriusXM programmer John Marks and how his “Highway” channel has become a music influencer. That Wall Street Journal article was highly quoted in the radio trades as Marks garnered support from a number of Country artists that he first played on satellite radio.  From there, […]

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Once again, Mike Stern’s TV viewing time contributes some  solid morning show philosophizing for JacoBLOG readers.  Mike’s not talking about Game of Thrones or Mad Men.  Nope, it’s about zombies and DJs.  Read on. – FJ The creators of AMC’s popular zombie franchise The Walking Dead were once asked if the survivors of the apocalypse would […]

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If this blog is beginning to remind you of MSNBC or Fox News commentaries, please accept my apology.  Since December, the topic of politics and radio has become strangely regular in this space.  That’s because radio has simply not benefitted proportionately during election campaigns – which pretty much means all the time.   Whether it’s big […]

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One of the exciting things about looking over the master spreadsheet for a mega-study like Techsurvey10 is discovering new data and findings that you’ve never seen before. So over the next few weeks, you’ll see some key takeaways highlighted in this space and in the industry trades, but one finding that is truly recurring has to […]

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As David Letterman announced his retirement on his show the other night, among the insights, stories, and explanations, he uttered this simple truism: “You can’t help but think about the passage of time.  It’s the way of life.” After more than 30 years hosting Late Night on two networks, Letterman looked in the mirror and […]

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Sometimes it’s strange the way things work.  Last week, I presented Techsurvey10 several times – in two “stakeholder” webinars for participating stations, and in a different version before a packed house at the Worldwide Radio Summit in L.A. Early Wednesday morning on my drive to the Detroit airport on my way to Los Angeles, I had […]

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I certainly didn’t make up today’s blog post headline.  But following up on yesterday’s post about the inevitable rule changes on Facebook, it’s a great lead-in to the new priorities for radio in the social space. And instead of blathering on with opinion, let’s go right to the data.  That’s because in Techsurvey10, one of our […]

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On the heels of Lori Lewis’ post last week about the rapidly declining “free ride” on Facebook was a riveting panel at the Worldwide Radio Summit that talked about social media from a corporate programming point of view. There were lots of great sessions last week in L.A., but there was an incredible contrast between […]

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No, there’s not a typo in today’s headline. It turns out that Brandon Jennings just launched his own app. Now chances are you’ve never heard of Jennings.  He’s a solid player in the NBA, laboring this year with my beleaguered home team, the Detroit Pistons.  Like a lot of players in that middle echelon of […]

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No, there’s not a typo in today’s headline. It turns out that Brandon Jennings just launched his own app. Now chances are you’ve never heard of Jennings.  He’s a solid player in the NBA, laboring this year with my beleaguered home team, the Detroit Pistons.  Like a lot of players in that middle echelon of […]

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Regular readers of this blog know that the topic of politics and radio has been much discussed, especially since this past December when Edison Research hosted a panel on the topic at the Nielsen Client Conference/Jacobs Media Summit. You can read both of our subsequent posts here, but the bottom line from that session featuring […]

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In much the same way that CES was a positive revelation for me the first time I went thanks to the prodding and cajoling of Buzz Knight about six years ago, I have had an epiphany this month – and this time, it’s about international broadcasting. Readers of this blog know (too well) about the […]

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Last January at CES, Paul and I made the rounds seeking out the latest in smartwatches.  As you have no doubt read, heard, and perhaps experienced, “wearable technology” is being touted by many as the next big thing. While Samsung has its Galaxy Gear (with those great TV ads), and other brands are dabbling in […]

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