jacoBLOG

This week, I’m attending two conferences – The Voice of the Car and the NAB Show – both of which will provide learning and insights about radio’s present and future role in the car dashboard. Today’s post provides insight into what the car makers and tech companies are thinking. And why radio needs to maintain a strong presence in both spaces.

Read More

As the NAB gets underway in Las Vegas this week, the radio business has never needed an injection of energy and innovation like it does today. Many broadcasters find themselves at a crossroads, contemplating retirement or simply running out the clocks on their careers. Today’s post is an open discussion on the need for all of us to bring our A Game to an industry sorely in need of our best efforts. Where are YOU on the spectrum?

Read More

Ries & Trout’s “Law of Leadershipthat stated that being first-in was the be-all-and-end-all for brands. Well, the digital arena is littered with one-time leaders, from Napster to MySpace, that were toppled by more innovative upstart competitors. Today’s post looks at the new competitive arena, faced by the staggering Pandora, as well as by traditional media like broadcast radio.

Read More

Conventional wisdom says Millennials don’t want to own cars or even drive them, preferring instead services like Uber or Lyft. But a new study suggests the younger generation may be no different from anyone else. And that means broadcast radio still has a fighting chance to connect with Millennials while they spend time in cars – if we make smart strategic choices. Here’s the story…

Read More

This year’s Techsurvey 2019 is out – and so is the list of why core radio listeners continue to tune in to AM/FM radio stations. Things are shifting out there, and this year’s survey captures the changing mindset. The new “pecking order” is the topic of today’s blog post. Surprised?

Read More

Radio broadcasters were early on email database marketing, but have fallen behind in recent years. There’s an important “give and get” relationship when it comes to data sharing between brand and consumers. The bar has been raised and today’s post talks about the growing importance of the data value proposition.

Read More

If you’ve worked in radio for a decade or more, chances are you’ve seen a number of broadcasting facilities. But WTOP’s new building in Washington, D.C. is off the chart – a remarkable building for a remarkable brand. In today’s blog post, we talk to the guy who runs the place, Joel Oxley, and how it took two years to design and build it. And we’ve got some great pictures of the building that will blow you away.

Read More

Today’s post is all about voice. No, not Alexa or Siri. We’re talking about your brand’s voice – it’s attitude, vibe, and culture. It’s what determines how you maarket, promote, and sell your station to both listeners and advertisers. With the help of a UK-based content marketing agency, we’ve got 6 questions every brand manager should be answering to ensure that brand voice is authentic and optimized.

Read More

These days, millions of dollars are being spent on podcasts – buying companies, signing stars, and investing in writing and producing. And yet, when you ask the efforts about the value of a podcast, you often get blank stares. Today’s post combines a little research with some smart observations about podcasting that everyone in radio should be interested in. There’s apparently a lot of money in podcasting. So, who’s getting it and why are advertisers paying the price?

Read More

Nielsen data indicates it’s finally happening – we’re finally running out of time to consume media. This has implications for brands, especially radio, because so much content consumption is taking place on our smartphones. Today’s post shows the unbelievable amount of time Americans are spending with media, and how radio can regain the pole position.

Read More

New data from Techsurvey 2019 shows that web privacy is becoming an important issue to radio listeners. And at the center of it all is Facebook – the biggest but perhaps baddest of the social media players. Today’s post reveals new data about social media and DJs of importance to all of us in radio. The rules of engagement are changing, and the audience is reassessing their relationships in the social space.

Read More

It’s hard to know what people are more excited about today – the coming of spring or the beginning of March Madness. “Bracketology” – as it’s called – has gone ultra-mainstream, giving offices and workplaces conversatiion starters that are an escape from all the nasty stuff happeniing in the world. It’s great for the NCAA, its sponsors, bars – and radio.

Read More

Personalities are the lifeblood of radio. And our second annual AQ study of radio air talent will go into the field this spring. Today’s blog post looks back at last year’s study, and checks the progress being made by female entertainers in just the past year or two.

Read More

Weekend special programming can make a radio station sound compelling and different. But it often comes with a cost, sometimes in the ratings. In 2019, how should PDs in diary or metered markets make the tough calls to carry or cancel, whether they’re in public or comercial radio markets? Netflix gives us a recent example of a critically reviewed show that was recently axed because “simply not enough people were watching.”

Read More

Smart speakers – gadgets powered by the burgeoning voice revolution – are becoming more and more ubiquitous. But have you ever wondered why virtually every one of these computerized voice assistants is a female voice? The biggest tech companies aren’t making these decision by random chance. There are reasons why female voices rule in consumer electronics, and why everyone in radio should be paying attention.

Read More

New research revelas that a slim majority of Americans now has listened to a podcast. But what will it take for podcasting to become a mainstream, mass appeal platform? Today’s post looks at public radio’s success in the space, as well as a bold new experiment that has flown under the radio spawned by America’s biggest broadcast radio company. Will it be the difference-maker to ensure a happy future for podcasting?

Read More

With all the cost-cutting that’s taken place in radio over the past two decades, swag, merch, and branded logowear have been slashed from most station budgets. Back in the day, every station in town invested in getting their logos placed on car bumpers, shirts, and heads. Now, new research from the 2019 edition of Techsurvey shows clear signs there is opporutnity for radio to make money, gain attention, and build brands with branded merch. Here’s a look:

Read More

When the Phillies signed free agent Bryce Harper to a record-setting contract, the baseball world wondered how the team made that call that will affect the franchise for years to come. These days, radio broadcasting executives are tasked with making more important decisions with each passing year – to buy a company, to partner with an existing player, or to enter an entirely new business. So, should CEOs trust their guts? New research suggests big decidsion-making is a strategtic process, especially during these turbulent times.

Read More

In a rapidly changing media landscape, how can broadcasters contend with and compete against deep-pocketed, data-rich big tech companies? It’s all about a different kind of AI – Audience Intelligence – the information that can help radio understand, strategize, and sustain itself in the here and now, as well as the future. In today’s post, we look at radio’s AI – Audience Intelligence – why it matters, where to find it, and how to use it.

Read More