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Jimmy Kimmel’s personal crisis over his newborn son’s heart defect has given rise to a late night TV conversation about a serious topic – health care. When it gets real for media personalities, it can have a huge impact.

Chevy’s “Real People. Not Actors” campaign is more than two years old and going strong. Like radio, Chevy is a legacy brand that was often overlooked and even ignored by consumers. Here are 6 reasons why this marketing effort resonates and has effectively turned perceptions around about the automaker.

Cord-cutting – cancelling cable or satellite TV – is a growing trend greatly impacting the television industry. In newly released results from our Techsurvey13, we track this practice, and show why radio being a subscription-free service turns out to be one of its distinct advantages over its digital competitors.

Even radio stations in small towns can create major market promotions. Look no further than minor league baseball teams for inspiration. In the spotlight in today’s post, it’s the Toledo Mud Hens and their innovative music stunt that went viral.

Just back from Las Vegas, our post today addresses the age-old question, “So what was the vibe at NAB?” It genuinely felt different this year, as CEOs and leaders from radio companies big and small, weren’t expressing fear or defensiveness. In fact, it was about acknowledging change and facing radio’s challenges and opportunities head on.

A new TV campaign for McDonald’s is quite a bit different from most fast food spots. That’s because the name McDonald’s and the golden arches don’t appear in the commercials. It’s a wonderful example of “Stealth Marketing,” something that a creative, clever radio team could pull off. Here are 7 reasons why these unorthodox campaigns can work.

The news cycle is heating up, whether it’s serious global crises, showbiz fluff, sports, or local community happenings. And any radio station has the chance to create a “big bang” around current events. It’s about how being reactive to the world around us can make a station or show proactive. The biggest brands are showing us how it’s done.

Bill O’Reilly’s ouster from Fox News yesterday is a teaching moment for the entire media industry about the importance of talent, ratings, and advertising dollars, as well as the sometimes tenuous relationship between management and talent.

What do you do after you get a bad rating book? You do your homework, you figure out what went wrong, and you fix it. The NFL is facing sliding TV ratings, and Commissioner Roger Goodell is taking responsibility to turn it around. Commercial load and placement is at the top of the list.

If you’ve worked in the media business for more than a decade, you’ve likely seen disruption up close and personal. Along the way, you learn that career paths aren’t always linear. Journalist/entrepreneur Walt Mossberg’s trajectory provides inspiration and insight about finding that “new version of yourself,” whether it’s your vision or someone else’s.

Continuing yesterday’s theme, the world of marketing and brands has jumped on the storytelling bandwagon big time. Most radio stations – whether 30 year traditions or new start-ups – have that same potential. Today’s post provides strong examples of how radio can tell its stories.