The Jacobs Media Blog

Like the cart machine and splicing block, bumper stickers are part of radio’s past. But there was a time when they were an integral part of station marketing. Now, one of the biggest brands in the world appears to be cancelling its free sticker policy. And you have to wonder what effect that decision may have on the company popularity and customer passion.

Everyone wondered how big the boomerang effect would be on various industries mortally wounded by the pandemic: cruise ships, concert venues, and movie theaters are good examples. For the concert business, the numbers are now in, and to no one’s surprise, 2023 smashed all previous records for attendance and revenue. Our Techsurvey 2024 confirms this phenomenon, showing which formats are the most engaged, and pointing the way to how radio can take advantage of this huge opportunity in both its marketing and branding. Take your seat and check it out.

The big news story this month has been campus unrest making its way through college campuses across America. At Columbia University, its college radio station distinguished itself with stellar coverage of that school’s student protests.

In response to questions from two readers, the Washington Post’s data department tested the appeal of 20 different formats/genres across an extensive array of national demographic groups. And in an impressive showing, one of them took top honors in 17 of 20 categories. To learn the big winner, just click on “Read More.”

The “AM For Every Vehicle Act” continues to make progress in D.C., no simple task given these contentious times. But hearings earlier this week had their share of fireworks and even controversy, thanks to a “crank’ idea from the auto industry. No one said it would be easy.

When the going gets tough, the tough find reveneue somewhere.

These days, radio’s directors of sales have to creatively divine money wherever they can – even in unconventional places.  But when you’ve got ample audience in unpopular demographics, you’d better make the best of a challenging situation. A very popular brand you all know has launched a slick media campaign unashamedlly targetting mature adults. If they’re right, there will be important lessons here for radio broadcasters.

Playing the ratings and revenue game has become precarious for radio in 2024 – whether you work for commercial or public radio stations. In an environment where ad dollars are increasingly hard to come by and the competition seems to be expanding exponentiallly, radio organizations need innovative solutions to traditional challenges. The answer may be puzzling in more ways than one. But, of course, that’s the game we’re playing. (Click “read more” to escape from my lame puns.)

The relationship between perception and reality is a very familiar one to most radio veterans. And new data from our recently released Techsurvey 2024 reveal a gap between radio’s perceived and actual weekly reach. Today’s post takes a deep dive into broadcast radio’s challenge to tell its story as the media environment gets congested with even more choices. As radio struggles to fight for listeners and ad dollars, this equation becomes more critically important.

Yesterday’s industry presentation of Techsurvey 2024 seemed to be the right data at the right time. But to get a sense from YOU about what stood out, I asked webinar attendees to tell me their “one thing” takeaway from the study. The response was excellent, as you’ll read in today’s post.

Ratings have always been a key barometer that explains the health of formats, and to a degree, broadcast radio itself. That’s why a deeper look at ratings for the last month or last year is instructive and telling. It’s been hard to miss the unmistakable rise of Christian radio – not just in some markets, but as a national trend. Today’s blog talks about why this is happening and what it may mean for all of radio.

On Thursday, I have the pleasure of presenting the top-line findings of Techsurvey 2024 to the radio industry. This year, 31,800+ core listeners weighed in on media, technology, AI, and of course, their perceptions of AM/FM radio. This is our 20th survey, and perhaps one of the most revealing and actionable. In today’s post, I broke down three current media stories in the news, and integrated corresponding TS 24 data to help bring them into focus for broadcasters. At this precarious time for radio, we need numbers and findings we can rely on. Let’s try to figure it out together.

Are you the kind of person who focuses on the music, the lyrics, or both about equally? If you’ve been paying attention to those words and not just the melodies, you may have noticed song lyrics have gotten simpler and more repetitive during the past several years. And now a major research study confirms exactly that. Another problem with song lyrics is that listeners often have problems understanding them, and today’s blog post looks at why we may be seeing the correct lyrics showing up in our car dashboards very soon.

Banks are always running promotions, trying to lure us into opening new accounts. Usually, they offer up toasters as thank-you gifts, or other small kitchen appliances. But now a regional bank is dangling a can’t-miss incentive: free radio campaigns on a top-rated local station to support small businesses in the community. The bank thinks it will generate new business accounts, while supporting hometown companies. Hit “read more” for the details on this clever campaign that could work anywhere.