The Jacobs Media Blog

We may be in an “iPhone moment” with voice command devices like the Amazon Echo. A Spotify exec, Ian Geller, sees these devices becoming the new Hi-Fi for homes, transforming the way we engage and connect with the music we love. For radio, this is a golden opportunity to re-establish its place as a prime entertainment medium on the home front.

Executive firings are part of business and a fact of life. How they’re handled by management speaks volumes about an organization, whether it’s radio companies or the government. Today’s blog post takes a look at that gnarly topic of layoffs, cutbacks, downsizing, and yes, the fine art of firing employees.

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.

One of the worst mistakes a media brand can make is to commit “attention theft” – taking up the audience’s time for nothing in return. Guest blogger Mike Stern talks about how radio stations often fall into these traps.

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.