The Jacobs Media Blog

So yesterday we took a look into how radio companies are – or aren’t – thinking about the development of business models for streaming and mobile. Today, we’re going a step backwards into the frightening world of print to uncover whether there’s anything we can learn from the Fourth Estate.  Often the lesson is about what […]

A year ago, the big media story was that Facebook couldn’t figure out its mobile revenue strategy.  While it was obvious that hundreds of millions of their users had gravitated to using the platform on their Apple, Android, and BlackBerry devices, Facebook was at a loss about how to monetize all this activity. As they […]

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself in a spirited conversation about the debut of Nash FM, and why radio start-ups no longer are accompanied by a strong strategy, marketing, and a great plan.  Somehow, companies seem to assume that buzz will be self-generating, helped along by social media, the local newspapers, and other […]

As Lori Lewis has reminded Jacobs Media clients and the many readers of her weekly “Merge” column in All Access, you have to understand the various social media platforms in order to benefit from them. This is especially true in the ongoing discussion about Facebook and Twitter.  Lori frequently fields questions about the differences between […]

Beyoncé’s performance during halftime of last Sunday’s Super Bowl was something of an anomaly.  Not the lip-sync part or the power outage, but because she is well under 50 years of age.  Unlike most of the Super Bowl performers of the past three decades, Beyoncé along with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake back in 2004 […]

In Monday’s post, I (half) apologized for my gloom and doom predictions about BlackBerry. But today, I’m going to take a little credit for continuing to support Facebook, a company and a brand that many hate, but everyone uses and talks about.  While BlackBerry was debuting its hot new Z10 phone last week, Mark Zuckerberg was […]

As a part of our presentations to airstaffs, I have become fond of including my favorite Woody Allen quote: Now Seth Godin has modernized it, reminding us that good enough is no longer good enough: What does Seth mean?  Showing up is table stakes.  Today, the mission is to bring something to the table, enchant, and […]

After nearly eight years of writing daily blog posts (Monday-Friday), I am still a bit surprised when readers give me feedback about my philosophies, views, and isms. I’ve been told that I’m anti-sales, pro-HD radio, anti-radio, pro-Pandora, or simply not balanced in the way media topics and commentaries populate this blog.  But this isn’t The […]

Was the most powerful and memorable Super Bowl TV ad really a reminder about the power of radio? Paul Harvey’s tribute commentary to the American farmer fits right into Dodge Ram’s strategy, and as has been the case in the past three years, Chrysler ads continue to be what we talk about on Monday morning.  From […]

To my friends and clients to the north (actually to the south if you’re in Detroit), I may owe you a qualified apology. For the last several years now, I have been harshly critical of Research In Motion, creators of the BlackBerry handsets and operating system – and for good reason.  It is well known that […]

On the heels of yesterday’s post about how the New England Patriots are innovating new fan experiences, it occurred to me that some of America’s great radio stations do this every day in their own way. And it’s notable that some of the biggest and best ideas often come from the biggest and best brands.  […]

As we head into another exciting Super Bowl between two well-matched teams coached by two brilliant brothers, there is a team to feel sorry for – the New England Patriots. And not because they keep getting close to winning it all, but come up short.  Or because their receivers have a way of dropping Tom Brady’s […]

Yesterday, we talked about the impact of the Bubba vs. MJ trial in Tampa on audience and advertiser perceptions of radio DJs. I heard from a lot of you, often expressing some of the same frustration with the behavior of radio hosts and how it affects the industry’s standing. As Josh Potter, personality for WEDG/The […]

Last Friday’s guest post from Scott Westerman generated a lot of comments and reactions from a number of circles – DJs, managers, and even an owner.  The role of the air personality as audience ambassador and community conduit was a big part of Scott’s premise. Yet, as I was perusing the radio news sites over […]

I had the pleasure of attending a different kind of media event last week.  I went to a poetry reading by Billy Collins (pictured), an artist who brings a very regular guy approach to his writing.  If there was a Jerry Seinfeld of poetry, it would be Billy Collins, who sees humor, irony, and a rainbow […]

So it turns out I’ve known Scott Westerman about as long as I’ve known anyone in radio.  We met at Michigan State back in the ‘70s, but Scott was already a radio veteran having started out at WPAG/Ann Arbor at the ripe old age of 14.  By the time he earned a Telecom degree at […]

All the talk about the recent sign-on of Nash 94.7 has encompassed the notion of whether Country will work in New York City.  There’s been a lot of noise about whether Manhattan, the boroughs, and the agencies will embrace some of the hottest music out there.  The station did a fair amount of stunting, and by […]

Yesterday, I gave you a guided tour of how Jacobs Media ended up becoming major proponents and practitioners of web-based audience research. Today, there’s some interesting evidence to share that suggests that because of population shifts, landline erosion, and the mobile phone explosion, a version of web-based methodology may actually be more accurate than telephone studies. I can […]

At the risk of offending some of my brothers in media research, today’s blog focuses on how all the many tech changes in our world are impacting the ability to accurately survey a population.  The fact is that while web-based research was once a very non-conventional form of research – especially among purists – it has now entered the […]