The Jacobs Media Blog

You have to hand it to American business.  As the economy has been roiled by the real estate bubble, the failure of banks, European nations that we never thought about, and other factors, some corporations apparently act like this buyer’s market gives them license to start rifling through the desks and dressers of job applicants. […]

We’ve said it here in this space for some time now – radio’s CEOs could help themselves by signing up for Twitter accounts and communicating their thoughts, views, and observations. Now there’s proof that indicates it’s a great idea.  A new survey from BRANDfog comprised of more than 400 consumers and employees of companies shows that CEOs […]

Regular readers of this blog know my position that radio has essentially become a visual medium by virtue of the available digital tools.  From websites to social media links to YouTube videos to webcams, the opportunity for radio to “supply pictures” has never been better. But many radio traditionalists fight this idea, thinking that they […]

Today, Paul Jacobs takes a look at how a legacy brand is targeting youth because they’re the future rather than standing pat with its existing consumer base. It turns out that MTV has a division called “MTV Scratch,” a group dedicated to helping brands relate to the youth market.  Last week, an article in The New […]

There’s been a lot of talk about our divided nation.  In an effort to showcase a very different 1%, New York Times writers Peter Funt and Martin Venezky put together a clever infographic that appears below. It’s fun, fascinating at times, and a clever way to talk about true minorities in this country – from […]

According to Mashable, Apple may have had “their best week ever,” as Tim Cook has grabbed the torch from the late Steve Jobs. Their introduction of “iPad” (not iPad3) has been well-received by both consumers and critics, the lines at Apple Stores were long (yet again), and their stock has hit the $600 milestone.  Apple revealed […]

Newspapers take social media seriously.  They have to.  They are shedding readers, not to mention ad pages.  So the need to shore up fans, increase reader integration, and keep customers interested in a medium where print is rapidly morphing into digital has never been greater. It was announced last week that Liz Heron is leaving her position as […]

In case you missed it, the story that roiled Wall Street last week had nothing to with consumer confidence, pork bellies, and the GDP. Former Goldman Sachs executive Greg Smith (pictured) departed the firm with a bang, writing a passionate article in The New York Times that made its way into every board room and […]

In the midst of the maelstrom of the Rush Limbaugh controversy, there has been a lot of back and forth about some of the tactics employed by the “Boycott Rush” movement, and other groups that have used the power of social media to mount an attack on the embattled host… and his advertisers.  We examined […]

In recent posts, we’ve talked about how broadcast radio might be wise to reassess, repackage, and refocus on the things it does best.  Our post about being a “LocaLvore” elicited some great response and comments. And thanks to a tip from frequent JacoBLOG contributor, Mike Anthony, here’s a little something…literally, little: winning big by acting […]

Sometime as we go through the routines of our jobs and our lives, it is easy to get caught up in the tasks at hand.  We have deadlines, rating books, sales goals, and other obligations.  Often it’s just difficult to spend time thinking about the future because the present is so damn busy. That’s why as […]

It seems like so many traditional brands are going through it – from Borders to Kodak to Sears.  While it may seem unthinkable to even imagine a world without certain brands or products, it’s a creeping reality that certain famous names will become extinct in the coming years – or months. This puts brand managers and CEOs […]

Sometimes storms just appear out of nowhere, despite all the sophisticated radar at our disposal.  That was the case last year in what was known as “Arab Spring,” as first Egypt, and then other Middle East countries experienced that groundswell of change, led by gangs of people using Facebook, Twitter, and digital messaging platforms. In […]

Have you heard of the term, “locavore?” According to Dictionary.com, a locavore is “a person who makes an effort to eat food that is grown, raised, or produced locally, usually within 100 miles of home.” There’s a growing movement in the restaurant industry for eateries that specialize in homegrown food.   Why?  The idea is that food […]

In a recent post, we discussed the need for brands – and radio stations – to develop that brief, but meaningful idea or value proposition in the minds of their consumers. Today, we turn to the master of marketing for a little mentoring.  We’re talking Steve Jobs, of course, and in a 7 minute video that is described on YouTube […]

PPM has taught us a lot about how people actually listen to the radio.  And the importance and role of weekend programming is one of those important lessons.  Put together great weekends and it makes a big difference in your overall rank. On that topic, just before the end of 2011, researcher, George Bailey, a public […]

We hear a lot about “elevator pitches” – being able to boil down your company mission or your IPO concept in a focused, succinct way that can be communicated in a very short time frame.  And sometimes I wonder how many radio stations, personality shows, or DJs could pull this off for their brands. A cool countdown that Lori […]

Is there something new emerging from the formula that has dominated television since the early days of Survivor and American Idol?  And does it have implications for radio and the ways in which brands utilize the social space? Since Lori Lewis joined our company a year ago, she has urged all of us at Jacobs Media […]