The Jacobs Media Blog

As you may have read yesterday on AllAccess, an A&E produced show, in partnership with Popular Mechanics, rated all of the most important, innovative, and incredible devices in history. On “101 Gadgets of All Time,” the #1 most important device is the smartphone. And sitting at a solid #2 (above TV, the hypodermic syringe, and […]

We know that consumers behave differently today. They carry their phones with them everywhere they go. They ask if “there’s an app for that?” They say whatever they want when they comment on blogs. They meet in social networks, they create and share content, and they spread their voices. Ultimately, they can redefine our brands […]

Yesterday’s post showcased Southwest Airlines, a company that has truly stood apart from the field – by design – during its historic 40 years in the business. Today, we’ll take a look at Spirit. In a tough industry, it’s hard to stand out. But Spirit has done just that – trying very hard to, at […]

I’m a Delta guy, largely because they’re hubbed in Detroit.  Like with Northwest before them, I’m your typical Platinum frequent flyer who is virtually oblivious to cabin announcements, seat belt instructions, and all the other formalities of air travel.  Like George Clooney in Up In The Air, except for the physical looks and hot girls […]

Our resident sales guru, Paul Jacobs, sees the tide turning out there in Agency Land.  Hey, men shop, too.  Read on. When I first became a general manager, my new boss told me something that always stuck with me: “There are two types of people – those who let things happen and those who make […]

We have discussed the rapid ascent of Groupon in this blog a lot this year.  Our new Techsurvey 7, conducted among 70+ rock-formatted stations, netting nearly 21,000 respondents covered a lot of digital ground this year. And we devoted some questionnaire space to eCoupon sites like Groupon and Living Social.  The results among these rockers […]

During the past several weeks, Jacobs Media’s social media maven, Lori Lewis, has been working her way through a series of posts called B-A-L-A-N-C-E.  Today’s post is the last letter – “E” – and it’s about the need to Establish, and then maintain your credibility in the community. I’m sure you’ve heard the saying “Build […]

We are excited about the release of Techsurvey 7, our seventh annual media and technology web survey.  With more than 70 Rock/Alternative/Classic Rock/Triple A stations participating – in the U.S. and now Canada  – more than 20,000 core radio listeners have weighed in. The free AllAccess webinar takes place today.  Click here to register and participate. […]

I read lots of different publications – online, newspapers, and magazines – because you just never know where the next great idea or pearl of wisdom will come from. One of my regular reads, believe it or not, is the Costco Connection, which is actually a very well-written publication, produced by my favorite place to […]

I enjoyed last Friday's post from Lori Lewis about the need to use metrics in determing social media success.  But looking at the bigger picture of brand success, I would suggest to you that it is the unmeasurable qualities that often make the difference between winning brands and losing brands.  With all those metrics, analytics, […]

During the past several weeks, Jacobs Media’s social media maven, Lori Lewis, has been working her way through a series of posts called B-A-L-A-N-C-E.  Today’s post is the letter “C” – creating metrics that work.  Read on. “And you may ask yourselfAm I right? Am I wrong?And you may tell yourselfMY GOD!  WHAT HAVE I DONE?…”-Talking […]

Today’s post was co-written by Fred and Lori Lewis, Jacobs Media’s social media whiz, who always advises that when it comes to tech, do the right thing. Is that a hacker in your account or are you just happy to see me? As you have no doubt heard by now, Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-NY) had […]

There’s something interesting happening at the crossroads of television programming and social media that is worthy of our attention.  While many of us are addicted to consuming TV shows through a DVR for maximum convenience, there’s a sub-event occurring around live programming. There are certain real-time events that don’t make sense for the DVR – […]

A highlight at the recent Convergence conference was seeing keynoter James Cridland at Radio Ink’s “Radio Tech Summit.” James is the managing director of Media UK and uses the interesting descriptor of “radio futurologist.”  After watching his presentation, it’s an apt title for what James is about. The essence of his talk was that around the globe, […]

Saluting the courageous men and women who have served this country in honor during the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Jacobs Media’s social media maven, Lori Lewis, continues her Friday series on “Balance” – best practices for radio’s use of the digital toolbox. Thanks for all the great feedback to Lori’s earlier posts, as she takes each letter of B-A-L-A-N-C-E to provide tips about social and digital strategies and tactics. Here’s the letter “N” to […]

As we move into the final throes of American Idol for this year, Jacobs Media’s digital dude, Tim Davis, has some observations about a season that has ushered in some major changes for one of the most successful television shows in history. Here’s his “take” on this season’s Idol: With the finale of this season’s […]

Jacobs Media’s mobile guy, Paul Jacobs, takes a look at a new Google study about mobile – “The Mobile Movement.” Here’s his “take” on this great report and the changing mobile environment: Google has just released a new study – "The Mobile Movement:  Understanding Smartphone Usage" – that provides important findings for any brand that […]

And with that statement, Russ Hill, President of Ownd Media Group, elicited “oohs,” “aahs,” and even a little vitriol from the packed crowds at Radio Ink’s Convergence conference. I tweeted Hill’s “I don’t want to be around radio people” comment, and some responded angrily and defensively.  But there’s clearly a context to what he’s saying […]