The Jacobs Media Blog

LinkedIn CEO, Jeff Weiner, has spent nearly a year with that business-oriented social media site, which has amassed 65 million users.  While that pales in comparison to Facebook's 400 million members, LinkedIn has made a mark. Personally, it's a site I don't use very often, but then again, I haven't had to look for a real […]

As part of Apple's new initiatives, there's something potentially breakthrough with iAd. This is a new mobile ad platform that is designed to generate revenue sharing between Apple and developers.  But the more insightful part of Jobs' announcement was his very brash comment, "Most of this mobile advertising really sucks, and we thought we might […]

Usually, CEOs are accused of being overly rosy when it comes to their industry's projected health.  That's why it was interesting to hear the recent comments from the new Chairman/CEO of the company that just bought the bankrupt Chicago Sun Times. James Tyree predicted that "newspapers have got a good strong 10 years.  By then, […]

A new study by Borrell Associates will look familiar to Jacobs Media and jacAPPS clients.  According to Borrell, local mobile spending will more than triple this year.  The projected trajectory over the next several years is stunning. Coupons, contests, and discounts will power this trend, according to Borrell.  We've talked about couponing extensively in this […]

Realizing that most of you reading this blog were not in Las Vegas for the NAB and adjacent industry meetings last week, I hope this post provides some value.  I especially enjoyed another RAIN conference, hosted by Kurt Hanson, Jennifer Lane, and Paul Maloney. The beauty of RAIN is that it attracts a diverse group […]

Realizing that most of you reading this blog were not in Las Vegas for the NAB and adjacent industry meetings last week, I hope this post provides some value.  I especially enjoyed another RAIN conference, hosted by Kurt Hanson, Jennifer Lane, and Paul Maloney. The beauty of RAIN is that it attracts a diverse group […]

I know what you're probably thinking – how many more iPad posts do you have to read?   Well, on the Monday following the delivery of our iPad, the following email showed up: This is the customer service that companies like Apple, Amazon, and so many other new media companies believe in – and where radio […]

As many of you know, our company has been fortunate to work with public radio in one capacity or another for more than a decade.  As a bunch of guys raised in rock, it has been a learning experience for us to gain a better understanding of non-commercial radio, and why it continues to work […]

Venture capitalist and all-round wise person, Guy Kawasaki, has always approached doing business with logic and common sense.  I was fortunate enough to see him speak at last year's Convergence conference – the Radio Ink get-together that brings together lots of tech-savvy thinkers and doers.  In a recent New York Times "Corner Office" piece, Guy […]

Sometimes the answer is right there in front of us. The economy in the past year and change has redefined the way we think about business, staff, margins, and sales.  Even as the recovery happens in earnest, a "new normal" has set in to radio stations throughout the country, in both small markets and in […]

Our resident golf fan, Ralph Cipolla, chimes in about Tiger, The Masters, Nike, & marketing strategy.  FORE!! In 1995, Tiger Woods played golf for Stanford and Nike had zero presence in the golf world.  One year later, Nike cut a deal with the 21-year old PGA Rookie, and now the swoosh is the fastest growing […]

Our resident golf fan, Ralph Cipolla, chimes in about Tiger, The Masters, Nike, & marketing strategy.  FORE!! In 1995, Tiger Woods played golf for Stanford and Nike had zero presence in the golf world.  One year later, Nike cut a deal with the 21-year old PGA Rookie, and now the swoosh is the fastest growing […]

For the first time in more than 20 years, I am off to Las Vegas next week for the NAB Convention.  Over the years, our company has gravitated to the NAB Radio Show always held in the fall, skipping this spring mega-convention. But this year, we're going back to broadcasting's biggest show, and based on […]

Over the last couple of days, we have talked about the importance of branding, even in the digital world of search and clicks.  Does it really matter whether you have a great brand when consumers simply looking for the cheapest price online? Brands do matter, and in the radio biz, they are especially important.  In […]

Over the last couple of days, we have talked about the importance of branding, even in the digital world of search and clicks.  Does it really matter whether you have a great brand when consumers simply looking for the cheapest price online? Brands do matter, and in the radio biz, they are especially important.  In […]

Yesterday, we talked about how Apple's PR efforts almost always create consumer excitement, while Microsoft – despite it size and heft – almost always fails to generate any positive buzz for its products. It simply comes down to product quality, for the most part, coupled with the consumer's experience over time.  Windows operating systems haven't […]

The guy who designed the Ford Mustang, Donald N. Frey, died last month.  The New York Times notes that in Mike Mueller's book, Mustang: An American Classic, he talked about the frenzy that original pony car made 46 years ago this month: "Estimates claimed as many as four million people pushed their way into Ford dealerships that weekend alone…The few Mustangs […]

We test drove our iPad all weekend, and it performed well.  Here's a quick video tour to give you a taste of what the newest gadget from Apple is all about:   If you want to talk iPad strategies for your apps, feel free to give us a call.

On the eve of what could be a momentous launch of digital gadgetry – the release of the Apple iPad - I received the strangest email from Amazon regarding my Kindle.  It invited me to spend anywhere between $84.99- $119.99 on a sleek Kindle cover by Cole Haan. I'll tell you what – the coolest cover […]

Some of you may be tired of hearing about Pandora in this blog, but I have a feeling that given its trajectory, I'm not going to be the only one expressing concern.  And as you'll see in the upcoming release of Jacobs Media's Tech Poll VI, your core listeners have discovered Pandora, allowing it to […]