The Jacobs Media Blog

Troubled NBA franchise, The New Jersey Nets, has a new campaign underway that has all the elements that we frequently talk about in this space:  using the power of celebrity and dealing the customer (in this case, season ticket holder) into the game.  Its new "Influencer" program started by new CEO Brett Yormark, brings the […]

When Google bought Blogger, there was much anticipation over how the search pioneers would use its new acquisition.  Now Google has launched Blog Search (blogsearch.google.com) – a handy way to search the blogosphere. Type in "Arbitron," and it takes you to all 1,348 (as of right now…) blog entries that have been written about the […]

It’s that time of year again, where budgets are being sliced and diced, and the negotiations are occurring between PDs, GMs, and corporate staffers.  How much marketing money will we have?  Do we have enough for boards?  What about direct mail?  And shouldn’t we be thinking about free gas? Yet, it’s not always a matter […]

Talk to any station manager or sales manager, and they’ll tell you their biggest headache is finding and hiring great salespeople.  For those of us who have been in radio for at least a couple of decades, this phenomenon is a real departure from the past.  Even for sales, there were always scores of applicants, […]

You have to hand it to Steve Jobs.  While many execs would simply milk the Purple Cow that is the iPod, Jobs gets the joke that you have to keep innovating or you fall behind.  Even the purple-est cows turn brown over time. Witness the recent roll out of the new iPod Nano, which effectively […]

Give some credit to the new owner of the Minnesota Vikings for immediately connecting with his fans.  Zygi Wilf, real estate magnate from New Jersey, is already pushing hard for a new open-air stadium for the Vikes.  In a very smart, fan-oriented move, Wilf paid $100,000 over the summer so that fans wouldn’t have to […]

Since writing our original "Stop Voicetracking" last month, the evidence rolls in suggesting that TV is way ahead of radio when it comes to using late night hours for experimentation.  This article in the LA Times reinforces how cable TV has used these less critical hours to beta test new concepts and talent. Now, this […]

No, we’re not trying to beat you over the head with gas promotions, but a recently released Pew Research study shows the high prices at the pump rank right up there as one of the most closely followed news stories – ever.  By just a bit, it actually eclipses Hurricane Katrina. Anecdotally, LAB groups that […]

No, we’re not trying to beat you over the head with gas promotions, but a recently released Pew Research study shows the high prices at the pump rank right up there as one of the most closely followed news stories – ever.  By just a bit, it actually eclipses Hurricane Katrina. Anecdotally, LAB groups that […]

In a recent Op-Ed piece in The New York Times, contributor Mikal Gilmore attempts yet another explanation for how the Beatles have maintained their amazing staying power.  While the Stones continue their amazing tour while essentially in their 60’s, the Beatles continue to maintain their popularity on the radio, and in catalogue sales. Gilmore offers […]

Sometimes it happens so fast, that even the most tuned-in observers don’t see it.  And as we saw in our Technology Web Poll earlier in 2005, speed and critical mass have come together in many ways. Take the iPod, for example.  Mp3 players had been around for some time, but Steve Jobs’ vision (and marketing […]

One evident change in radio during this year has been the realization that our business has to change if it’s going to adapt, adjust, and continue to grow.  Clear Channel’s "Less Is More" – whether you agree with it or not – was one of the early indicators that business as usual wasn’t going to […]

Kudos to the courageous team at Entercom’s WWL/New Orleans – for showing the world (once again) the power of local radio, and the professionalism our business has displayed since Marconi.  As The Big Easy deteriorated into a primitive disaster, radio became the best technology available, thanks to the dedicated WWL staff.  Anyone on the ground […]

Kudos to the courageous team at Entercom’s WWL/New Orleans – for showing the world (once again) the power of local radio, and the professionalism our business has displayed since Marconi.  As The Big Easy deteriorated into a primitive disaster, radio became the best technology available, thanks to the dedicated WWL staff.  Anyone on the ground […]

Here’s a great guest blog with some thoughts on "doing things right" and lessons learned from The Stones, compliments of Michelle Engel, Director Of Programming for Dave-FM/Atlanta: I have been going to concerts since I was 10 years old (some would say I would go to the opening of an envelope).  One thing is for […]

Here’s a great guest blog with some thoughts on "doing things right" and lessons learned from The Stones, compliments of Michelle Engel, Director Of Programming for Dave-FM/Atlanta: I have been going to concerts since I was 10 years old (some would say I would go to the opening of an envelope).  One thing is for […]

No, "iPhone" isn’t a brand name – yet.  But the announcement that Apple and Motorola are joining together to release a new cellphone that’s also an Mp3 player that uses iTune’s software is yet another indication that technology is rushing forward – and terrestrial radio is NOT in the picture. I was an early Treo […]

How can one of the most popular golfers on the PGA Tour be a guy who hardly ever wins a tournament?  That’s the engima that is John Daly, a pro golfer who has fought alcohol addiction for years, has been married four times, and who always seems to be teetering on one edge or another.  […]

Last week, the New York Stock Exchange ended its day with Harley-Davidson’s CEO, John Thain, ringing the closing bell.  To honor this event, at least 30 traders rode their Harleys to work, and wearing suits, left Wall Street on their hogs. What an incredible cult brand Harley has become – a Wall Street darling last […]