The Jacobs Media Blog

Welcome to Friday, and another trip to the JacoBLOG “junk drawer,” four stories that may surprise, amaze, and hopefully entertain. Today’s edition has a blue theme, as you’ll soon learn why.

Every brand needs a facelift. Or call it a refresh. But what happens when a classic media brand attempts to transform itself by reaching out to younger demos while trying not to upset its core audience? In today’s blog post, we get a ringside seat to see how it works when a classic media brand gets a makeover right in front of our very eyes. Pull up a seat and grab some popcorn. This could get interesting.

How’s your station’s DCX? It’s all about the Digital Consumer Experience. It’s no longer enough to have a website, launch an app, or have your station’s music displayed on RDS screens in cars. It’s about the experience. And while radio broadcasters have stepped up their digital offerings in recent years, the experience has lagged. Here’s what we can do about it.

Since the beginnings of COVID, the WFH movement has gotten more complicated. Workers have many reasons to want to continue doing their jobs from their homes. But new research reveals there is one overriding reason why they don’t want to work from their office. That answer, and how radio can benefit from this data is in today’s JacoBLOG post.

Amazon has taught us well: e-commerce is the present and future, and retail is dead. So, how do we explain why Amazon continues to advance an aggressive brick and mortar strategy? And why does Amazon’s “ominichannel” philosophy suggest that broadcast radio companies could be a prime target for big tech companies hoping to expand their media empires? That’s where we’re headed in today’s blog post.

News operations have a “morgue” – files where stories, bios, photos, videos, and other resources can be quickly rolled out when an important newsmaker dies. As we should have learned in radio, preparation for the inevitable passing of music stars is not only smart for brands – it can also deliver ratings. It is also an opportunity for broadcast radio to prove its mettle versus streaming music services, podcasts, and satellite radio. Here’s what it looks like.

It’s Friday in late August, the perfect time to rummage once again through the JacoBLOG junk drawer for an easy read. This week, we have four improbable stories that will make you popular around the barbeque, the baseball game, or the beach: an old album cover, an older Stone, a reboot of an old TV show, and a ratings system that may not be able to accurately measure it are in the spotlight.

In 2021, we are seeing radio’s digital strategy in full bloom, being executed right before our very eyes – and ears – on the air and online. What are radio’s biggest companies doing, and how might that inform other radio operators looking for answers in a rapidly changing media ecosphere? In today’s blog post, we take a look at iHeart and Audacy’s recent game plans, while presenting a road map that any broadcaster will be able to use as a conversation starter and perhaps even a template for success.

Over in “TV Land,” we’ve been watching the longest stunt in media history: the “Who will replace Alex Trebek?” sweepstakes. There are lessons here – 7 of them, in fact – but how to stage, and how not to stage stunts. It’s a lesson in planning, hubris, and serving your fans and advertisers.

It’s never difficult to make a list of proven radio stars – personalities and shows that have been successful for decades. But even tuned-in broadcasters may be hard-pressed to think of up-and-coming radio talent that could prove to be “the next big thing.” In today’s JacoBLOG, we look at some of radio’s rising stars. How many have you heard of?

Today’s blog post is a collection of goodies we hope you’ll enjoy on summertime Friday. They include a bold COVID announcement, the introduction of a new beer (actually, a pale ale) named after radio, eye-opening data about WFH, a major concert announcement, and a follow-up to our recent post about Mick Fleetwood’s “Cameo” appearance. It’s a trip inside the JacoBLOg junk drawer.

Here’s a trivia question for you: which musical artist or group has sold the most T-shirts? While you’re pondering that, an extensive new research study about merch is not just revealing for the music industry, but provides a template for radio stations looking to cash in on its brand equity. Today’s blog post examines this opportunity, provides a real-life cautionary tale, and answers that trivia question.

Controversy on the airwaves has always been something of a slippery slope. But in today’s overheated environment, it can cost you your job. At Morning Show Boot Camp, I took the stage with an esteemed group of talent and broadcast executives to air this topic out. Can you say that on the radio or are there times when some things are better left unsaid.

NBC’s Olympics ratings cratered, right? That’s the conventional wisdom reported by virtually every media outlet. But NBC coverage of the games showed impressive usage of digital content – on phones, laptops, tablets, and other devices. Broadcast radio is experiencing the same problem. Advertisers have been allowed to devalue digital usage, making monetization difficult at best. That’s the core issue in today’s blog post: ears are ears on whatever devices and platforms on which they’re delivered.

Morning Show Boot Camp is back – live and in-person in Chicago this week. Day One was filled with fireworks. I presented AQ3 results – radio’s only air talent survey – and it proved to be a table-setter for the Women’s Forum, a session that I wish everyone in radio management and ownership could have seen. I’ve got the “play-by-play” for you in today’s blog post. And hopefully, this will lead to more important conversations – and actions – that need to happen.