The Jacobs Media Blog

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.

Consumers are suffering from media overload, thanks to the incessant torrent of content being hurled at them. And in the middle of it all is your radio station. How do you capture audience attention with this much angst and stress in the air? Today’s blog post has some answers, some good news for radio, and a :30 test that will tell you a lot about your own ability to stay focused. I hope you pass it.

In case you missed it, there was a true “radio moment” at an unlikely place – the Podcast Movement conference in Nashville last week. Podcasting chieftain, Conal Byrne, was on the main stage. And the subject of how to market podcasts came up. Bryne’s response opened a lot of eyes at this event, and hopefully, in today’s blog post, too. Luckily, we were “in the room where it happened.”

Is radio about music genres – or are great stations about lifestyle – tribes? Today’s blog post will get your juices flowing. Grab a cup of coffee, and let’s lean into it.

Great brands have the potential to engage in successful marketing that generates lots of money and even plenty of buzz. But the other side of the coin is marketing concepts that should never have made it off the launching pads. We can learn by mistakes as much as we do “best practices.” And today’s blog post highlights three tacky merch efforts from brands you know well.

MTV turns 40 this week – an amazing story of innovation, irreverence, and maybe just a little hubris. It changed the way we consume music, and impacted FM radio – especially in the ’80s. I was fortunate enough to provide research and consulting services to MTV (and later, Vh-1) – an outside-in perspective on this media juggernaut.

COVID has presented a challenge for everyone in radio – on an off the air. But those behind the mic have been tasked with even more responsibility since the pandemic broke out. Today’s blog post debuts brand new findings from AQ3, our survey of commercial radio air talent in the U.S. It is eye-opening, and we hope it leads to more industry-wide, as well as broadcasting company conversations.

It’s a pretty safe bet few radio stations – even in the biggest markets – have a hefty promotional budget for the upcoming Fall book. But a million dollar budget? Not a chance. But a little back-of-the-cocktail-napkin math, inspired by consultant Randy Lane, is a reminder every radio station has valuable promotional inventory that often is poorly managed or randomly deployed. Today’s blog post looks at what can happen when those valuable avails are put to smart and strategic use.

Radio’s sellers have faced tough challenges in recent years. Among them, fending off accusations that a broadcast radio buy lacks accountability – and R.O.I. Attribution has proved to be difficult. But now, a new political campaign has been launched that’s 100% radio ads in a controlled environment – better known as Kentucky. Mitch McConnell is providing broadcasters with a unique opportunity to make their case: that radio ads still work.

Would you recommend a young person pursue a career in radio today? An Internet “hack site” is telling its readers how to get into the radio business. If you think the timing is interesting, please read on.

Building great brands is always a challenge. But during the pandemic, it has put even greater pressure on companies – radio stations among them. Today’s post sums up a 6-pack of “best practices” from an unlikely category – airlines, not usually thought of as good marketing citizens. But this particular airline is listening to its customers, acting boldly, and even providing an element of surprise. There are great lessons here for both station and personality brands.

After two cancellations, the Rolling Stones “No Filter” tour is back “on.” Organizers announced a 13-city itinerary. But one of the stops could be called unlikely – New Orleans’ iconic Jazz Fest. There’s a secret behind how festival organizers were able to book the Stones. They asked. Today’s blog post is all about why we shouldn’t hesitate to make “the ask” – for our radio stations and ourselves.

We’ve all felt our share of stress these past 18 months. According to a new study by the American Psychological Association, the pressures on all of us are mounting, especially since COVID. And that’s especially true in radio’s air studios. Our data is back from AQ3, radio’s only survey of air talent. And today’s blog post provides a sneak peak at what it’s like to be under pressure when you’re paid to entertain and inform on the airwaves during a pandemic. It’s an eye-opener that hopefully stimulates a conversation about our industry and where we’re headed.

In an advancement of Amazon Alexa “skills,” iHeartMedia has launched an interactive request feature in four markets. In our blog post today, we look at how Alexa’s responses can be the most realistic.

Earlier in the week, HD Radio celebrated its 15th anniversary, a period loaded with both promise and disappointment. Today’s blog post looks at the glass half empty / glass half full history on the technology, exploring what worked and what might’ve been. Where do YOU weigh in? Something tells me you have an opinion.