The Jacobs Media Blog

Our new COVID study – the third wave in this series – reveals a great deal about the audience’s mindset in 2020. One of the much overlooked findings is that most people will be staying close to home. Shorter car trips will replace those extended holiday vacations on the beach or overseas. And for radio, that means opportunities for both programming and sales. Today’s blog post reveals these new research findings, and what they may mean for radio as we head into a holiday season like no other.

It almost always comes down to a question of money. And for radio broadcasters, this past week has brought news from two of the industry’s biggest entities – the NAB and Nielsen. In a year of pain points, the difficult decisions and tough calls keep on coming.

No one could have predicted 2020. And that’s why prognosticating what our lives will be like next year – or four years from now – is absolute folly. But in the world of media usage and advertising, some of the brightest minds in the business are making their predictions known about “where the puck is going to be.” Today’s blog post has fresh research – and projections – you haven’t seen. And in this time of COVID, it’s a reminder that anything is possible in a world of uncertainty.

It’s an ongoing debate – which is more important: content or distribution? Recent data from Apple’s App Store reveals that while all those iPhones are key ingredients to Apple’s success, it’s the content – yes, all those apps – that drive the company’s mobile success. Here’s what Apple dominance of “app world” means to radio broadcasters.

Launching a radio station start-up is fun, exciting, and exhilarating. Resuscitating a damaged brand is like serious surgery – it’s a very delicate procedure. I’ve noticed what may be a common fix auto companies are using to help turn their sickest car brands around. And I happily share it with you in today’s blog post.

With less than a week to go before this election mercifully comes to an end, one of the lessons from both campaigns has been about the power (and profits) of viral merch. While they don’t agree on much, both the Biden and Trump teams understand the power of viral marketing and user-generated content – in the form of wearables and signage. Today’s blog post takes you behind the scenes of how both sides have sold a lot of merch.

For radio, this promises to be a holiday season like no other. Guest blogger Paul Jacobs takes to the keyboard to list eight smart steps all radio sales departments can take to ensure a Scrooge-less holiday. Paul is armed with fresh new research about the consumer holiday mindset, and more than four decades of experience with buyers, planners, and retailers. It’s a good read.

These days, there’s a lot of talk about “pre-existing conditions” – how to face them and make sure they’re covered. And in radio, the industry is fighting through the pandemic, trying to regain both programming and sales equilibrium. Radio broadcasters have their own “pre-existing conditions,” the topic of today’s blog post. Time to take our temperatures.

If you’ve ever been on the air on a music radio station, one of your unofficial duties has been playing “name that tune” over the phone with a listener. First, there was Shazam, but now, new Google technology is taking a giant step forward with the ability to ID a song by just humming it. Yes, I tried it…and you can, too.

“The Social Dilemma” is a Netflix documentary that delves into how marketers are manipulating and even addicting us “users.” Does social media do more bad than good? See how your opinion compares with new research on the topic.

Like many entertainment-oriented industries, the movie theater business is in serious crisis. And that’s causing an entire rethink of their business model, and what they might look like post-pandemic. We’re all going through the “Great Reset,” and the 100 year-old broadcast radio is invited to the show. How the industry responds to this profound moment in time will determine its next century. OK, maybe the next five years.

A frequent topic in radio circles revolves around the devices and gadgets that consumers are using more and more to listen to station content. How to strategize and market smart speakers, mobile, and other “containers of the future” is the topic of today’s post, along with some never-before-seen research that spur a watercooler topic today – if we were still hanging around watercoolers.

The news that Spotify and Anchor have launched a platform that allows for music to be included in podcasts has caused quite a stir, especially in the podcasting community. But what does it mean to broadcast radio, and some of its best guides, Sherpas, and curators – its trusted personalities – and their potential to produce great podcasts?

How can radio stations evaluate the importance of superstar talent to their brands? For inspiration, we look at a real-life situation in the NFL where the team’s best player may have gotten the coach fired. In radio, of course, we’re in a different league. (Or are we?)

The science of music is becoming more sophisticated. Wait…what? Isn’t music an art? That’s is THE question. But now Spotify has filed for a U.S. Patent that uses an algorithm to predict how nostalgia in music works. Jimi Hendrix and Mick Jagger couldn’t have imagined this way back when. Today’s blog post takes a look under the musical hood into a fascinating process that attempts to quantify music tastes.

The holiday shopping season is upon us, a year that promises to be like no other. Facing unique pressures, radio stations and local businesses in their markets will be tested. Today’s blog post looks at a small broadcaster in upstate New York proactively promoting hometown shopping in the face of Amazon Prime Day. Using our new COVID 3 research study, our post provides a punch list of things broadcast radio can ensure a merry and bright Q4.

At yesterday’s big Apple event, several sleek new gadgets were unveiled – just in time for the holidays. One of these new devices is the HomePod Mini, an affordable entrant in the smart speaker race. Rather than taking the lead in this category, Apple has held back. The question is whether there’s still time for the Mini and Siri to be competitive in homes, workplaces, and cars in 2020 – and beyond. And whether radio is part of the DNA of this new device.

In most years, radio has played a tertiary role in key political campaigns. First it was television, and more recently, dollars have flowed into digital marketing. But 2020 is like no other year, and both the Biden and Trump camps have made investments in radio. Our blog post today breaks down the numbers, and makes the case for why broadcast radio will also be tested on November 3rd.

At a time when broadcast radio is under pressure to prove its ROI – its ability to effectively sell product in an environment where Facebook, Google, and other digital marketing tools are the bright shiny objects – a new attribution study comes along that helps prove radio’s effectiveness. This innovative initiative has been “under the radar,” but is now capturing attention in the automotive and advertising communities. Now it’s time for radio to take notice.

During another crazy, tumultuous week, we’re reminded once again of broadcast radio’s unique ability to be in the moment and shine the light on the audience. From that VP debate to the passing of Eddie Van Halen, many radio stations have helped relieve the boredom. Hey, is that a fly on your head?