The Jacobs Media Blog

Classic Rock is a music genre that keeps making its way back in the headlines. It today’s post, we’ve got three compelling stories about Classic Rock music – how it influences dating behavior, makes for great storytelling movies and TV shows, and is the new soundtrack of a major ad campaign about the future (of all things). After all the heaviness in the news these days, it was time for a post that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Hope you agree.

There’s a tendency in the media world for brands to pursue multiple initiatives as they strive to gain digital ground. But more and more, smaller companies are focusing their efforts on singular projects where they can marshal their human and financial resources. These days, there’s a lot to be said for eating the elephant, one bite at a time.

As smart speakers move into the mainstream, their #1 use case is asking general questions. Stratetgic brands are embracing the familiar FAQ format to make their “skills” compelling and easy to use. For radio, the opportunities to do more than check off the Alexa box are right in front of us. Today’s post talks about how smart speakers like Amazon’s Alexa will be used this Thanksgiving season….and in the years to come.

Of all the tech juggernauts in our lives, none has been more influential and more successful than Apple – even since the passing of Steve Jobs. In today’s blog, our post covers three new Apple stories that have implications on the radio business. Apple Watch, Apple News, and Screen Time are all tech developments that will impact the media and entertainment industries for years to come.

Great creativity and content starts with curisoity – a key quality common to the best authors, musicians, painters – and program directors. Today’s post takes a look at the curiosity process, with a tribute to a certain cartoon monkey named George.

With Halloween upon us, it’s just a matter of hours before Christmas music starting filling the airwaves. And that means it’s the perfect time for radio to step up its holiday game, whether you’re playing wall-to-wall Bing Crosby or sticking with the Beatles, Black Sabbath, or Brad Paisley. Guest-blogger Paul Jacobs takes to the keyboard with his must-read 7 ways radio can survive the holiday season. It’s holly, jolly, and smart.

As the radio broadcasting industry becomes more cutthroat and dangerous, CEOs are looking for that unique opportunity to own an uncontested market. The book “Blue Ocean Strategy” provides the road map, and today’s blog post has three great examples of what this looks like. The water’s fine – get ready for a deep dive.

Technology has changed the look of the modern-day radio studio, but the trusty “hotline” is still used in many stations to get a DJ’s attention, hopefully averting disaster. One of the best “hotline” strories came out of WPLJ in New York City back in its AOR days. Rumor or fact? Our blog post today clears it all up, and pays attribute to one of the best PDs ever.

The role of women in the workforce is undergoing great change. The radio broadcasting industry is no exception, whether you’re talking about the corporate offices or the air studio. A new national research study is a must-read for everyone in the radio business, pointing to a major perceptual “gender gap.”

Roy Orbison passed away 30 years ago, but his hologram is now on tour, accompanied by a live orchestra. Can technology resurrect Classic Rock and Pop stars who are no longer with us?

TV producers think differently than radio PDs. For example, Magnum P.I. once showed up on Murder She Wrote, while Gilligan and the Skipper made a cameo on Alf. In today’s post, guest blogger, Seth Resler, wonders why radio take advantage of crossovers and mashup like we see on television? And his post gives our readers great examples of how it can be done to maximum effect.

We’re learning that social networks can “age out” just like radio formats. In fact, new research reveals that Facebook usage among teens is at an all-time low. And Mark Zuckerberg is losing no sleep because he owns the ultimate social media cluster. Today’s blog post looks at cluster strategy from a whole new angle.

A legacy industry with internal culture issues, fragmentation, a workforce resistant to adapt to new technology, and outside competitors with much more capital and talent. No, we’re not talking about the radio broadcasting industry. Today’s post focuses on the speed bumps facing the world’s biggest auto companies – and what radio can learn from them.

In radio circles, “data” has become a major buzzword. The need for more robust analytics is precisely what sales departments crave in order to more effectively monetize programming and digital content, while demonstrating attirbution. But to look at analytics as just a sales tool is limiting. The numbers provide insights into programming – whether its music, talk, or other content – that can open our eyes and please radio’s ever-restless listeners. In today’s post, we reimagine music with math – and the results are fascinating.

These days, radio is transforming itself. And the guy in the corner office at iHeart Media – Bob Pittman – has long been a change agent and transformer, whether at MTV or Six Flags. At a recent conference, Pittman opened up his playbook and discussed the power of great brand building and what’s around the corner. Take good notes.

The car you drive, the music you love, and the radio stations that bring it all together are at the core of today’s blog post. A Chicago-based digital media company has used their digital search diagnostics to explore that relationship. Which format/genre of songs contains the most lyrics about cars? Surprise, surprise.

The auto industry is looking at a downturn amidst a tsunami of disruption. What’s the outlook for radio in an car advertising environment rapidly shifting to digital? And how will new car marketing impact the ways in which cars are bought, sold, and traded? Fasten your seat belt.

No matter your position at the radio station – or your radio company – it’s about preparation. That’s especially the case in the air studio when it comes to producing and airing a competitive morning show, five days a week., 48 weeks a year. For inspiration, we turn to former star quarterback and now NFL analyst, Troy Aikman. He provides a great 6-pack of preparation ideas for whatever shift you work on the air.

Personalities are the lifeblood of the radio industry. And when you’ve got a great morning team or personality show, it can be worth its weight in gold. That is, until your stars get on each other’s nerves to the point where they jeopardize their show – and perhaps even the station. Today’s blog post is a cautionary tale, along with advice about how to cope with difficult-to-manage talent when they’re not coping well with each other.