The Jacobs Media Blog

A new consumer survey shows that Netflix has become the preferred TV viewing platform, besting long-time incumbents, broadcast and cable TV. What would a similar study show in “radio?” Today’s post looks at the challenges faced by traditional companies rushing to compete in the new landscape. As GE’s new CEO, John Flannery, has learned, it’s not just about making great products – it requires a serious focus on the customer experience.

Tradiitional media brands – like broadcast radio stations – are often faced with aging audineces without a clear pathway to attracting new listeners. But the web offers runways to expand the tent, without jeopardizing the core. Today’s blog looks at an unlikely pairing – one of the nation’s largest newspapers and the world’s #1 video gaming site. Yes, there’s something here for radio.

It’s the All-Star Break – a chance to catch your breath and take stock of the year…so far. The traditional game of baseball and broadcast radio have a lot in common. They’ve been around forever, but it’s getting harder and harder to compete aagainst modern-day new entertainment options. In today’s post, we’ll look at what minor league baseball is doing to elevate the fan experience. It’s more than just balls and strikes.

It’s Prime Day, and Amazon is expected to rake in a record-shattering $3 billion+ in revenue. Great brands build iconic events – sometimes out of nothing. Today’s post talks about the value of Prime Day to Amazon, and how radio can create its own “specials” that stroke loyal listeners and build cume. And it won’t cost you a dime.

A free Google Home Mini for every household in the U.S.? That may seem like a radical idea, but financial analysts Morgan Stanely say it’s the only way for Google to stay competitive in the smart speaker race against Amazon. It’s a sign that in the shifting world of marketing, attribution and the value of the consumer are becoming more important than the hardware. So, what does that suggest to radio companies as they strategize the future of the industry’s sales marketing value proposition?

Say it ain’t so – even some of rock’s insiders are predicting the death (or diminishment) of the electric guitar. But in dramatic fashion, the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood, Florida is fighting back. Don’t sell that Fender Stratocaster just yet.

Where did the time go? Today marks the 10th anniversary of the grand opening of Apple’s App Store – a groundbreaking event. Today, it’s hard not to conclude we’re entering a new tech trend – smart speakers. And our blog post today contemplates how the fast rise of “Alexa” and other voice command technologies might impact the future of podcasting.

At last February’s Olympics, Classic Rock made its presence known, accompanying some of the top ice dancers in the world on their skating routines. But now thanks to Evan Nagao, “the music that made FM radio great” has shown up at one of the least likely sporting events. And it took gold.

When is “fake news” a good thing? When it comes from one of the world’s most consistently funny satire machine – The Onion. In today’s guest post by Jacobs Media’s Mike Stern, he offers 5 great trips for making radio bits, parodies, and benchmarks compelling, sticky, and memorable. Talent is always looking for an edge, and these suggestions from long-time Onion editor Scott Dikkers are spot-on.

I think today’s post is SFW, but it is about underwear – and radio. These two products both hide in plain sight, are essential in most people’s lives, but face a marketing challenge. Fruit of the Loom is now running an old school street promotion that most radio programmers could clearly improve upon. Here’s the story.

Home is where the heart is, and today’s post takes us to the famous abodes of two legendary rockers – Paul McCartney and Jim Ladd. Each is a consummate storyteller who reminds us why we fell in love with music in the first place. These two dwellings are thousands of miles apart, and very different. But they’re both full of great musical memories. Come in, the door’s open.

We love to talk about our successes, while shying away from our failures. Now, Google has developed a nifty 3-step tool kit to help organizations deal with the inevitable blow-outs, miscues, and miscalculations. For my company, our epic fail was The Edge© format more than 25 years ago. In today’s post, we look at the anatomy of that hot mess, and how we turned it into a big win.

If you’re in radio, there are actually three guarantees in life: Death, taxes, and commercials. From the dawn of Marconi, Tesla, Drake, and McClendon, programmers have been designing, scheming, and juggling clocks.  PPM has exacerbated the problem, as so many major market stations settle for the “bowtie” model.  But Media Monitors and other research confirms what everyone […]

I’m blessed that my staff does a great job of feeding me great blog post ideas.  As many of you know, we publish a new post every weekday – and have done so for 13+ years. In today’s post, it’s a familiar topic – storytelling.  It’s almost become cliche because it seems like virtually every […]

Two of radio’s smartest, savviest social media mavens discuss the very tricky issue of DJs, social media, and the differences between personal and station accounts. It’s a follow-up from last week’s post that generated a lot of comments. And it summarizes some of the awkwardness companies, stations, and talent share when it comes to managing and executing social media accounts.