I was fortunate enough to be invited to a seminar hosted by Greater Media Philadelphia’s John Fullam. Author, CEO, and marketing whiz, Mark Hughes, spoke to a large, attentive group made up of managers and talent from WMMR, WMGK, and Ben. Mark is the author of a book that we’ve discussed in various client meetings lately, "Buzz Marketing." It addresses the opportunities stations have to generate buzz, rather than simply go the traditional media route.
One of Mark’s great war stories comes from his time with Internet startup Half.Com. The idea was to find a U.S. city with "Half" in its name, and convince them to change their name to Half.Com. After an exhaustive search and lots of negotiation, Mark keyed in on Halfway, Oregon (population 350). In the process, Half.Com netted an incredible amount of free publicity from "The Today Show," and ultimately the company was happily bought by eBay for $374 million.
Well worth the cost, and better than buying Super Bowl TV spots.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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