It seems like every couple of days, there’s a story in the radio trades or a host of other publications about how the “connected car” is the hot new thing, the death of radio, unsafe at any speed, and the beginning of the end for personal driving.
It’s part of the reasons why the last two autumns, Jacobs Media has partnered with Radio Ink to present DASH. The “connected car” has been in the center of our radar screens for several years now, and for good reason.
And this morning we’re announcing our third conference, appropriately titled DASH 3.0.
But don’t let the name fool you because it transcends the third anniversary thing. DASH 3.0 is going to be a reinvention and redesign of the entire conference, based on feedback we received these past two years, along with the experience we’ve gained from showing up at tech, automotive, and consumer electronics conferences and meetings.
Past DASH attendance has been excellent, our panels have been stimulating, and many have asked us whether there will be a conference in 2015. And none of these are the reasons why we’re reprising DASH. We have a new set of purpose for why this conference is going to be reimagined.
The space is changing…quickly. Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto were barely off the drawing board at this time last year. Many automakers reacted very ambivalently to these products from the world’s two most important tech companies. And now here it is 2015, and Toyota is the only holdout among the car manufacturers to adopt one or both of these in-dash platforms.
The evidence continues to mount that the gadget sitting in your driveway, car port, or assigned parking space may be the most important one to your livelihood, your station’s survival, and your company’s future.
Once again, we’re co-presenting with Radio Ink for DASH (but not with Valerie Shuman who has become busy with many consulting projects as the space has heated up). If anything, the buzz about “connected cars” has intensified – more automotive dollars are moving to digital, while consumers continue to purchase – and enjoy – “connected cars.”
This year’s Techsurvey11 – which will be presented in April at the Worldwide Radio Summit in L.A. – contains a trove of fresh new data about dealer training and where radio fits in. Combined with interviews we’ve conducted among car dealers and dealership trainers, we strongly believe the key battleground for radio is right in its backyard.
And so for DASH 3.0, we’re taking a decided turn toward how local radio can determine its own future – with initiatives that resonate with both listeners and car dealers and groups.
The first two DASH conferences have already had considerable impact:
- MaxMedia’s Hampton Roads, Virginia, market manager, Dave Paulus, took key staffers on a field trip to a local car dealer so they could see for themselves how in-dash technology has changed and how their careers are being affected.
- Ahead of a recent company meeting, Cox Media Group asked its programmers to test drive a “connected car.”
- And earlier this week, Greater Media has put together a public service campaign for April: Distracted Driving Awareness Month, influenced by the first DASH conference.
These are the kinds of steps we’re beginning to see take shape as outgrowths of DASH, and why we’re encouraged that any broadcaster can make a difference.
At DASH 3.0, we’re gearing presentations to focus on dealer training, the ad spend shift to digital and how radio can enhance its share, where automotive marketing is heading, and options that radio has within the Apple and Android “connected car” platforms.
In the past three years, our company has emerged as a conduit between the automotive and radio broadcast worlds, and we’re excited to advance this conversation. We’ve talked to many broadcasters about the challenge of the “connected car” during these past few years. And they seem to fall into two groups:
Yes, there are those who have thrown in the towel and feel a sense of hopelessness. For them, the issue is bigger and more complicated than their market size or pay grade.
And then there are those who are motivated by the possibilities and the opportunities. They want to learn, grow, share, and benefit from this changing automotive space. They just need more information and the tools to survive. These are the people who we had in mind when we created this conference.
The “connected car’ remains a major issue for the radio broadcasting industry. And we are changing up DASH because the automotive space is changing…again.
Come be a part of that change in Detroit in early November.
Information on DASH 3.0 is available here.
BTW I’ll be moderating a “connected car” panel at the Canadian Music Week extravaganza as part of their Radio Interactive Media Summit program on May 7th in Toronto. It’s called “Hot Wheels: What The ‘Connected Car’ Means To Radio” and it features Chris Andrews/Visteon, Dr. Ed Cohen/Nielsen, Michael Hill/UK Radioplayer, Ted Ktisonia/The Globe & Mail’s mobile guru, and Andrew Lennox/Humberview Group. Information on my outstanding panelists and this session is here.
And on May 28th, I’m honored to be back, moderating a “connected car” session called “How Radio’s Automotive Dominance Will Change: What You Need To Know To Take Advantage on the Auto Dashboard” at Radio Ink’s Convergence conference in Silicon Valley, featuring Roger Tsai of Gracenote and Michelle Lavin from iHeart Media. Info here.
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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