Now that I’m back from CES 2013 and regaining perspective, it strikes me that the deluge of content, platforms, and gadgets can make the average consumer feel a bit lost in all the options and choice. I sure felt that way while wandering around an over-crowded Las Vegas Convention Center.
While just about everyone talks up customization, choice, and “it’s all about the consumer experience,” you can’t help but think the average person is suffering from digital overload.
That’s why it always makes sense to return to the center and recognize fans, no matter the platform or the strategy. Many of our clients that enjoyed higher ratings from the Workforce Payroll promotion over the years magnified that success by showcasing fans. By building a simple web page that saluted the winners – name, town, and how much they earned – we created more page views than any other feature except accessing the stream.
For years, 97Rock in Buffalo saluted the “Workforce Employee of the Day” – and not the “Babe of the Day.” A small package of prizes and recognition on the website is all it takes to personalize, localize, and share the spotlight with the most important people – core fans.
Whether you’re a small station or part of a mega-corporate empire, anyone can do this. And it’s an area where local radio can reconnect with consumers who have been supportive and loyal, feeding into the RealityTV/social media phenomenon where “regular folks” are stars – at least for a day. 
The fact is, as Lori Lewis reminds Jacobs Media clients, “every person counts.”
To see that on a larger level, consider Oreo. With 31 million “likes,” how do you create any semblance of fan folksiness?
As Jason Keath reports on Social Fresh, a Fan of the Day approach is a simple way to remind your core users that you care, while posting fan photos and stories.
This also solves a problem that many radio stations face – how to celebrate a big birthday without coming off as self-indulgent? For Oreo, last year was their 100th birthday.
And they’re celebrated the century mark by showcasing their fans.
That’s the sign of a great brand.
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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