Remember sitting around the conference table, listening to the rationale for not targeting teens? The conventional wisdom was, "They’ll find radio when they’re in their 20’s. We just can’t afford to target them because we can’t sell them."
That was then. This is now.
Speaking at a cable television convention, Alan Wurtzel, NBC Universal’s President of Research & Media Development, spoke about how tomorrow’s media consumer will differ from today’s. His point was the Gen Y (15-28 year-olds) are the emerging majority. And their interest in new technology is especially strong. Wurtzel pointed out that the print business has major issues with these consumers, and they rank newspapers at very low "can’t live without" percentage. We saw this up close and personal in our "Bedroom Project" interviews, conducted among 18-28 year-olds in both L.A. and Columbus.
As Wurtzel pointed out, "The kind of media you grew up with determines what kind of consumer you are." As we watch the newspaper industry’s circulation numbers melt (not so) gradually away, like the polar ice cap, chew on that thought for a while.
You can see both "Bedroom Project" presentations at the NAB/R&R Conventions in Charlotte this September. Conceived by Arbitron and conducted by Jacobs Media, "The Bedroom Project" is an ethnography study about media, technology, and survey research. The presentations are Wednesday afternoon at 3:45 at the NAB; Thursday afternoon at Jacobs Summit 12.
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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- Great Radio – In The Niche Of Time? - November 20, 2024
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