You own a smartphone, you download apps, and your radio station may be very involved in the mobile ecosphere. But a guy who lives this space every day of the week, jācapps’ COO Bob Kernan, brings a unique perspective to the conversation. Recently, Bob celebrated his one year anniversary with the company, during which time he’s had ample opportunity to develop a great POV about what’s happening with mobile – and radio. Here’s a glimpse into the mind of Bob Kernan. – FJ
With seemingly infinite media choices facing the consumer wherever she goes – online, music streaming services, the “center stack,” and of course, radio stations – only so many brands break through.
This is becoming even more problematic as the options multiply. Thinking about the challenge of the “connected car,” drivers set up their systems when they take delivery of their new vehicles. You’d better hope that with all the excitement in the air, they’re thinking of your station, your morning show, and your brand at that moment of truth.
Now we’re finding out that apps on your smartphones pretty much work along the same lines. While there’s a lot of electronic real estate on an iPhone or a Samsung Galaxy S5, the reality is that the average person only has 30 apps on their smartphone.
And 30 is on the generous side. This new data by Nielsen that was put together by Statista shows that young people tend to have more apps and spend more time with them. But on average, the upper limit appears to be about 30.
It’s like lakefront property, right? There’s only so much out there. And while consumers may be self-limiting their app downloads, the bottom line is that you’re fighting a battle of space to stay vital on the smartphone desktop.
Now the good news is that “entertainment” is the second most popular category best on time spent per person (behind “search, portals & social”) – and it’s showing the strongest growth curve – +71% year to year.
But then think about all the basic apps that most people have on their phones – Pandora’s up there, along with Google, Google Maps, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Depending on the person and their interests, there’re just a few slots open for radio brands, whether you’re iHeartRadio on the one hand, or a station with your own branded app on the other.
Yes, it comes down to having a great mobile app. But the real essence of the app land grab is whether your brand is a standout, and whether it provides something for the consumer she can’t get anywhere else. As we’ve talked about before on this blog, does it fill a need or do a job that is desirable?
And then there’s the issue of promotion. Because while thousands of stations have gone to the trouble and expense to design and launch their own app, too many forget to promote it. Or they simply don’t feel that in the great scheme of things, their mobile app matters all that much, given all the other marketing priorities.
Somewhere, I hear Tim Westergren laughing.
Making the smartphone Top 30 ought to be a priority at every broadcast radio station in the U.S. Like winning the push button wars back in the day, it’s now about that smartphone desktop.
You need to be in the Top 30.
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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