That’s the way Ford’s new CEO, Alan Mulally, is now greeted by his mom in emails. Just a couple of months ago, it was "Hi, Airplane Guy," because Mulally ran Boeing. So from aviation to automotive in one year. And what are his chances of success?
Well, that’s just the point, because the theory is that if you’ve got great business acumen, you can run just about anything. Including a radio company. In short order, Mulally has come in, assessed Ford’s perilous plight, and has begun to do things differently. As he notes, "I think the most important thing that we can do is recognize our reality and deal with it."
That may not seem all that novel, but then again, think of the troubled industries where companies are refusing to "deal with it." Mulally notes that if auto companies like Ford "keep doing the same thing we have been doing," they will continue to decrease in size and importance.
Of course, we won’t know whether he can succeed as an outsider at Ford for a number of quarters. But we have recognized the trend toward bringing non-radio types into the our tent in this blog before. The R.A.B.’s Jeff Haley and the N.A.B.’s David Rehr are the poster boys for this initiative. And Google’s foray into radio sales underscores how outside thinkers are reassessing the medium’s core assets.
Perhaps it will take some outside vision for radio to better realize its inherent assets – its sales force, its content creation, its production ability, its reach – and apply them to new media, new formats, and new initiatives. It might be more than a little interesting to bring in a sharpshooter from the outside, and see what happens. And it won’t be long before we refer to him as "Hi, Radio Guy."
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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