Struggling Chrysler is trying to do just about anything to get your attention – and to stimulate you to buy their vehicles. The offer of $2.99 gas, while appealing on a very basic economic level, is apparently not moving cars and trucks off the lots.
But in all their new ’09 vehicles, wireless Internet may be a motivator for some adventurous buyers. It’s a platform called UConnect Web, and it opens up the Internet to consumers on the road. For radio people, it’s the inevitable announcement that all content in cars is fair game. And it’s coming to Chrysler showrooms in September.
According to Keefe Leung, a Chrysler engineer for this initiative, "There are no limitations in content."
That’s a quote that should be posted in cubicles and offices throughout our industry. The excuses for not streaming or for offering a substandard stream are coming to a swift end. Radio is in a great position to brand and market its streams because as mobile WiFi becomes as ubiquitous as wireless laptops, there will be no limits on access. The best known brands in local markets – KLOS, KBCO, WRIF, WMMR, KQRS – will have a decided edge. But only if radio realizes what’s at stake and steps up.
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.
- Baby, Please Don’t Go - November 22, 2024
- Why Radio Needs To Stop Chasing The Puck - November 21, 2024
- Great Radio – In The Niche Of Time? - November 20, 2024
The genie is out of the bottle.
For MOST stations, this will pose a threat.
To SMART stations, it is an immense opportunity.