As a life-long research guy, I always love when I read about new methodologies and survey techniques that chase after the "Holy Grail" of why consumers do the things they do. That's why I love focus groups (and Listener Advisory Boards) because they are more about stories than data. Or ethnography surveys, such as "The Bedroom Project" we did for Arbitron a couple of years ago, where we conducted "home invasions" among young people to watch them interact with media and technology in their natural habitats.
Now, researcher Sara Welch of Mindset Media thinks she may have unlocked another key determinant in the media and entertainment choices that consumers make – their personalities. In fact, Mindset believes that the type of person you are goes a long way toward explaining why you gravitate toward one medium or another.
For radio, the news couldn't be much better. Welch reports, for example, that dynamic, on-the-go consumers are far less likely to watch a lot of television.
Instead, the types of people who are heavily into the tube tend to be less open and less likely to be considered leaders.
Radio listeners, on the other hand, are less likely to be tethered to TV, and more likely to be busy, on-the-go multi-tasking consumers. They love to do more than one thing at a time, and of course, there's no better medium for that frantic activity than radio. Button-punchers are especially dynamic, always looking for that next piece of entertainment, song, topic, or bit.
And interestingly, introverts shy away from radio. Instead, radio is a medium for the dynamic, which sounds like an RAB piece. Which wouldn't be a bad idea for radio to look into. Because whether you don't totally buy into personality as a determining factor for consumer behavior, for radio, it's still a pretty good story for a medium that could use a few good stories.
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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