At the conclusion of our inaugural DASH Conference last October, we got together with our partners, Radio Ink and Valerie Shuman, to assess what was accomplished. We knew that the event was successful – we had close to 300 leaders from broadcasting, automotive (OEMs and Tier Ones), advertising agencies, car dealerships, and other interested sectors together in a room for the first time, discussing and learning about their mutual interests. The fact that DASH was convened in Detroit – our hometown and home of the U.S. auto industry – made it that much more special.
The energy was great, new relationships were formed, and we knew that we achieved our primary goal: To start a substantive conversation between two storied industries and begin to plan out our respective futures. For a first-time event, we were all satisfied with how it came off and the reviews from attendees were uniformly excellent.
But when the adrenaline wore off we were left wondering about the lasting impact of DASH, and mutually agreed to step back and quietly assess things before running off trying to replicate or even improve on the effort. That distance allowed us to listen to attendees and get their input, review the survey that Radio Ink launched, watch how radio’s leadership responded, and observe and engage with the automotive industry in order to determine what radio’s next moves should be.
It didn’t take us long to convince ourselves that we need to do a DASH 2.0.
The primary reason is that we have heard from so many people who attended the event who felt that it was probably the most unique conference they had ever attended. Most agreed it gave them the opportunity to meet with and hear from diverse professionals from an industry they thought they knew about. Radio people have dealt with automotive for decades, but usually only when pitching business, setting up a remote, or buying a car themselves. At DASH, they heard from industry leaders about the massive changes car entertainment systems are undergoing and their potential impact on listening and advertising plans.
The execs who participated in DASH from the automotive side provided us with similar reactions. Prior to DASH, their relationship with radio was limited to people they know from brands like iBiquity, iHeartRadio, and TuneIn. Few had ever spoken directly to people who work in radio. Yet, they were impressed by what they saw, and not surprisingly, the session that featured local air talent like WRIF’s Dave & Chuck The Freak and Lisa Way, The Ticket’s Valenti & Foster, and WNIC’s Jay Towers was a highlight for them to see the “show business” side of radio.
In the past few months, Paul, Valerie Shuman, and I have presented a version of our “connected car” presentation from Dublin to Oklahoma City to L.A. to Atlanta – with more to come. And everywhere we go, interest in radio’s changing relationship with the car continues to intensify.
Yesterday, I had the honor of moderating a double session devoted to the “connected car” at the Canadian Music Week conference. A packed room enjoyed heard from auto execs and content creators for the car from GM, Pandora, Panasonic, Sirius/XM, Gracenote, iBiquity, Harman, and TuneIn. As we’ve seen before at these conferences, most radio managers have yet to experience a fully equipped “center stack,” despite the fact that consumers are now enjoying the efforts of OEMs and Tier 1s from around the globe. The automotive companies are moving full speed ahead, and some of radio’s most viable competitors are clearly ahead in this critically important space.
But there are other reasons for a second conference. The first DASH Conference is so 2013 . . . . that’s right, this space is so dynamic that in the ensuing four months, Google has announced the Open Automotive Alliance – a consortium of OEMs dedicated to building a standard (based around Android, of course) that will exist in all automobiles of the future. Does the radio industry have a seat at that table? No, and it’s an issue we’ll tackle at DASH 2.0.
Apple recently announced CarPlay, where iPhone owners will be able to link their content directly into the dashboard. And there’s more change coming every day. That could be a game changer that may impact both automotive and radio because of the importance of the smartphone in American lives.
Continuing this dialogue and deepening radio’s understanding of the task ahead is the primary reason why there’s DASH 2.0. There is much more to learn and more experts to hear from so that radio has the best information and perspective. For broadcasters to effectively play in this space, you’ll need a comprehensive strategy in order to maintain presence in the “center stack,” as well as advertising revenue. Partnerships and contacts with the automotive world is where it starts.
And you all saw the recently released RAB data that reaffirms automotive’s leading role in radio revenue. For the fifth consecutive year, it’s the sales category leader, but there are indications that it is flattening. DASH 2.0 will tackle these issues, too, as we did last October with our much-talked-about car dealer session.
DASH takes place October 15-16 at the same location as last year – the Westin Hotel, the best and most convenient airport hotel in the country. (And unlike last year, hopefully there will be a World Series game going on while you’re here.)
The bottom line is that the car is an essential part of radio’s future, but there are no guarantees about how radio’s partnership with automotive will play out. Our goal this year for DASH 2.0 is to not only continue the dialogue, but to set in motion more conversation that focuses on what the radio industry must do in order to continue to enjoy its historical relationship with the automobile – both via listening and revenue generation.
NOTE: We are in the early stages of planning our agenda for DASH 2.0. If there are topics or speakers you’re interested in having us tackle, post them in the comments section or drop us a note. Also, if you attended the inaugural DASH event, share your impressions of why it’s so important – the more people who attend, the faster we will strengthen our relationship with the automakers and solidify the future.
And of course, you can register for DASH 2.0 here.
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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