Our Latest Industry Blogs

Wouldn’t it be great to have a logo for your brand that millions want to buy and proudly wear? That is, until it ends up on the shirt of a less-than-desirable citizen who just might make your precious brand look bad? It recently happened on a popular TV show to one of America’s great universities. And be careful—it could happen to your radio station brand, too.

In radio, we’re always predicting: formats, morning shows, song hits, ratings. But as we learn every year during the NFL Draft, no one really gets it right all the time. It’s our overconfidence—or hubris—that often fogs our decision-making process. So, let’s put your predictive powers to work. Today’s #TBT blog post tries very hard to get it right. Or wrong.

Over the past week, the two big stories in radio have been the NAB and the Trump Tariffs. But a major format change in the Twin Cities has sparked lots of conversations, and today, I joined the fray.

There is no bigger radio conference in the world than the NAB convention, happening this week in Las Vegas. What are broadcasters talking about? Where are the speed bumps? Where are the solutions? It all starts with conversations. And let’s hope radio is thinking BIG and talking about the right stuff.

It’s NAB week for broadcasters, the annual industry gathering in Las Vegas. And it is coinciding with economic uncertainty, highlighted by plummeting stock prices and much hand-wringing. This isn’t the first time radio’s signature conference happened concurrently with an economic meltdown. If you remember the Radio Show in Austin in 2008, this year could be déjà vu all over again. And you know what? We got through that one, too. Here’s the story.

Spotify fired a massive shot across radio’s bow this week with the launch of powerful new tools that make it ridiculously easy for small businesses to run targeted ads — not only on Spotify but also across other digital music platforms. Here’s what they rolled out: * Spotify Ad Exchange: Advertisers can now run the same creative across multiple…

The battle for dashboard primacy just got more heated. That new Quu report has a key takeaway—the “last touch/first touch challenge” in cars should generate strategic conversations in every radio company, big and small. Today’s blog post breaks it all down, and leaves you with some important action items. I hope you’ll take some time today or over the weekend to read it over and give it a think.

You know the phrase, “the more things change, the more they stay the same?” When you read today’s #TBT post from 2019, you may get that feeling. In reality, a lot has changed in the dashboard of cars as radio scrambles to remain relevant—and visible—in the next generation of cars and trucks.

What can radio broadcasters learn about strategic marketing from companies that make blue jeans and sell shoes? You might be surprised about the through-line connecting some of the best examples of serving audiences and growing brands.

The world is a competitive place, whether you’re one of the four still standing in March Madness, trying to get your hands on one of those New York Yankee “torpedo bats,” or you’re trying to navigate your station or your company through these “tariff terrors.” Sometimes, life is just unfair. But here are some ideas about how to put it in perspective.