Inside Radio recently featured an interview with our friend, Scott Burnell from Ford, where he speaks about the importance of the Connected Car. jācapps has been a preferred development partner of Ford for the past 5 years and was also one of the first app development companies to work with the Connected Car. It’s exciting to see stations recognizing the opportunities this brings to radio and podcasters.
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The number of connected cars on the road is growing quickly and they are changing how people use technology while they drive. For this reason, auto companies and tech companies are jockeying for position within the connected car environment. In fact, Alpine has introduced the first in-dash wireless CarPlay receiver you can install yourself. Today, new car buyers seem more concerned with how they’ll be able to access their personal playlists from the dash than they are with the horsepower under the hood.
Silicon Valley has realized that people are more loyal to the OS on their mobile device than they are a car brand or radio station. Because of this, it has set out to disrupt the automotive industry. And so far, it’s doing a pretty good job. Vehicle manufacturers are rolling out new models with support for Apple’s CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto. This technology allows drivers to access certain apps, like maps, messaging, and media, directly from their smartphone. It also allows companies to collect behavioral data about their consumers.
Businesses can use this data to target drivers with location-based offers or alerts as they pass through specific geographical locations. This creates a more efficient and personalized targeted advertising system not only for the brand, but for the driver as well. Even further, offering drivers content which they can consume on demand is important. And what better way to do that than with a mobile app right on their dashboard screen?
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: The car is one of the biggest challenges out there for everyone from media companies to restaurants to retailers. But, it’s also one of the biggest opportunities to expand your brand as well as your reach. One thing is for sure: the connected car ecosystem is here to stay. And it’s only going to become more advanced as innovative technologies continue to emerge.
To find out how we can help grow your business using connected car technology, contact us today. You can also call 248-353-9030 or email us at sales@jacapps.com.
The appeal of having a mobile app for your radio station is obvious. An app has the potential to increase the reach of your station and increase engagement with your listeners. It’s impossible to do everything right at first, but there are some common mistakes that you can avoid.
At jācapps, it’s all about the end user and that is why we work to understand your consumer. We specialize in helping radio stations find the mobile intersection of your brand and your consumer. Our apps are fully customizable and we always support what we sell.
Don’t make a mistake that you don’t have to. Click here to set up a conversation about your station’s mobile strategy. You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or shoot us an email.
Every year, our sister company, Jacobs Media, fields their Techsurvey, the radio broadcasting industry’s largest online survey. Now, in its thirteenth year and with over 50,000 respondents, it allows them to identify key trends in the mobile, social, and connected car spaces. Techsurvey has been quoted throughout the media world by companies such as CNN, The New York Times, and eMarketer.
Techsurvey helps media companies better understand their audiences, and their brand, in a world where technology changes quickly. One of the insights this survey provides is the evolving role of mobile technology.
The popularity and addictive quality of mobile devices is something every brand should tap into in their own unique way. You should be thinking about what unique content or service you can deliver to your listeners. Over the past decade, we have experienced first-hand the joy apps deliver to our clients. Having your brand appear on the screen of your audience’s most precious possession is a rush, and maybe the most important part of future-proofing your radio station.
Click here to reach out to us today to talk about your mobile strategy. You can also call us at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.
Every year, our sister company, Jacobs Media, fields Techsurvey, the radio broadcasting industry’s largest online survey. Now, in its thirteenth year and with over 50,000 respondents, it identifies key trends in the mobile, social, and connected car spaces. Techsurvey has been quoted throughout the media world by companies such as CNN, The New York Times, and eMarketer.
Techsurvey helps companies better understand their audiences in a world where technology changes quickly and how their brand is represented in that world. One of the insights this survey provides is the emerging role of voice command technology.
At jācapps, we understand the power of voice and how it has the potential to change the way people listen to radio, podcasts, etc. in their homes and their cars. That’s why we debuted SonicAi, a joint venture with Amplifi Media that develops “skills” for voice-command devices, or smart speakers, like Amazon Echo and Google Home.
Click here to reach out to us and set up a conversation about how voice command technology will impact your brand. You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email us at sales@jacapps.com.
Every year, our sister company, Jacobs Media, hosts their Techsurvey, the radio broadcasting industry’s largest online survey. Now, in its thirteenth year and with over 50,000 respondents, it allows them to identify key trends in the mobile, social, and connected car spaces. Techsurvey has been quoted throughout the media world by companies such as CNN, The New York Times, and eMarketer.
Techsurvey helps radio stations better understand their brand and, more importantly, their audiences in a world where technology changes quickly. One of the insights this survey provides is what role podcasting plays for radio stations.
So, what’s the best way of delivering podcasts and other on-demand content to your audience? Clearly, it’s with a mobile app. With Apple and Google getting involved in the connected car ecosystem, and more than a third of respondents driving while listening, the car is an important place for your brand to deliver its content.
If you’re currently involved with podcasting, or looking to get involved, make sure to check out the largest gathering of podcasters in the world at Podcast Movement. This year, it takes place in Anaheim, CA from August 23-25. And, if you work in/around radio and would like $100 off your Podcast Movement registration, our sister company, Jacobs Media, was nice enough to provide a discount code. Use JACOBS100 for the $100 discount when you register here.
As always, you can reach out to us by clicking here. Or, you can give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.
Every year, our sister company, Jacobs Media, hosts their Techsurvey, the radio broadcasting industry’s largest online survey. Now, in its thirteenth year and with over 50,000 respondents, it allows them to identify key trends in the mobile, social, and connected car spaces. Techsurvey has been quoted throughout the media world by companies such as CNN, The New York Times, and eMarketer.
Techsurvey helps radio stations better understand their brand and, more importantly, their audiences in a world where technology changes quickly. One of the insights this survey provides is what role the connected car plays for radio stations.
The connected car is radio’s biggest challenge, but it’s also radio’s biggest opportunity. One thing is for sure – the car isn’t what it used to be. We can help you maintain your place there as this crucial ecosystem evolves.
The key to staying connected starts with us! Click here to reach out to us today. You can also give us a call at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com to learn how your station can stay connected.
The appeal of having a mobile app for your business is obvious. Just ask any smartphone user what some of their favorite apps are and I’m sure the list will go on and on. Now ask them what their favorite mobile website is and you’ll probably hear crickets chirping. It’s no secret why having an app can help grow your business. But we thought you should know of some essentials needed before we can start.
One of the first things you’ll need to secure is a developer account from Apple. This account costs $99 USD per year and there is also an enterprise version which costs $299 USD annually. Users can post questions and share their thoughts with fellow developers and Apple engineers, submit bug reports and request enhancements, as well as receive personalized help by contacting Apple directly.
To set one up, and for more information, visit developer.apple.com.
A Unique Device Identifier, or UDID, is a sequence of 40 numbers and letters specific to each device. To find out what your UDID is, visit whatsmyudid.com (using Safari on your iPhone) then follow the prompts.
Here’s an example of what a UDID looks like: 2b6f0cc904d137be2e1730235f5664094b831186
To get started, we’ll need images and artwork specific to both iOS and Android devices, along with ones that can be used for both. For iOS, we’ll need one for the App Store listing along with one for an icon image (what appears on the user’s screen next to their other apps). For Android, we ask for a store listing image as well as a feature graphic. A header image is required for both iOS and Android. Sizes and examples can be viewed in the image below.
Your news and social media feeds are not only essential to keeping your audience engaged. They’re necessary for us to get started as well. This includes your RSS and/or XML feed(s). If you’re unsure how to provide us with these feeds, we are more than happy to help guide you through the process to get exactly what we are looking for.
OPTIONAL: Google Developer Account
Upon registration, there is a one-time fee of $25 USD. With this account, users can access development tools, manage their store presence, track app performance from their Android device, and receive help with publishing, security, and much more. Additional information can be found here.
Note: If you choose not to set up your own Google Developer Account we will build the app in our own account.
To sign up, visit Google Play then follow the prompts.
Click here to contact us today. You can also call 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com to set up some time to talk.
With the introduction of iPhone stickers as part of the release of iOS 10, stations and shows can now publish fun images for fans to use as part of their text message conversations. We are proud to have created stickers for The Dave and Chuck the Freak Show on Detroit’s WRIF (Beasley Broadcast Group). They have become the first radio station to publish custom stickers for the iPhone.
The instant reaction is that these virtual stickers are just like the bumper stickers of old, but they really aren’t. The object with these isn’t to slap your brand on someone’s phone or text messages. Rather, it’s to add your brand into everyday conversations using clever images, catchphrases and other elements. The Dave and Chuck the Freak Show stickers are terrific examples of making branded elements work for users’ everyday conversation.
“This was a terrific idea from Chris Brunt and the WRIF team,” notes our COO, Bob Kernen. “We are happy to be involved in executing it for them. The Dave and Chuck the Freak Show is a phenomenon here in Detroit. These stickers are going to be incredibly popular. It’s another jacapps ‘first,’ and we are excited that Beasley Broadcast Group is leading the way.”
Last week, eMarketer released a report which showed that 35.6 million Americans will use a voice-activated assistant device, or smart speaker, at least once a month in 2017. Compared to 2016, that’s an increase of 128.9%. Quite the jump indeed. Even though Amazon has led the smart speaker trend, companies like Google, Microsoft, and soon Apple, have set out to transform the way we interact with media in our cars and homes.
Our sister company, Jacobs Media, asked radio listeners how often they use the built-in voice command feature on the devices they own in Techsurvey13, the radio industry’s largest online survey. They found that nearly half (45%) of respondents use voice commands frequently or occasionally. One out of every five said they use them on a frequent basis.
To no one’s surprise, Millennials are the ones leading this craze. According to eMarketer, about one-fifth of the population, use voice-enabled digital assistants at least once a month on any device, and millennials make up just over half of that. By 2019, the total number is expected to grow to over 66 million, with Millennials accounting for about 39 million.
Listeners are becoming increasingly comfortable with this kind of technology. After all, voice provides the lowest friction interface between consumers and them getting what they want. It’s time to keep your audience engaged beyond their phone, tablet, and even their car. You need to make it easier for them to access your content, and what better way than using their own voice? Voice command technology presents radio stations with an opportunity to reestablish themselves in the home, at work, in the car, at the gym, and wherever else they may be.
Along with our partners SonicAI, we can help your station create the “skills” necessary to get your brand onto the Alexa platform. In fact, we can help your station establish a mobile strategy that will help your brand become easy to find everywhere, including the “smart home” and “connected car.”
Click here to reach out to us today, give us a call at 248-353-9030, or email sales@jacapps.com.
