Jacksonville Jaguars announce new broadcast partners

The Jacksonville Jaguars have reached agreements with new flagship radio and TV broadcast partners for carriage of their on-air programming in and around the Jacksonville area. For the first time, Jaguars games and official team radio programming will be heard on 1010XL AM and 92.5 FM, the team’s flagship radio partner. In addition, the games will be simulcast on a network of radio stations around the Southeast, including 99.9 Gator Country.

The TV programming, which includes preseason game broadcasts, will return after 11 years to WJXT-TV Channel 4, and in addition the preseason games will air in the Orlando market on Channel 4’s partner station, WKMG Local 6. WJXT was previously the Jaguars’ local television partner in 2001-02.

“We’re very proud to team with all of these partners and we look forward to expanding our radio and TV programming with them,” Jaguars President Mark Lamping said in making the announcement. “Given
the size of the Jacksonville market, it is critical that we reach all current and potential Jaguars fans. Our new partners will help us do that in Jacksonville as well as the surrounding region, including the important market of Orlando.

“1010XL brings a broad audience of loyal listeners and avid sports fans  and no TV station is more focused on Jacksonville and the local market than Channel 4,” Lamping added.

The partnerships are multiyear agreements and terms are undisclosed.

“The Jaguars are the most important sports franchise in our city’s history, and we are honored to become the flagship station and to be part of the team,” said 1010XL General Manager Steve Griffin. “Everyone is impressed with the team’s new regime, their dedication to the city and the fans, and the positive momentum coming from EverBank Field. We are excited about using our resources to help the cause and to grow together in the years to come.”

“There’s a lot of anticipation building in and around the Jaguars family as we embark on our 20th season,” Lamping added, “and these new broadcast partners will help deliver that to longtime fans and new audiences throughout the Southeast region. We’re working hard to grow our fan base, and we are confident that our new partners will help us achieve that goal.”

More men taking the reins of the shopping cart

There seems to be a universal understanding in the grocery world that the household food shopping is done solely by women. Supermarkets and manufacturers are under this belief as well, as their advertising campaigns have been crafted to attract women, an perhaps children who can then tell their mom's what they would like them to purchase.  But is this belief actually correct?  Are these successful multi-million dollar companies actually losing money by continuing this advertising trend?

One only needs to look around the supermarket when they do their shopping to know that answer.  Who is it you see in the checkout line next to you?  Who is that you see taking advantage of that week's Buy One Get One Free selections? Men.  They are all over the store.  Selecting produce; ordering from the meat counter; choosing the cereal.  There are more and more men shopping every day.  They are not just shopping, they are couponing as well.  They are also scanning their store card for additional discounts.  There are a significant amount of single, divorced and widowed men in this country, and they are visiting supermarkets multiple times a week. 

According to the United States Census Bureau, in a data report released in 2012, there were 103 million unmarried people in America 18 and older. This group made up 44.1 percent of all U.S. residents 18 and older.  46.4 percent of these individuals were men.  That equates to almost 48 million Americans who are not being directly marketing to - that is if you ignore the beer and Beef Jerky commercials.

According to consumer-research firm GfK MRI and an ESPN report, 31 percent of men nationwide were the primary household grocery shoppers in 2011, up from 14 percent in 1985. Some estimates are higher. A nationwide survey of 1,000 fathers conducted by Yahoo and market research firm DB5 released early this year said 51 percent were the primary grocery shoppers in their household. Of that group, 60 percent said they were the primary decision-makers regarding consumer package goods, which includes packaged food.

"We're seeing more men doing grocery shopping and more young dads cooking with their kids as a way to bond with them at home," said Phil Lempert, a supermarket consultant. "It's very different from the whole metrosexual phenomenon of six, seven, eight years ago, but a much more down-to-earth (approach), not trying to show off, but trying to be part of the family."

Brad Harrington, executive director of the Center for Work and Family at Boston College, said "men on the homefront are where women in the workplace were 30 years ago," in terms of how they are portrayed on television and even in advertisements — namely, as disengaged or incompetent.  "If we portrayed women like that in the workplace, there would be an outcry," he said.

According to a 2012 survey conducted by Cone Communications new survey, 52 percent of fathers now identify themselves as the primary grocery shopper in their household, and while not all moms agree, about 35 percent say that over the past few years, dad has taken on more of the shopping.  "No doubt male shopping behavior is undergoing major change," says Tod Marks, Consumer Reports senior editor and resident shopping expert. "Back in 1995, studies have shown that only 10 percent of men identified themselves as the family's main grocery shopper. That number has been rising steadily."

The survey included 1,000 parents of kids 17 and under. Other findings showed that 63 percent  of dads make a detailed shopping list and 56 percent  collect coupons or read store circulars.  Additionally, dads are more likely to plan meals for the week ahead of time (52 percent vs. 46 percent of moms), and even more inclined to research grocery products (24 percent vs. 11 percent of moms).

But change appears to be under way.  Kraft scored with men in 2011 by way of its Philadelphia Cooking Creme, which was attributed in part to displaying it near chicken.  Guys impulsively bought that product, thinking that it was a way to try a different way of making chicken. Sales volumes of Philly Cooking Creme were 20 percent above expectations in 2011, the company said, after a $35 million investment in advertising, in-store promotions, coupons and product demonstrations.

The success of Philly Cooking Creme and other brands are case studies Kraft is presenting to the entire company, looking for other products where male-themed marketing makes sense.  Some local grocery chains are also looking for ways to get into the mix. A spokeswoman for Jewel said the chain is watching the trend toward more male shoppers but hasn't made any major changes. A Safeway spokeswoman said they have man-friendly marketing in the works but declined to provide specifics.

Other chains have seen a good share of men for some time. Maggie Bahler, executive marketing coordinator for Whole Foods Market's Midwest region, said the chain's shoppers are about half men, although the company hasn't been tracking shopping habits by gender over time.

Men have different shopping tendencies which are causing food-makers to look at a different set of opportunities, as men appear to be less hurried in stores and more prone to impulse purchases than women.

"The mindset has been that she shops, she really knows every inch of the store, she is really organized, has a list, is in a huge hurry," Calpino said. "We talk to a lot of these millennial guys about shopping, and the biggest headline is they're not as structured, not as hurried, much more experimental, more adventurous."

Stephen Hahn-Griffiths, chief strategy officer with Leo Burnett in Chicago, said men are slightly more inclined to shop around for the best prices than are women.

"Though men are very mission-driven, very grab-and-go, get-it-done, it's not at the expense of paying a price premium," he said. "They are very driven by finding best prices before making purchases, and they're not going to jettison quality either."

Abhi Hansoti, a 35-year-old management consultant, said that because he does most of his shopping at two stores, "I know prices at both places and I'll pick things based on the prices there."  Although Hansoti buys produce from Whole Foods because the quality is better "just from experience," he goes to Jewel for such items as bread and milk.

Hahn-Griffiths said men are less likely to ask for help finding an item but more likely to make a second sweep through the store, in case they've missed something.  "It's part of the hunter mindset," he said. "When you're a hunter, you're more likely to move from place to place and recircle areas you might have missed."  As a result, men might also be spending more time in stores than women.

Despite price sensitivity on shopping-list items, experts say, men are also prone to impulse buys.  Susan Viamari, editor of Times & Trends at SymphonyIRI Group, explained that they "have a little brighter outlook on the economy and their finances, and this is going to impact their purchase behavior and their openness to impulsive purchases, trying new products, things of that nature."

So.....what is my point.  I find it confusing that will all this research out there, why is it the that major supermarket chains for Jacksonville, Publix and Winn-Dixie do not market to the men of the First Coast.  It is true that they are the past and current sponsors of the Jacksonville Jaguars and they both run "tailgating" promotions in the fall, but they will not activate either of these ventures with our radio station that directly markets to men.  Our current advertisers are exceeding their marketing goals by running their commercials and participating in promotions on 1010XL.  Wouldn't it make sense that both Publix and Winn-Dixie would do the same?  If we have Carroll's Meat Shoppe selling out on the cuts they are advertising on our station, wouldn't the "Beef People" of Winn-Dixie succeed as well?  Wouldn't Jaguars sponsor Publix be a perfect participant for our own tailgating promotion?  Again, I find it confusing.

With that said, as we are about to turn the page to 2014....hey Publix and Winn-Dixie...have your people call my people.  I can give you a direct line to the Men of Jacksonville and help you increase your revenues....

What We Have Learned About The 1010XL Listener - And You Should Know Too

The last few months as 1010XL's Director of Sales and Marketing has been an incredible learning experience.  Since I had been with the station for over a year, I had seen the response our sponsors had been receiving from their commercial campaigns.  From conversations with them, from the fact that they had purchased additional campaigns and the extremely large percentage of continual advertisers, it had been apparent that 1010XL had been an extremely efficient marketing medium for reaching men and generating business in Jacksonville.

But it was important to learn more.  It was important to learn more about our listener.  Who are they ?  What role do they play at work?  What role do they play at home?  Are they fathers that have kids at home that they are still raising? There were a number of questions that we wanted answered.  So we launched a survey and asked our listeners to tell us who they are.

And we learned a great deal about the 1010XL listener.  Facts that we want to share so that the businesses of Jacksonville, planning for their upcoming marketing year, will have a better understanding and so they may reach this educated audience that has money to spend on themselves, their families and their businesses.

So here is what we learned:

56% have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

 

We have an educated audience.  We had already known that from the conversations we have with them as callers.

68% are Married, while 32% are single or divorced.

44% have children under the age of 16 living in the house.

These are family men and fathers who make big ticket financial decisions.  They are planning family trips, buying toys and gifts, taking the family out to events.

83% own a home.

48% are considering home improvement projects.

Which means that they have a "honey-do" list to accomplish on a regular basis.  And they are willing to pay for the right  companies to help them clear that list.

21% own their own business.

55% describe themselves as a decision maker for their business.

That is a large number of people.  One out of five of our listeners own their own business.  Businesses  should take notice of this and reach out to these men.  If you are looking to create new revenue for your business to business company, our listeners can help you do that.

63% plan to buy / lease vehicle in the next twelve months.

Car dealers, take note.  Our listeners are shopping for cars.  Constantly.  You would want to be in front of them to help with that decision.

Fast Food

44% eat fast food three times per week.

21% eat fast food once per week.

20% eat fast food once per month.

Our men are eating on the run.  We have a few fast food businesses on the air that have benefitted from this.  But options are good and reaching out to our listeners will help drive more sales in this market for you.

 Fine Dining Frequency

42% eat at a fine dining restaurant one per week.

33% eat at a fine dining restaurant one per month.

They are also taking clients and their significant other out to dinner.  On a regular basis.  A nice campaign from a local restaurant would create a strong result.

We are very proud to provide live and local sports information to our listeners and also to provide the opportunity for advertisers to reach them.  This should provide a strong blue print of who they are and how they can help your business.

We know the stories of our current advertisers success and we are developing case studies to help tell those stories to our prospects.  If you would like to learn more about how a similar business has fared or would like to see a proposal, please email me at howardw@1010XL.com.  We would like to be able to help you exceed your revenue budget this coming year.

 

Following Mo on my Phone

I grew up in New York, in a neighborhood that was located in the Bronx.  I was a big sports fan.   I followed all sports, but baseball was my first love.  I watched the great Yankee teams of the mid 70's and the painful Bronx Zoo teams of the early 80's.  I read magazines and baseball books.  I read the paper every day, starting with the sports section.  New York was a great place to grow up as a baseball fan.

When I got older, I had the opportunity to work in baseball, however it was for the New York Mets organization.   But that is a story for another time.  I also had the opportunity to watch the Yankees go to the playoffs every year.  From 1995 - 2007, they made the postseason and won four World Series Championships.  They missed in 2008, but won the World Series again on 2009 and made the playoff each year since until this year.   Considering the injuries, specifically to Derek Jeter and significant major components of their lineup,  they did remarkably well and came incredibly close.  A couple of games here and there they would've made the playoffs and possibly won the division.

The end the season brought to a close the careers of two great Yankees.   I had the opportunity to witness a lot of great Yankee baseball my lifetime and take attend a number of the games that they honored the team's legends.  I was in attendance when they paid tribute to Joe DiMaggio right after his death and the day they celebrated  Yogi Berra when he came back into the Yankee fold.  It was also the day the David Cone threw his Perfect Game.   The pomp and circumstance of what is Yankee baseball is truly an experience all its own.  The legends that played for the team line the walls of Hall of Fame and the team's own Monument Park.  The two men that retired at the end this year, rank among the team's best.   Andy Pettitte was one of the best left-handers to ever pitch for the team.   He holds a number of records with this remarkable team,  a remarkable post season performer, and, best of all, he was developed from the team's farm system.

 

 

Mariano Rivera was also developed in the Yankee system and became the greatest closer of all time. I had the privilege of watching his major-league debut on TV and being in attendance 60-70 games where the doors swung open, the sounds of Enter Sandman blared from the speakers and he took the mound to shut down the opponent.   He was truly remarkable, not only has a baseball player but as a human being and it was an honor to watch him play.

The reason I bring this all out is because of how I participated in his ceremony at Yankee Stadium on September 22nd. If I still lived in New York, I would have been in attendance.   However as a father of three that now lives in Jacksonville, FL, I spent those moments at The Bolles School football field watching my two sons play in their soccer league games.   So I was unable to even watch the ceremony live.  Using the technology in front of me, I used my smart phone and the DirecTV app to record anything and everything I could have been able to watch.   That would be great for later, but I wanted to feel it live.  So I logged on to Twitter and became a part of the ceremony.   

The people in the ballpark tweeted.  The news media tweeted.  Those involved in baseball who have a love and reverence for Mariano Rivera tweeted.  Not only did they tweet, but they provided pictures and video.  They provided live commentary of this amazing event going on so I was able to see the activity and feel like I was part of it.  Even though I was in Jacksonville, FL.   

Twitter, and social media in general, have become tools that are necessities to my daily activity, that of 1010XL and the daily activity of companies around the country.  It is also an important distribution vehicle for sports information to be generated.   Whether it's the news reporter tweeting out information teasing his upcoming broadcast, or an announcement of a player injury.  Whether it's commentary from people watching games and giving their analysis or  used by teams to sell tickets and merchandise.  Whether it's just for branding and marketing purposes, teams, media outlets, fans are tweeting about games and major sports activity minute by minute.

Hashtags are set up for specific games and events.  Athletes tweet their feelings and thoughts and interact with the fans.  You get raw exposure.  Real personality.  Some very funny and behind the scenes pictures. 

At 1010XL we use Twitter on a daily basis and will tweet out information about guest that are coming on the show, big stories that we put on to our website and fun observations to have our listeners respond to.  Our on air hosts have their own twitter handles and tweet throughout the day.  And the station will then retweet them and interact with them.   We also use Twitter as a marketing tool to extend the relationship we have with our partners and for them to get additional exposure through our 4000+ followers.

What is more remarkable is the amount to Twitter activity that takes place during a major sports event.  A playoff game, a championship game.   Sports Illustrated just published this list of the five most tweeted sports events of 2013.  They are:

Super Bowl - 26,131,270

NBA Finals Game 6 - 7,796,860

NCAA Final Four - 4,592,598

BCS Championship - 3,989,642

Stanley Cup Finals Game 6 - 1,075,234

yes, those numbers are in the millions...

So...are you tweeting?  Are you following me or our station?  I am @hwolpoff and the station is @1010XL. 

 

 

 

Time to Rethink Your Message: Now the Cart Belongs to Daddy

Here is a powerful article that ran in Ad Age by Jack Neff.  If you had not already noticed, Men are becoming the primary food shopper for the family....and are not being advertised to properly...

 

Survey Finds 51% of Men Are Primary Grocery Shoppers, but Few Believe Advertising Speaks to Them

BATAVIA, Ohio (AdAge.com) -- Mom is losing ground to Dad in the grocery aisle, with more than half of men now supposedly believing they control the shopping cart. The implications for many marketers may be as disruptive as many of the changes they're facing in media.

Through decades of media fragmentation, marketers of packaged goods and many other brands could take solace in one thing -- at least they could count on their core consumers being moms and reach them through often narrowly targeted cable TV, print and digital media.

But a study by Yahoo based on interviews last year of 2,400 U.S. men ages 18 to 64 finds more than half now identify themselves as the primary grocery shoppers in their households. Dads in particular are taking up the shopping cart, with about six in 10 identifying themselves as their household's decision maker on packaged goods, health, pet and clothing purchases. Not surprisingly, given that such ads long have been crafted for women, only 22% to 24% of men felt advertising in packaged goods, pet supplies or clothing speaks to them, according to the Yahoo survey.

The Great Recession has thrown millions of men in construction, manufacturing and other traditionally male occupations out of work and by extension into more domestic duties. At the same time, gender roles were already changing anyway, with Gen X and millennial men in particular more likely to take an active role in parenting and household duties.

Of course, in the survey, men could be overestimating their own role in shopping for the family. Lauren Weinberg, director-research and insights for Yahoo, acknowledges that could be possible -- and that women don't see them making as much progress on that front. But she said the fact that so many men now see themselves as masters of the shopping cart not only reflects real shifts but also means any stigma once attached to men as shoppers is fading fast.

Yahoo's interest in the subject is obvious: The portal has a lot of inventory geared toward men, such as page after page of fantasy-sports content, that could use more advertisers. But its research on men nonetheless seems to describe a new and disruptive reality.

Behavioral research of shoppers shows a number more like 35% of grocery and mass-merchandise shoppers are now men, said Mariana Sanchez, chief strategy officer for Publicis Groupe's Saatchi & Saatchi X. That number has been growing thanks to the economy and changing gender roles, she said.

And while that figure may be far from a majority , the fact that a third of a brand's shoppers are male is an awful lot to ignore. As a result, shopper-marketing efforts are increasingly gender-neutral rather than targeted for female shoppers, Ms. Sanchez said.

A subtle case in point came during the latest Procter & Gamble Co.-Walmart collaboration on "Family Movie Night" Jan. 8 on Fox. The program itself, "Change of Plans," did show a new dad more domestically impaired than a mom when unexpectedly thrust into adoptive parenthood. But in the commercial pod "story within a story" via Martin Agency, Richmond, the dad made a shopping trip to Walmart to load up on P&G and private-label Great Value products.

Such scenes could be a wave of the future for more categories as consumer packaged brands must elbow their way past car insurers, pickup trucks and erectile-dysfunction drugs into one of the surest and most-DVR-proof forums for reaching men: football.

P&G's Head & Shoulders and Prilosec already have become deeply involved in NFL marketing. But most P&G brands still primarily target moms, and it's not always easy to please both. While last year's tear-jerking "Behind Every Olympic Athlete is an Olympic Mom" Winter Olympics ads for P&G from Wieden & Kennedy were generally well received, the Twitter stream about them included an undercurrent of resentment from dads, who still make up the vast majority of volunteer coaches for youth sports.

The shift toward male shoppers, of course, didn't happen overnight, and that may also help explain why some brand managers for years have privately said more broadly focused network prime-time programming delivered better for their brands than more female-focused cable buys, regardless of the cost and what media optimizers indicated.

Perhaps favorably for marketers, Yahoo research finds men are more brand-loyal and less focused on promotions than women shoppers, Ms. Weinberg said. In advertising, they do more product research in packaged-goods categories than women, she said, and, because they're often newer to the categories, prefer ads with more information.

John Badalament, author of "The Modern Dad's Dilemma" and operator of ModernDads.net, does see more ads that speak to men, including recent ads for P&G's Old Spice and Kimberly-Clark Corp.'s Huggies. But many ads featuring men still portray them as hapless domestically, which he doesn't believe helps marketers. He likens such ads to the once laughable, now anachronistic grocery scene from 1983's "Mr. Mom."

"Men," he said, "need to be something other than invisible or buffoons in advertising."

As the Jaguars Go, So Do The Men of Jacksonville

So as a fan of the Jaguars, I attended Sunday's season opener.   In all honesty, it was one of the most painful games I have ever sat through.  While the team's management did a great job in getting the stadium ready, making improvements and adding amenities, providing more staff than I have ever seen to offer help and directions, the game itself was brutal.  2 points...That's right, a safety on a blocked punt early in the first quarter..that's it.  11 Punts.  A new team record.  The Jaguars only crossed midfield twice, and not until the middle of the 3rd quarter.  Starting quarterback Blaine Gabbert was ineffective and went out in the 4th quarter with a hand injury, after coming back from another hand injury to even play in this game. 

 

It was not the way the team wanted to start the season. 

 

And the fans were angry, disappointed, concerned, frustrated...all of the above.  And they had their opinions about the game and the challenges yet to come this season.  So what did they do?  They turned to 1010XL on Monday to hear our analysis.  Were you aware that the combined years of providing sports news and information of the on air talent on 1010XL exceeded 165 years?  Our own Sports Authorities have been talking sports in Jacksonville for the equivalent of over 16 decades! 

Not some listeners, not just more than a usual Monday...an abundance of listeners. A Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena full.   How do we know?  Aside from the high demand of calls from people trying to share their opinion on air, and from the activity that we had on our Facebook and Twitter feeds, we set a station record for online streaming.  We did not just break our daily record, we shattered it. 

 

On Monday (September 9^th ) we recorded the most-listened to day in the history of our web streams with 18,596 combined listening sessions on the AM and FM streams combined.  The previous record was on January 10^th, 2013 with 14,673 (Jaguars GM David Caldwell’s introductory press conference).  For reference, the previous Tuesday (the previous Monday was Labor Day) totaled 11,106 combined listening sessions.  That’s a strong number, a number driven by the opening weekend of college football and it falls far short of this Monday’s. 

This Tuesday, we had 12,164 combined listening sessions as our Googans, our name for our passionate listeners, continued to be interested in the story.  All the numbers aren’t in, but it’s almost certain this will be the most listened to WEEK on the streams as well. 

 

And this is just the online stream.  It does not take into effect those listening in their homes, cars and offices on the radio. 

This provides me with additional confirmation, and hopefully tells you as well, that we have a passionate audience that lives for football and wants to listen to and participate in the conversation.  And this is just week one.  Wouldn't you want to be in front of an audience this passionate and large?

There are great ways to participate in the conversation - Like us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/1010xl), follow us on Twitter (https://twitter.com/1010XL), or follow us on You Tube (http://www.youtube.com/user/1010XLVideo).  You can also listen to us on 1010 AM or 92.5 FM or on one of our live streams that can be found on our website (www.1010XL.com).

Or you can call (904-638-2103) or email me (howardw@1010XL.com)

Dads feel ignored by advertisers

This article, by Helen Leggett, addresses issues dads everywhere have been experiencing.  Advertisers have not realized the shift in the shopping and decision making in the family unit and the lack of targeted ads have begun to alienate men.

Advertisers aren't keeping up with the times. Despite playing a larger role in family decision-making over past years, Dads continue to be ignored in favor of the traditional family purse holder, finds new research.

Moms have long been a valuable target for advertisers. They have traditionally been seen as in charge of the household purse strings and major decision-makers in a family unit.

However, times have changed and Dads play an increasing role in the running of a household. Some fathers choose to stay home while their spouse works and some, perhaps caught up in the recession, have little choice but to do so.
Either way, more Dads now have a bigger say in the purchase of items such as household products, clothing, toys, baby products and consumer packaged goods, probably due to their increased exposure to and interaction with them. After all, why would you be interested in the ease-of-use of an oven-cleaner if you never had cause to use one?

Despite this change in family dynamics advertisers continue to focus on Moms. A recent survey from Yahoo found Dads feel invisible. For instance, despite 80% identifying themselves as the primary or shared decision-maker for baby and child care products, 57% felt ads in this category weren't targeted at them.

They're probably right. How many ads show a man powdering a freshly-changed baby's bottom (and I mean serious ads, not tongue-in-cheek, Three Men and a Baby-esque ads)?  It looks like change is on the horizon. Several brands have identified the growing importance of the "family man", most recently Proctor & Gamble. Following in-house research that revealed men turned to female-oriented websites for tips on topics such as cooking and homecare, the CPG company launched "Man fo the House".

The website contains the usual male-oriented content in the form of sex and gadget advice, but "Dad-ifies" it with articles covering subjects including cooking, cleaning and raising kids. Current topics include "What to do with Stale Bread", "The Art of Naming Kids", and "Must Have Vacuum Features".

"What we are trying to do is speak to the whole man," Jeannie Tharrington, P&G spokeswoman, told the New York Times. "Certainly, relationships and sex are part of an adult man's life...For us, it's part of it, but it's not the whole thing. What we try to do is be tasteful."

We are now JAX...Officially

Something remarkable happened in Jacksonville this week.  And it had to do with sports, with a little social media mixed in.  Now Jacksonville gets unfairly maligned as a sports city.  The national media, and in turn the national sports fan, does not see our city, and our sports teams, the way we see them.  We love our Jaguars.  We are proud of how we have responded to the call for the sale of season and individual tickets. Even though our city was hit hard by the economic downturn, we still have managed to rank 20^th in home attendance.  We do not have the blackout issue that many other cities have.  However, we have been portrayed as a city that cannot support our teams.

That could not be farther from the truth.  Aside from the strong showing at EverBank Field, one of the largest stadium in the NFL, the people of Jacksonville have strongly supported the AA Suns and the ABA’s two time defending champion Giants.  They have also come out by the thousands to watch The Players and regional tennis tournaments.  Our support of soccer matches here has brought us a NASL team that will launch in 2015.  Our support of the Jaguars is should truly be commended, as we have had to watch some underachieving teams over the past few years.  But as disappointing these teams have been and as disappointing our national media coverage has been, nothing has been more disappointing, and extremely disrespectful, as the abbreviation the NFL has used for our city name.

Since the Jaguars inception, the NFL has used the three letters JAC to identify the team on schedules, press releases and in other league information.  However, we here in Jacksonville know that we identify ourselves as JAX.  Our airport is identified as JAX.  But for some reason, this was first implemented incorrectly, and remained incorrect for sixteen years.

Jaguars fans have tried for years to get the National Football League to change their team's abbreviation.  On Thursday, their request was answered.

ESPN reports that with help from a persistent social media campaign and the Jaguars digital media manager Chris Burdett, the NFL has agreed to change its official abbreviation for the team.  Burdett says he's been trying to get it changed since the end of last season. Since he joined Twitter several months ago (@digital_jag), he'd get hits with requests and complaints from fans. He told ESPN there would always be at least 10 to 15 fans direct tweeting at them asking when it's going to change.  On Thursday, fans reportedly took to Twitter and inundated Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) with tweets asking that the NFL change the team's official abbreviation from JAC to JAX.  This included tweets from Jaxson DeVille, who himself is an active Twitter user.

 

 

Well, the NFL finally listened and instituted the change in our identifying abbreviation to JAX.  A victory for Jacksonville and for social media.

A key question for any business - Why should you advertise?

You've succeeded.  You have broken out of the rat race and launched your own business.  Got the store front, found a good location, developing a nice client base.  Things are moving in the right direction. 

Now, could they be moving faster?  How can a small business keep growing?  How can I let people know how great the business is and how much I can improve their life/provide them with great service/sell them the product they are looking for/bigger/better/cheaper.

The way to do that is to advertise.  Now many businesses will be afraid to do this, primarily because they have not budgeted for the expense.  That is one of the first mistakes that a business will make.  First, it is not an expense, it is an investment into their business.  Second, you absolutely need to be budgeting a percentage of revenues each month into a marketing fund.  Whether you are printing signs for the store, flyers to pass around the neighborhood or buying a media program from a radio station or newspaper, the funds to cover those costs need to be available and need to be documented and tracked.  You will need to make the correct decisions on what to spend those dollars on, and that is a challenge and a question for another blog post, but it will be important to make this investment to grow your business.

So back to the question, why?  well, there are many strong answers.

Advertising will allow you to reach new customers.  Some may not know your business exists.  Some may have just moved into the area.  Others may have changed their lifestyle and habits and may now have an interest in what you are selling. 

Advertising will allow you to remain in the mind of the shopper during their buying process. While many people make an instant decision, others may postpone their decision to buy for many reasons.  They may look at different stores for the same product.  They may analyze price, quality and shopping experience.  Your marketing message must continue to be top of mind over your competition.

Advertising allows you to remain connected to current customers. Consumers are not as loyal to one store or brand as they once were.  Advertising will allow you to keep pace with both your local and national/big box competition.  

Advertising pays off over a long period. When you are consistent with your advertising campaigns, you have an advantage over your competition when they cut back or cancel advertising. Advertisers who maintain or expand their ad investment over a five year period see their sales increase an average of 100%. Companies who cut advertising over the same period, see average sales decreases of 45%. Advertising is definitely an investment and not an expense.

Advertising allows you to make more sales. Businesses that succeed are usually strong, steady advertisers. The key to creating a great return on an advertising investment is consistency, which drives sales.  

Advertising will create store traffic, which is necessary to grow your customer base and increase revenues.   The more traffic you create the better chance of selling more than what specifically attracted a customer to you. The National Retail Merchants Association states that for every 100 items a shopper plans to buy, they make 30 unanticipated "in the store" purchases.

Advertising allows you to keep pace with your competition, who is also advertising. There are only so many consumers in the market who are ready to buy at any given moment in time. You need to advertise to keep regular customers engaged and to counterbalance competitive advertising. Consistent advertising allows you to maintain or grow your share of customers rather than potentially losing them to more aggressive competitors. If you're not advertising, you're not in the game.

Advertising is a key component to a successful business.  Whether in Jacksonville, or in any other market, you need to make sure you are getting your message out to the public.  You also need to make sure it is the right message.  The integrated marketing experts at 1010XL can help you tailor your message so that your offering or branding will be correctly heard by our engaged listening audience.  And we can do that in many different ways. 

If you have additional questions on why you should be advertising and/or how 1010XL can help you drive more awareness, more customers and, ultimately, more sales, please email me at howardw@1010xl.com.

Is the marketing world correct when it comes to men?

 

 

It's amazing how the marketing world looks at men.  Are they viewed as the bread winners? The family decision makers? People of influence?  No.  They are seen as beer drinkers, doing goofy things with their buddies and not knowing which end of a baby to diaper.  All of which are far from the truth.

Well, maybe not far from the truth, but it is clear that Madison Avenue does not see men for who they are and for their true buying potential.  Did you know that:

·         Three in ten (29%) men say they’re “the best shopper in the household,” and one-fifth (21%) of married men concur.

·         Nearly six in ten (57%) men say they totally or mostly use research and planning for their purchasing, rather than rely on impulse.

·         When it comes to major expenditures – buying or leasing a car, buying or renting a home or apartment, purchasing major appliances (washer, refrigerator, TV) – six in ten men (59%) say it’s their call or that they have a key role in the decision

·         As importantly, more than three-fourths (77%) of married women say that the recommendation of their spouse is “very important” when it comes to buying expensive items for the family.

·         For smaller items – costing under $500, such as clothing, small electronics, and entertainment – men are big players, too. Seven in ten (69%) of the men say they make the decision themselves or are a key player.

·         On many items, men are either major influencers or they lead the way toward making the key spending decisions. Looking at purchases where each gender is the sole decision maker or mostly makes the call, men trump women in the following key areas:

o   Automotive related (model/brand, selection of dealership, maintenance)

o   Investing

o   Alcohol

o   Sporting events

o   Electronics & media

o   Home improvements

o   Landscaping & gardening

 

·         Two-thirds of men (67%) and more than half (55%) of the females in our sample agree that “today’s male is more involved in the shopping/buying decisions than when I was growing up.”

·         Three in ten (31%) of men are single. Clearly, these are the guys who are making all the decisions in their households. Pass on them, and advertisers miss out on a big part of any male-based radio station’s influential audience.

·         From a real estate standpoint, men have clout. They are more likely to be home or condo owners. More than seven in ten (71%) are in this role, compared with only two-thirds of our female sample.

·         Men are also into loyalty/frequent shopper cards. Eight in ten (80%) have one of some kind, especially those who are married and/or have children living at home.

·         Men lead the way for card usage for hardware, travel (airlines, car rental, hotels), and electronics.
 

 This data comes from the Jacobs Media Marketing to Men survey.  It shows that not only should men be considered when planning a marketing campaign, they actually should be directly marketed to.  Not just for beer, but for everyday products, for big ticket items and for products in between.

So what would be the best method of marketing to men in Jacksonville, Florida?  It would make the most sense to direct your marketing dollars where you know the men are.  Where the men of this city have developed an interactive relationship.  On air.  On line. Through social media.

1010XL - 92.5 FM is the top sports radio station in North Florida and one of the leading stations for male listeners in the market.  We are very proud of the relationships, and response our sponsors have received form our listeners.  Perhaps we can provide the same strong marketing ROI for you and your business.

Look forward to creating an interactive dialogue about marketing to men in Jacksonville (and to women too) and how 1010XL can provide the marketing edge your business has been seeing