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)

ARE DAD'S SEEN AS THEY ARE OR AS THEY ARE PERCIEVED?

Last year, the diaper brand Huggies challenged the capabilities of dad's in handling the needs of their babies when they ran a TV ad campaign called the “Dad test”.  In this commercial, five Moms left their babies with their husbands for five days. Huggies called this ‘The Ultimate Test’ and they showed these Dads in various states of confusion while their wives were out having some well-deserved girl time.

After the ad hit the airwaves, hundreds of stay-at-home Dads went on social media to express their disappointment in the ad and to share the many ways they not only take care of their newborns, but their entire family as well.  After the Twitter/Facebook onslaught and additional online petitions, Huggies pulled the ad. 

There are many marketing questions to ask from this PR debacle.  But could it be that Huggies was actually using this campaign to target Dad's and their decision making role when it comes to buying power in the household?

A look at the most recent census and additional data shows that Dad's have evolved over the decades.  The Dad of the 50's came home from a long day at work, and accepted a drink from his wife while he sat in his chair.  She took care of the rest.  The cooking, the cleaning and the household decision making.  In this century, many things have changed - most importantly the role Dad plays in the decision making and purchasing. Dads are spending more time at home with the kids and in 1/3 of the homes in this country, Dads are the primary caregiver. Whether this was a result of job loss from the economy or the sociological shifts which are occurring, it’s pretty clear that Dads are a new target audience for childcare products, and any additional company that is marketing their products for the house and household.

However, many marketing agencies and companies still subscribe to a number of Dad myths:.

·         Dads don’t shop - Research shows that men are not only taking care of the kids but doing other ‘housewife duties’ including the weekly shopping, managing the budget and taking care of the house.  

·         Dads don’t do brand research - Many agencies still believe that ‘if it's not about cars, sports or games, men don’t really care.’ Today’s fathers use of online research for household and childcare related products are higher than men in a previous generation. The research suggests having kids affects how both parents make purchases, not just Moms.

·           Dads are just the babysitter for the day - Most consumer brands continue to target Moms and show Dads as a bumbling follower in the house. Research, and common sense, confirms that this is just not true.  (Inner Socialmedia-ness Februay 20, 2013)

So how does this information help you as the business owner?  If you want to grow your business and your revenues, you need to market to Dad.  You need to reach him where he is, both at home with the kids and also out enjoying sports and the recreation activities that they enjoy.  You need to have the conversation with them and let them know that they have a very important voice.  You want them to have access to as much information about your product and the easy ability to find it and purchase it.

And you know what?  1010XL knows how to speak to Dad.  In Jacksonville, we are the radio station that Dad is listening to.  We have the personalities that Dad has a relationship with and can be an influential part of his household decision making. 

Want to learn more about how to reach Dad?  Send me an email and I can share with you some great examples and show how you can start conversing with Dad's.  I'm at howardw@1010xl.com.