10-22-13
That was the big message after day one of the Radio Ink/Jacobs Media DASH conference in Detroit Wednesday as auto manufacturers, content providers and radio CEO's discussed the importance of focusing on content and simplifying connectivity. While the smartphone is that key connection between the consumer and the automobile, having to spend time connecting the device still seems to give radio a slight advantage at the moment. Consumers, especially the younger generation, have no patience. They want things now and if that means having to go through several steps to connect to TuneIn, iHeartRadio or Slacker, they move on. With radio, consumers understand they hit a button and their favorite local station comes out of the speakers. Just listen to the challenges Pandora is having with the connection issue.
George Lynch is the Vice President of Automotive Business Development at Pandora. He says the company is disappointed with the number of people using the service in the car. It has to be just like turning on FM radio. As soon as you get into two or three buttons, it doesn't happen and that's a frustration for us. We've got to to educate the dealers to make it simpler. Like AM/FM and XM. One touch. When they do pair the phone, they do listen.
A big takeaway from day one was the understanding that there's a need to educate consumers about the link between the smartphone and in-dash media. Ford's Global Product Manager for SYNC AppLink Julius Marchwicki said it's something his company continues to work on. "How do we educate consumers on how to find the content they want." Until the ease of connection issue is completely figured out, or even easier, radio seems to have a window of opportunity to stay focused on creating the best content possible for listeners. Entercom CEO David Field, in his keynote, outlined exactly what radio is good at. "Companionship. News and information. We connect with local communities. We set the mood for people. We are the number one source to discover news. We are a lifeline in case of emergency. Listeners having a very active experience with radio. When we hold events people show up."
Today during day two at DASH, we'll hear from local car dealers, advertisers and consumers.
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