Everyone loves a comeback story. The Boston Red Sox in 2004 … Robert Downey Jr. … Steve Jobs. They all made comebacks and, ironically, became better versions of their previous selves. There is a very special recent comeback that caught my attention, and you would never guess that it’s from a 136-year-old bookstore – Barnes & Noble. Yes – BARNES & NOBLE!

The numbers don’t lie. In a matter of four years, they have gone from an irrelevant chain of bookstores to one of the biggest comeback stories in business today. Their book sales have vaulted way past their pre-pandemic levels. They opened 16 new stores in 2022 and plan to open 30 in 2023.

Prior to 2020, Barnes & Noble was about as uncool as you could get. They had drifted far away from who they were. Aside from books, they were selling toys (yes, toys!), greeting cards, calendars and, of course, coffee. The books were mostly those that publishers would pay them to display. Amazon became the place to get the books you wanted the way you wanted them. B & N became an afterthought, and everyone thought they were headed for the same fate as their pre-2012 competitor, Borders Books.

Last week’s blog on contesting drew a polarized response. We are not saying abandon contests; we advise radio stations to avoid designated caller and text contests that only engage the small percentage of listeners trying to win. Instead, focus on ...

A few weeks back, I read a story about artificial intelligence and its effect on the “deepfake” videos, where you see actual individuals you know say and do things, but it’s not really them. It’s what happens when one uses a form of A.I. The gist ...

Radio programmers have long believed contests persuade people to listen and listen longer. We are the only major medium still running them to encourage listening and to create awareness. The annual Jacobs Media Techsurvey reveals that most people are motivated to ...

At a recent lunch with a Nashville label exec, we got into a discussion -- as those in our business usually do -- about the state of music as it relates to Country radio. The conversation worked its way into the radio station music selection process, and what labels are ...

We all spend many evenings watching top-rated shows like The Last of Us, You, or Young Sheldon…or do we? The truth is most of us have not seen those shows. We assume that almost everyone has seen the top-rated shows we and our friends watch. Let’s look at ...

A week ago Sunday, more than a few of us had the opportunity to witness one of the best Super Bowls in recent history between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. (Sidebar – For those who know that I’m a diehard Eagles fan, I’ll get this out ...

Often when doing an in-person talent clinic we discuss the term "reticular activation." (Trust me, I’m going somewhere with this). "Reticular" means net-like, and it’s a built-in brain mechanism that literally filters countless distractions that would ...

I’m a regular viewer of CBS’ “Sunday Morning.” If you are not familiar with the show, it covers a vast array of topics every Sunday in magazine form and, usually, spotlights a huge newsmaker, star or personality. One particular Sunday, the ...

Reaching your goals, feeling confident and finding success as a media professional depends more on mindset than most people realize. According to Merriam-Webster, mindset is “a mental attitude or inclination.” Everyone has natural, ...