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Radio is Considered "Mass Media" for a Reason

 

In his Monday Morning Memo Newsletter titled, Radio of Tomorrow?, Roy Williams explains how successful Radio is reaching the masses. He writes: "Radio alarm clocks wake America in the morning and Radio remains our companion in the car. People who work alone at night - about 14 percent of our nation - think of the Radio as a friend."

Print media and electronic media have suffered with the digital age, but broadcast media such as TV and Radio are still the ones that reach the masses and have the greatest influence in shaping people's ideas.

In a world where everything is overwhelming, it's hard to know where to put your ad dollars to reach the most people. What we tend to forget is that the majority of Americans still turn to the basic broadcast to get most of their information. 

"Radio is considered "mass media" for a reason: It reaches the unwashed, unfiltered masses. Rich and poor alike. Homeowners, apartment dwellers, and children still bumming a room from their parents..... If you want the public to think of you when they need what you sell, a nonstop radio schedule will work wonders." - Roy Williams, The Wizard of Ads

On one hand it's important to know the niche and the lifestyle of your market, but when you're looking at the bigger picture, Radio can deliver your message to a larger variety of masses, while simultaneously remaining local.  It's the best of both worlds. In short, Radio's mass appeal is necessary and influential. It has a big impact on our thoughts, cultivating our knowledge about the world, life, social issues and orienting our attitude towards them. Including Radio in your marketing mix is probably the single most important link to you and reaching the masses. 

 

 

 

Set Yourself Up for Success in the First Quarter

According the U.S. Department of Commerce, the first quarter is red hot for bookstores, office supplies, florists, auto dealers, and real estate. It is also primetime right now to set the ground work for a great first quarter. Radio listeners have money to spend. Will you be the business they spend it with? Who will own their share of mind?

January

Book Stores – January accounts for up to 13.3% of their annual sales.

If you’re a bookstore or you're trying to make the best-seller list, getting on top of people's minds in December through January would be a good way to start the New Year. Portland Metro Radio listener's spending power on average $11,832,000 each month. Seattle/Tacoma Metro Radio listeners spending power on average $16,444,000.

Office Supply Stores – January accounts for almost 10% of their annual sales, really the whole first quarter is big for this industry. It makes sense doesn’t it? People want to get ready, be organized and face the New Year. This category should hit the ground running first quarter. Portland Metro Radio listeners' spending power on average is $15,602,00 each month. Seattle/Tacoma Metro Radio listeners' spending power on average is $27,978,000.

February

Florists – You guessed it, Valentines Day makes this month worth on average 10.5% of their annual sales. The monthly spending power of Radio listeners each month for florists in the Portland Metro area is $3,844,000. The spending power of Seattle/Tacoma area Radio listeners is $5,540,000.

Auto Dealers (Used) – The monthly spending power of Radio listeners this month for used cars is $351,233,000 in the Portland metro area. The spending power of Seattle/Tacoma area Radio listeners is $649,498,000.

Real Estate (New Homes) - Houses light-up this month typically with 9% of annual sales.

March

This is a big month for everything "car"! New, used and car parts are all hot selling items in March. New car dealers sell about 9.2% of their annuals sales. Used car dealers who are on the mind of the masses will achieve about 9.4% of their annuals sales. And, auto part stores see a surge with 8.6% in sales this month.

Portland Metro Radio listeners have the spending power on average of $27,262,000 each month. Seattle/Tacoma Metro Radio listeners have the spending power on average of $49,382,000.

Win With Radio

Inventory is more available in the first quarter so you may be able to negotiate fabulous integrated package with local Radio groups or stations. You can really hit the market running with on-air messages, personality endorsements, online, email, streaming, and social media. There is a real opportunity to stand out and feature high selling solutions for New Year resolution consumers. All these assets can come in handy to create a potent interactive and high-touch marketing solution.

 

Sources: Data is obtained from the U.S. Department of Commerce and publications focusing on specific industries. “HOT” months (8.6% or more of annual sales). Arbitron Retail Spend 2012 Report for Portland and Seattle. 

Outdoor Media and Radio Create Mad Synergy

 

 

In a world on the go, studies have shown that the more time people spend with outdoor media, the more time they spend with Radio. Arbitron's in-car study along with its outdoor study show that outdoor media and Radio are synchronized with each other in more ways than we think.  

The in-car study quotes, "In‐car media has the potential to reach nearly all Americans each month." That's a pretty hefty statement, yet over the years this fact has remained the same. Ninety-eight percent of United States residents aged 18 or older have either driven or ridden in some kind of private or public vehicle in the past month. 

The outdoor study quotes, "Brands targeting the employed, hit their goal with advertising focused on the office and commuting. All super commuters by their very definition are employed and commute to work. Mega-milers also have a high probability of being employed. Radio is a medium often consumed in-car and at-work, so it makes sense that heavy radio listeners tend to be employed commuters." 

Outdoor and Radio Listening

• Light vehicle drivers/passengers spend two hours and forty-five minutes per day with Radio.
• Medium vehicle drivers/passengers listen to Radio two hours and fifty minutes per day.
• Mega-milers spend a whopping three hours and twenty-seven minutes per day with Radio.

Travel/Commute Statistics in Seattle-Tacoma Metro:

• 91.2% drove alone last week
• 77.3% traveled I-5 in the past week
• 69.5% traveled 200 or more miles last month

Travel/Commute Statistics in the Portland Metro:

• 93.0% drove alone to any place last week
• 69.1% traveled I-5 in the past week
• 70.6% traveled 200 or more total miles in the past month

When you look at the numbers, it's easy to see how using Radio is one of the greatest mediums to ad to your media mix. 

Sources:
Download Arbitron's In-Car Study Here
Download Arbitron's Outdoor Study Here 
See the entire the Seattle-Tacoma Radio Listener Profile Here
See the entire Portland Metro Listener Profile Here.

The Many Ways Radio Reaches Americans

Radio Today By the Numbers, Insights into the Many Ways Radio Reaches Americans, by Arbitron, is the latest data that reflects how the US makes Radio a part of its life. You can download the entire brochure here. 

In the Summer 2012 edition, you’ll find new research showing how Radio is the best media choice to reach grocery shoppers during peak shopping hours. You’ll also discover how Radio reaches 60 million independent voters each week and learn how many billions of dollars Radio listeners spend on children’s apparel each year.

Radio Today by the Numbers uses authoritative research from Arbitron, Scarborough Research, and 2012 USA TouchPoints to quantify how Radio delivers.

This colorful quarterly publication tells:

• Radio’s compelling story 
• Agencies how effective Radio is in delivering their ads
• Advertisers the many ways Radio connects with consumers

Put Radio’s compelling numbers to work.

Source: Arbitron 2012

 

Radio Is the Strongest Pre-Shopping Medium According to New Arbitron Study

Arbitron released a study that shows "AM/FM radio delivers the largest reach during the time periods immediately prior to peak shopping hours, it continues to dominate the audio entertainment landscape, and out delivers web, social networking or mobile usage during the average day among Adults age 25 to 54." See full press release below. 

We have compared the results using Media Audit and the results show that Portland shoppers rely on Radio as their most widely used platform for retail purchases in the Pacific Northwest:

 

 

COLUMBIA, Md., Sept. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/-- AM/FM radio delivers the largest reach during the time periods immediately prior to peak shopping hours, it continues to dominate the audio entertainment landscape, and out delivers web, social networking or mobile usage during the average day among Adults age 25 to 54. These are the most notable findings of a study commissioned by Arbitron (NYSE: ARB) and presented at this week's Radio Show, hosted by the National Association of Broadcasters and the Radio Advertising Bureau in Dallas.

"Where Radio Fits: Radio's Strengths in the Media Landscape" examines the continued strength of AM/FM radio among Adults aged 25 to 54 and the advantages radio delivers over other media outlets. The study also looks at where consumers are accessing various media platforms and the emotional impact these media have on users.

Key findings of "Where Radio Fits: Radio's Strengths in the Media Landscape": AM/FM radio is the strongest pre-shopping medium, reaching 31% of 25-54s during the hour before the peak shopping period (1-2PM). AM/FM Radio's reach during this crucial decision making hour is nearly twice that of live TV (17 percent).

AM/FM radio delivers 86 percent of the total time Adults aged 25 to 54 spend with the three main audio platforms. AM/FM Radio delivers nearly eight times more time spent than satellite radio and seventeen times more than internet audio streaming.

AM/FM radio is the second most widely consumed of the top media platforms.

During the average day, radio reaches 59 percent of adults aged 25 to 54, second only to television, which reaches nearly 80 percent of these adults. Trailing radio are the Internet (49 percent), social networking (19 percent), mobile web/app usage (16 percent).

AM/FM radio adds considerable reach to other media platforms. When combined with live television, radio adds an additional 14 percent reach of adults aged 25 to 54 and an additional 60 percent when combined with Internet AM/FM radio is heard by a variety of decision influencers with 43 percent of respondents aged 25 to 54 saying they listen with their children, 38 percent listen with their spouse or partner.

"Radio's consistently large reach together with its ability to deliver the 'the last word' during the crucial pre-shopping hours make it highly valuable for advertisers who are looking to maximize ROI in a fragmented media environment," said Bill Rose, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Arbitron Inc. "This study along with the more granular data Arbitron is providing to agencies and modelers should help reinforce radio's strength in the marketing mix." How the study was conductedThe study, conducted in conjunction with MBI Touchpoints, measured the media consumption, consumer activities, social setting, location, and mood/emotions of 2,000 persons age 18 to 64. The study was conducted in two waves from Oct 2010-March 2011 and Aug 2011-Jan 2012.

Touchpoints captured its data using a proprietary mobile app for tracking consumer behavior.

About ArbitronArbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) is an international media and marketing research firm serving the media-radio, television, cable and out-of-home; the mobile industry as well as advertising agencies and advertisers around the world. Arbitron's businesses include: measuring network and local market radio audiences across the United States; surveying the retail, media and product patterns of U.S. consumers; providing mobile audience measurement and analytics in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia, and developing application software used for analyzing media audience and marketing information data. The Company has developed the Portable People Meter (TM) (PPM) and the PPM 360(TM), new technologies for media and marketing research.

Portable People Meter(TM), PPM and PPM 360(TM) are marks of Arbitron Inc.

SOURCE Arbitron Inc. 2012

How Radio Creates Empathy

"The musicality of the human voice is the engine of everything we do." - Jad Abumrad

In this video Radiolab's Jad Abumrad discusses the depth and complexity of the human voice and explains Radio's unique power as a storytelling medium. 

 

Link Station Assets for Better Frequency

 

Radio Ink posted an article reminding us about the power of a good media mix, which is something advertisers tend to take for granted when it comes to Radio.

In it, David Gifford writes on why advertisers must still use Radio as part of the overall media advertising mix for ad buys.

Here are some highlights:

• Media mix translates to adding more and different ad media to increase reach.  Overspending on reach, at the expense of driving commercial messages home repeatedly, represents the biggest mistake in advertising today. In short, reach doesn't mean anything without frequency.
• A proactive, Radio-driven media mix campaign includes using many platforms to connect with a consistent relationship-driven audience. Radio uniquely works well with digital connection points.  Advertisers increase frequecy and connection by linking station assets.
  
  
• Here is an example:  Run a robust spot radio schedule, activate promotions, and/or big event sponsorships, create buzz with texting and Twitter, give info with website tie-ins linked to prospects' websites, connect with direct mail to your listener database, point-of-purchase merchandising, and partnering with outdoor to help advertisers reach those active lifestyle consumers when they’re out shopping.

Read the full article here.

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Radio Rocks for Computer Sales

 

As back-to-school and holidays are a crucial time of year for electronics sales, a new study released by The Media Audit reveals good news for computer retailers. Among adults surveyed, the percent of consumers who plan to purchase a new computer in the next twelve months has risen by 5.7%. Among U.S. consumers, 24% plan to purchase a new computer in the next year, compared to 22.7% a year earlier. The new figure represents more than 35.5 million consumers across The Media Audit's 81 measured markets. 

Planned purchases of other types of consumer electronics items have been a mixed bag. The same study reveals a downward or flat trend for consumer items such as major household appliances and TV's. According to the study, 10.7% of consumers plan to purchase a major household appliance, compared to 10.8% a year earlier; while 14.1% plan to buy a new TV, compared to 15.1% a year earlier. Read Full Article Here

The Media Audit slideshare above shows that people planning on buying a computer in the Pacific Northwest (Portland Metro and Seattle/Tacoma Metro) rely on Radio and Internet for their purchase. If you are in the electronics business, a strong Radio campaign can help you boost those back-to-school and holiday sales. 

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Music and Digital Downloads: Radio’s Biggest Music Consumers Revealed

In a new study by The Media Audit  it shows that Dance Contemporary Hits Radio (CHR) listeners are the biggest consumers of CDs and digital music downloads.

According to the study, 42.8% of the format's weekly listeners frequently purchase CDs or download digital music.  Among all U.S. consumers, 27.7% frequently purchase CDs or download digital music. The figure represents more than 41 million consumers across The Media Audit's 81 measured markets.

Contemporary Hits Radio (CHR) ranked second in the study, with 42.4% of the format's weekly listeners who frequently purchase CDs or download digital music, followed by listeners of Rhythm & Blues-Urban (39.2%), Hot Adult Contemporary (38.3%), and Rock (36.4%). Frequent purchasers are defined as having purchased CDs or downloaded digital music within the past four weeks.

Among those who frequently purchase CDs and downloaded music, 49% are female, while 51% are male. Furthermore, 46.6% are between the ages of 25 and 44 and 67% are between the ages of 18 and 44 years. The same study reveals that frequent purchasers of CDs and downloaded music are 15% more likely to have a college degree and earn an average of $76,739 in household income. The figure is significantly higher when compared to the average household income of $64,316 for all U.S. adults.

Read the Full Article Here

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Wait, What? Radio Listenership Bigger than Ever?

In the last year more than 600,000 new people started listening to Radio again.

Is it because broadcast airwaves have a secret transmission about the end of the world? Are Millennials finally a little bored with Pandora? Maybe it's because Radio offers a connection that social media does not, like real people, live on the air. 

Whatever the case, the facts are in: 93 Percent of Americans still listen to Broadcast Radio.  

In a June 13 article, Digital Media News highlighted the significant growth in new listeners who have tuned in to radio in the past year. The publication quoted the latest Arbitron RADAR report, which stated that the growth was spurred by the 18-34 age demographic. The article suggested that this continued growth and maintenance in listenership (at 93% of persons aged 12 and over) can be attributed to radio’s “convenience and ease of use.” To read the article, click “Seriously? 93 Percent of Americans Still Listen to Broadcast Radio.”