Radio Still Matters

With advertising options at an all-time high, one may ask: Why should one continue to include radio on a media plan?

With the explosion of new digital and video options, radio remains a constant on many plans for its ability to provide a timely message reaching consumers close to the time and location of a purchase.

One major allure of radio is its broad, affordable reach while remaining local. Local radio is still local radio. That’s important. If you’re trying to hit a niche market in a certain community, radio is the way to go because you have this unique listenership, this unique area of people with the right demographics. It’s more about the listener’s relationship with the station.

Customers need to be exposed to ad messages multiple times before they begin to respond. They may hear your message one week, month or year before they need your product or service. Digital can be very effective later in the conversion as consumers are researching their purchase. For many companies and business categories, it’s too late if the consumer has not heard of you before they see you online. The high frequency radio delivers can foster a relationship with your customers via a trusted source.

The “multiplier effect” radio has on other media elements can enhance recall of other more visual pieces of your message within your digital and social plans. Researchers state audio-only media stimulate a different part of the brain than video, print or online images. By including a consistent radio schedule an advertiser can increase the recall of ads visually seen on the Internet or on TV, ultimately reinforcing your message.

You may ask, “Do millennials listen to radio?”

America’s youth are big radio fans, even as they lead the way in experimenting with new media. Nine out of ten 12-24 year-olds tune in to radio every week and spend approximately nine hours each week on radio. Still an overall powerhouse in the reach category, radio grabs 89% of 18-24 year olds and 92% of 18-49 year olds weekly.

Yes, radio has been around awhile and no it is not as new and fancy as Instagram, Snapchat or Spotify. But, whether in the car or listening at work, radio continues to efficiently deliver a high frequency timely message to listeners who feel an emotional connection with a credible source.