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Radio Is Still A Strong Marketing Tool

Radio Is Still A Strong Marketing Tool

At FocalPoint, we talk a lot about digital media. But although we speak digital, it doesn’t mean we’ve lost the ability to swim in the more traditional modes of marketing. With brings us to radio advertising.

Like everything else in our rapidly evolving media landscape, radio reach is increasingly segmented with more choices than ever before. But – and because of this — radio advertising still has massive reach.

Interestingly, according to the Radio Advertising Bureau, despite radio only accounting for 11.4% of total time spent on all media, an incredible 91.5% of us listened to either AM, FM or satellite radio daily in 2018. Nielsen.com agrees, noting that 92% of U.S. consumers listen to radio weekly.

True, younger adults tend to engage with radio on their smartphones rather than on an actual radio. But radio still had the highest reach among Millennials and Boomers (91%).

So does radio still sell?

Recent Radio Advertising Bureau research took a look at this question. The research included ten different retail brands across four marketing categories. On average, radio spots resulted in a 22% lift in store traffic.

  • Automotive and beauty retailers experienced the highest results (32% more traffic).
  • Quick-service restaurants got a 23% boost.
  • Home improvement stores showed the least impact on visits with just a 7% increase.

That said, this is a generalization by category. Individual experiences, as they say, can vary. For example, one particular automotive brand had a 45% increase in traffic with radio advertising, while another only experienced 18%. The quality of the ads as well as when they were run — and on which station — had a lot to do with these results.

What’s the best way to advertise?

When consumers are asked about their purchasing influences, traditional media ranks below digital media now. Being able to search, after all, is powerful. But traditional media like radio is absolutely still in the picture. A recommendation from family or friends almost always trumps everything else. Some things don’t change. Interestingly, because radio can be so emotionally powerful (think of those innumerable radio spots you can ‘replay’ in your brain), radio campaigns do come to mind  — a lot — when people are asked to recall a brand or product to recommend to a friend. That’s the power of radio.

So yes, radio has an active role to play in all kinds of marketing campaigns. And it can have a positive effect on consumer behavior. But you need to know the lay of the land in this very segmented-by-reach-and-marketshare media.

FocalPoint knows how to target radio wisely to round out your marketing plan and get quality results, such as brand recognition. And drive traffic. And produce the holy grail, sales.

Let’s talk radio.

 

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