Fact or Fiction: Three Radio Myths Debunked!

Contrary to what you might believe, radio is a medium not to be ignored. While the number of hours people spend listening to radio is down, consumers are still tuning in for about 15 hours per week. That equates to more than 750 hours per year and more than 2 hours per day, on average! Not understanding the truth behind radio misconceptions could keep you from capitalizing on this powerful touchpoint. Read on!

Myth #1
“Why do we continue to use traditional radio in our advertising efforts for our clients? No one listens to radio anymore! They listen to Pandora or their iPod or smartphone.”

Fact:
Although it’s correct to assume traditional radio has become more fragmented over the years, it is still one of the most effective mediums for reaching various age groups, including young adults and teenagers. The “Theater of the Mind,” as it has been referred to in the past, continues to be very effective in reaching and communicating a message to a target audience.

According to Radio Today 2011 Report, radio reaches more than 93% of all persons over the age of 12 years old, in a given week. It only drops to 92% against persons age 12 to 17. Not only does radio have a high reach in a given week against all age cells, it continues to have a huge daily reach against adults age 18+ (reaching 77% of all adults, second only to television, which is at 95%). The Web/Internet is currently in third place at 64% (factoring out email) per Nielsen Research.

Myth #2:
“Sure I listen to the radio in the car but when the commercial comes on I turn the channel.”

Fact
Research shows otherwise: According to 2011 Arbitron (Media Monitors, and Coleman Insights), 93% of all listeners continue to listen to commercials on radio stations. If the commercial break is only one-minute long the station keeps over 99% of their listeners. Even if the break is six-minutes long, the station keeps 85% of their audience and this audience listens to the commercials.

Myth #3:
“Radio doesn’t resonate with shoppers like print ads do.”

Fact
Not true! Of all mediums, radio reaches more consumers just prior to making a purchase than does any other medium. 53% of consumers say they listened to the radio within 30 minutes of their last purchase. The next closest is “See Ads on a Billboard” at 35%, followed by “Watch TV” at 28% and “Use the Internet” at 19%.

Still not entirely convinced? If your previous radio ads have produced less-than-stellar results, it could very well be the strategic message (or lack thereof) behind your ad. Now that you understand the strengths of radio, it’s time to develop an impactful radio spot that resonates with your target, builds an emotional connection and tells a compelling story.

Stan Freberg summed it up with his radio promo spot from the late 1960s “Stretching Your Imagination—Power of Radio”.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppZ57EeX6vE[/youtube]

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