(By Charlie Sislen) One of radio’s great advantages is its ability to reach people wherever they are. While at-home listening has always been strong, radio’s ability to deliver consumers away from home is a key advantage. This is especially true when considering radio’s dominance in the car.
When COVID hit, most of us went into hibernation mode, only venturing out when necessary. As mobility diminished, so did market radio listening. Indications were that this decline was linked to away-from-home listening.
Travel has resumed and people are returning to their workplaces. In many markets this return to normal is producing a slow and steady increase in market listening. The rebound is upon us.
Now is a great time to remind – and even document to – your potential advertisers that radio is consumed everywhere, most importantly outside of the home.
Why is this important? Reaching potential consumers closer to the point of sale results in top of mind awareness when shopping. When is the best time to reach a buyer? When they are on their way to make a purchase.
As we always preach, you need to back up your assertions to the advertiser with documented facts. For those that are Nielsen subscribers, the ammunition is at your fingertips.
Nielsen subscribers in diary markets have even more of an advantage because the Nielsen diary asks for listener location. It’s broken down into listening:
- At home
- In car
- At work
- Other
While many often stick to showing data for their individual stations or clusters based on AQH composition, it can also be advantageous to talk about cume. Since people can listen in multiple locations, saying that X% of your audience listen while in the car can be impressive.
But don’t stop with your station. Talk about the big picture and how many people in the market are tuning to radio while in the car.
For those in PPM markets, the sales story still works, just with a little less specificity. While in-car and at-work listening aren’t broken out, an effective sales person can talk about how many of their listeners tune in while “away from home.” Much of this listening is when folks are out shopping or in the car.
Many other advertising outlets have just a single base. Most television watching remains at home. However, radio’s ability to meet the consumer wherever they are is a huge benefit. It’s essential to demonstrate this benefit to potential advertisers.
Charlie Sislen is a partner at Research Director, Inc. He can be reached at 410-956-0363 or by e-mail at [email protected]
