As AM/FM seeks out more engagement with Gen Z, new data shows the industry has a unique opportunity to harness the power of its on-air personalities to attract both younger audiences and advertisers looking to connect with this sought-after demographic.
A GoDaddy survey reveals a shift in what moves younger consumers when shopping, with influencers taking precedence over traditional word-of-mouth recommendations for Gen Z, while Millennials still lean toward businesses they follow.
The survey, conducted in September with 1,000 US consumers, highlights differing behaviors between the two generations when it comes to media and purchasing decisions. Data shows that 41% of Gen Z consumers trust a product or service recommended by an influencer over a standard business ad, and 46% of Millennials prefer ads from businesses. Social media posts from friends rank low for both generations when it comes to influencing purchases.
57% of Gen Z consumers are most likely to buy from an influencer’s recommendation, followed by a business post on social media (54%), an ad (49%), and lastly, word from a friend at 40%. 75% of Millennials, on the other hand, place the most trust in posts from businesses they follow, with ads and friends’ posts also ranking higher than influencer content, which ranked at 44%.
Previous research has found that radio personalities and podcast hosts are among the most trusted influencers, surpassing social media figures in building loyal, engaged audiences via strong emotional connections.
MAGNA Media Trials and Vox Media found that 75% of weekly podcast listeners see podcast hosts as more influential than social media or TV/movie celebrities, valuing their trust and authenticity. MRI-Simmons added that 79% of listeners felt a sense of closeness to podcast hosts, with 80% viewing them as friends.
Nielsen further reinforced that ads delivered by audio hosts were more engaging, drawing the attention of 44% of AM/FM listeners and 56% of podcast listeners.
These findings underscore recent behavior from broadcast groups, including iHeartMedia’s partnership with influencer management company Whalar Group to help creators expand from social media to audio platforms.
