Online home improvement purchases have reached an all-time high, accounting for nearly 29% of all sales in the first half of 2024. Now research shows that radio and podcasts outpace television in reaching this increasingly valuable branch of consumers.
A study commissioned by Cumulus Media/Westwood One’s Audio Active Group, conducted by MARU/Matchbox in April shows 29% of online home improvement shoppers are heavy listeners of AM/FM and podcasts, while only 18% are heavy TV viewers. Heavy spenders – those who spent over $2,500 – are also 50% more likely to be frequent AM/FM radio listeners than TV viewers.
Out of all home improvement shoppers, 31% plan to split their shopping between online and in-store, with 14% indicating they will shop online more frequently. Those intending to shop online more spent $4,573 over the past year, compared to $3,757 spent by those preferring in-store purchases.
The demographic divide is also notable; 64% of online shoppers are aged 18-49, while 67% of those preferring in-store shopping are over 50. The trend reflects the younger audience’s preference for online purchases, which aligns with higher consumption of audio media.
This is more pronounced in a separate study using The Harris Poll Brand Tracker, which highlighted that Wayfair’s brand equity is strongest among audio consumers. Despite heavy investment in TV advertising, Wayfair’s brand familiarity, trial, and recommendation levels are equally high among OTA radio listeners and podcast fans, indicating a missed opportunity for targeted audio advertising.
Similar findings were discovered in a previous study using The Home Depot, one of AM/FM’s most reliable advertisers.
A March 2024 analysis using Nielsen Media Impact suggested that reallocating 20% of Wayfair’s TV budget to AM/FM radio could significantly increase the brand’s reach. By shifting a portion of the $8.9M TV investment, Wayfair could expand its reach from 41% of U.S. adults to 70%, a 69% increase.
The study also found substantial gains in younger demographics when shifting to radio. 25-34 reach tripled from 16% to 54%, 35-44 reach more than doubled from 26% to 63%, 45-54 reach grew from 42% to 74%, and 55-64 reach increased from 58% to 82%
The study emphasized that radio effectively reaches light and medium TV viewers, tripling exposure among light TV viewers and by 38% among medium viewers, showing the power of a balanced media strategy.
