As peak tax season approaches, this week’s Spot Ten from Media Monitors reflects the growing focus on preparation, with a national brand making a major leap into third place after surging 64 spots from January 20 through 26.
For the final full week of January, Progressive maintained its position as the most-aired advertiser on national radio. Coming in second was Lowe’s, leapfrogging The Home Depot which fell to fourth. Rounding out the top five was Upside, climbing from seventh place the prior week.
However, the most notable was Intuit’s TurboTax. The tax prep software and service made the largest leap, hurtling from 67th to third place in one week.
A 2023 study by the Cumulus Media/Westwood One Audio Active Group found that AM/FM advertising significantly boosts tax preparation service engagement. AM/FM listeners were more likely to use both online and onsite tax services than TV viewers, with heavy listeners showing heightened brand awareness.
Ads that mentioned the brand name early and frequently drove notable web traffic, particularly at the start of tax season, with peak interactions on Mondays. News/Talk and Sports radio formats were the most effective in generating web sessions, while physical visits to tax offices increased in March and April in regions with high AM/FM ad activity, highlighting radio’s critical role in driving engagement.
As for the rest of the Spot Ten, noteworthy mentions include Wendy’s, which rose from 23rd to seventh place, and Vicks, which dropped from second to sixth possibly signaling the coming end of seasonal campaigns for cold and flu remedies.
