Familiarity doesn’t always pay the bills. A new Katz Radio Group brand lift study finds that an eye care brand with strong consumer recognition still had ground to cover in the consideration stage, but that a 32-market AM/FM radio campaign saved the day.
Katz conducted the custom lift study in the first quarter of 2026 among 800 adults 18 and older, all residing within the brand’s targeted radio markets and identified as the primary decision-makers for eye care purchases in their households.
The campaign centered on a 40% off lenses promotion delivered through benefit-led, accessible creative. Overall ad reception was strong: 85% of respondents gave the campaign a favorable rating. Among those who rated it positively, 40% cited the ad’s clear and informative nature as the top driver of their response, while 30% pointed to the promotional offer itself.
The eye care category presents specific competitive pressures. The brand entered the campaign with strong familiarity but faced pressure from national chains, large-scale retailers, and trusted local providers. Katz flagged that dynamic as the central challenge the radio buy was designed to address.
The study’s framing positions the 59% consideration figure as the more consequential result, distinguishing between awareness lift and movement into the active consideration stage. In the study’s construction, the question was not whether listeners recognized the brand, but whether the campaign changed what they would do next. 28% reported they were very likely to consider the advertiser after exposure.
