Authors: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB & Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe that another year has gone by. Right now all of us are working toward our resolutions for 2019 — both personal and professional — as well as remembering the numerous highlights of 2018.
Resolutions can come in many forms. Professionally, they can come in the form of initiatives or different ways to drive revenue and growth. The recent Radio on Main Street Podcast covered this very topic. Click here to listen to some of radio’s leaders talk about the various ways they intend to grow revenue and initiate new marketing strategies.
Although 2018 is behind us, there were some facts that are worth reflecting on. Here is a Top 10 list (in no particular order):
- Radio remains the #1 reach medium for 12 consecutive quarters.
- The power of radio’s impact on communities is unparalleled. Not only did stations achieve record-breaking ratings as the primary source of information during another unprecedented year of natural and unnatural disasters, but stations from coast to coast also continued to give back and support the communities they serve throughout the holiday season and beyond through fund raisers, toy, food and blood drives.
- Response data from over 1.1MM automotive radio ads generated well over 54.7MM total website sessions from interested car buyers and an 8% increase in visitors – the radio spots also influenced 1.1 new users per day. Read more.
- Radio drove an average increase of 22% lift in store traffic for retailers among 1.5M spot plays from 10 brands across 4 categories. Read more.
- For the first time in 8 years, the $50,000 Best of Show Radio Mercury Award was shared by TWO advertisers instead of one – Radio Flyer’s “Tours” campaign and the Coca-Cola “Share A Coke 1,000 Name Celebration.” Listen here.
- Political radio ads are more credible (72%) than digital political ads (28%). (Source: 2018 Mid-Term Voter Study, Katz Media Group)
- Disclaimers work! In the largest creative study of tier two automotive radio ads ever conducted, it was found that tier two radio ads with disclaimers are some of the best testing ads on American radio. Read more. (Source: Cumulus Media, Veritonic, August 2018)
- Nielsen Audio to transform diary market measurement with year-round monthly reporting. With this transition, radio broadcasters in diary markets will be able to find new insights and tell the medium’s reach story to advertisers each month. (Source: Nielsen, 2018)
- As podcast consumption continues to rise, radio stations and their personalities are tapping into the world of podcasting in a very big way with iHeartRadio, Cumulus/Westwood One, ABC News Radio, Entercom, Hubbard Radio and 44% of local radio stations producing and purveying original content.
- 7 out of 10 radio station listeners attend radio station events. This level of active involvement opens the door for advertisers to further engage consumers and amplify their message by partnering in radio station events, whether a concert, charity fund raiser, festival or community enrichment program. Read more. (Source: Katz Radio Group, Our Media Study, 2018)