Radio – Still the One

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

Last week’s post highlighted radio advertising as trusted by consumers, according to a YouGov survey. The latest Total Audience Report from Nielsen not only confirms that finding, but also illustrates that radio ads are very/somewhat trustworthy among adults 18-34. Yes, they are listening, and they trust the ads they hear on radio.

According to Nielsen’s Total Audience Report, 19% of adults 18-34 consider radio ads very trustworthy and 35% somewhat trustworthy – highest among platforms, including TV and even social media.

This is an important factor to consider when media plans are created. In today’s environment, trust is everything, so including a medium that creates a trusted environment is important. Including a medium that reaches more people every week is crucial, and radio is still the one that does just that.

Radio reaches 88% of adults 18+ –  more than any other medium. Based on the same report, radio reaches 220 million adults every week. That is greater than other options, such as TV (live + time-shifted) or apps on a smartphone.

Why is this important? Today’s media landscape is fragmented, and consumers have more options available to them than ever before. Consumers can view, stream and download any form of entertainment, but based on this data, adults 18 years and older choose to tune into radio and engage with the content that AM/FM radio delivers. In fact, based on the trend of these reports by Nielsen, radio has been the top-reach medium for the past 23 quarters.

Radio provides content and entertainment via the more than 15,000 broadcast stations across the country through a multitude of formats and programming available on those stations.  So, like the Orleans song released in the 70s, radio is “still the one I want whisperin’ in my ear.”