Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
The growth in audio usage across all platforms and devices has been incredible. One segment of that growth has captured a lot of attention – podcasts. Podcast listeners have been considered a niche audience. Do they differ from broadcast listeners, and what are their views about broadcast radio?
Continue reading “Podcast and Broadcast Radio – Listeners in Common”
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
An online search for Gen Z will deliver results in the billions regarding various topics and industries. If you are wondering why, it is because they are about to become the largest and most important consumer target. They may also be the most complex.
Continue reading “Targeting the Next Big Consumer – Teens”
Contributor: Sarena Gerard, Senior Research Associate, GfK
Combining online and in-store shopping is a highly personal, consumer-driven experience that’s here to stay — one that predates COVID-19 but that has picked up major momentum over the last 18 months.
For many consumers, pivoting from in-store to online shopping was one survival tactic among many adopted to cope with pandemic lockdowns —and as the omnichannel trend continues to rise, many advertisers are working hard to get in front of consumers in both online and in-store environments. This is especially true in categories that have experienced strong omnichannel growth over the last year – among them clothing & fashion, household cleaning products, and packaged foods and beverages.
Continue reading “Using Omni-Shopper Insights to Create More Effective Ads”
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
People are resilient. It is an awesome wonder of human nature. There’s no doubt that everyone has experienced challenges, but looking around, you see that people have returned to doing what they did pre-pandemic. They are tuned into radio and ready to go.
Continue reading “People are Tuned In and On the Go”
Author: Madison Wright, Associate Producer, Radio Mercury Awards
For the past 30 years, radio broadcasters, agencies and advertisers have entered their creative work into the Radio Mercury Awards. Produced by the Radio Advertising Bureau, it is the only awards competition that exclusively honors creativity in radio and audio since its creation in 1992. Around 20,000 commercials have competed for close to $3.5 million in prizes.
When reflecting upon the Radio Mercury Awards, especially during this special anniversary, two things come to mind – the rich heritage of the awards show and how they continue to matter to the creative community as the medium continues to evolve.
Continue reading “In Your Ears – The 30th Anniversary
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
We know that consumer shopping behavior changed dramatically in 2020 – due to both restrictions and personal preferences. However, live events are on, places are open, and consumers are ready for it all.
The National Retail Federation revised their 2021 annual forecast and now projects that retail sales will total anywhere from $4.44 to $4.56 trillion this year. Yes, consumers are ready to shop, but where they shop, why they shop and what they buy will look different in 2021.
Continue reading “Meet the New Retail Shopper”
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
A 2019 blog post noted how 58% of consumers will use search to find an attorney or legal service. That was well before the events we all experienced during 2020. No doubt, the search for legal counsel increased during 2020 for various and obvious reasons.
As many consumers and businesses across the country were impacted both economically and medically by the pandemic, the need for legal services spiked. According to the American Bankruptcy Institute, bankruptcy filings were up 30% just between April and May 2020. When Americans needed help, broadcast radio was there to inform them of where to get those legal services – driving a double-digit lift in site traffic for legal services in 2020.
Continue reading “Objections Overruled. Radio Drives Double Digit Site Lift for Legal Services”
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
There have been numerous articles, studies and surveys on shift in consumer shopping preferences and behavior. While percentages for each survey may have varied, there was one consistent finding – Americans have increased their use of online transactions. The implication of this behavioral shift is not just limited to retail but also to banking – 27% of consumers agree that banks will be more flexible over the next two years.
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
Having just come off a long summer holiday weekend, parents of children across the U.S. are prepping for, or have already begun, back-to-school shopping. If you think it is too soon, think again. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), 61% of consumers typically plan their back-to-school shopping around retail sales events like Fourth of July.
Continue reading “It’s July – Time for Back-to-School Shopping”
Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB
The challenges that the marketing, advertising and media community faced throughout 2020 and the first half of 2021 have been like nothing any business has ever seen or experienced before. These challenges brought opportunity and have demonstrated a collective resilience in nearly every sector of business.
The next frontier for radio has been shaped by many of the lessons learned as consumers, businesses and brands have leaned in to audio across all platforms as the soundtrack to their daily journey.
What is new is old. What is old is new. Radio trends born from past truths.
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
The role that sports plays in the lives of Americans became magnified during 2020. Whether it was the dribbling of a basketball on a court, the crack of a bat or the sounds from a huddle – people needed to watch and experience sports.
Sports fans are passionate, and they are engaged in the team or player they are following. They are emotionally connected – just like they are with radio.
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
In just a few weeks, people across the country will be celebrating Father’s Day. For some, it may continue to be virtual, and for others, it may be a long awaited in-person celebration. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), 75% of adults plan on celebrating Father’s Day in 2021.
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
The role that vehicles play in the lives of consumers has shifted, and while they were once considered solely as a means of transportation, they quickly became a place to escape or for “me” time.
Supply chain issues for the auto industry – from vehicles to microchip shortages – are impacting the industry. However, while these issues might be considered a hinderance to sales, the opposite is true. According to a Kelly Blue Book (KBB) survey, 87% of consumers are aware that these issues are impacting both domestic and imported vehicles.
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
Throughout 2020, Americans across the country developed new pastimes. Some became DIYers, chefs, linguists, hikers and more. Others added to their household and became pet parents.
As people found themselves having to shelter in place, many decided to take the opportunity to add to their household by bringing in furry, feathered or aquatic companions. According to VitusVet data published by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the average new pets and pet owners per practice per week spiked by July 2020 – the highest since July 2018.
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
While there have been many shifts in consumer behaviors, many consumer preferences remain unchanged. If there is one thing that the pandemic has proven, it is that personal connections matter.
Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB
Forecasts reveal that digital is driving the advertising rebound in 2021 and, according to Tony Hereau, VP of cross platform insights at Nielsen, “Radio is the soundtrack of America’s recovery.”
Radio, across all of its digital platforms, has and continues to experience exponential growth, earning significant share of media consumption throughout 2020 and the post-pandemic. While over the air AM/FM radio accounts for 76 percent of the daily audio time spent with any ad-supported platform, understanding consumer behavior as they move across platforms and what motivates listeners is critically important for marketers who are poised to succeed in the rebound.
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.
Author: Madison Wright, Events and Communications Coordinator, RAB
You may be looking at this title and are thinking “Gen Z doesn’t listen to the radio; social media is where you reach them.” Did you know that radio reaches nearly 44,000,000 Gen Zers every week, according to Edison Research? While this group makes up around 20% of the U.S. population, per Statista, there is no denying the listening power of Gen Z.
Continue reading “Gen Z is Tuning into Radio – Social
Media Platforms are Taking Notice”
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
Like many other tasks, events and obligations impacted by the pandemic, many consumers delayed their healthcare visits throughout 2020. According to the NRC Health 2021 Healthcare Consumer Trends Report, people delaying their healthcare was approaching a five-year low. In Q1 2020, 22.4% of healthcare patients had deferred. That figure increased significantly to 40.4% by Q2 2020. Forty percent of patients who delayed their care, state COVID-19 as the reason.
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
Next week we will celebrate Black History Month – an event that celebrates and recognizes the impact that Blacks/African Americans have had on our history. According to ASALH, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the theme for 2021 is The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity.