The Radio Advantage: Proximity to Point of Purchase

February 20, 2014

Timing is everything. We’ve heard this expression many times, but have you used it lately to your advantage in the radio sales arena? Its relevance to the power of radio is something that carries great worth, and needs to be emphasized throughout our industry.

Imagine that it’s 9:00pm, and you’re watching some television on your couch. An auto ad comes on, which reminds you that it’s just about time to get something with fewer miles on it. What is most likely your next course of action? Since it’s 9:00pm, you might browse some sites looking for a new car, but you’ll probably continue to watch the television and eventually head to bed.

Now, picture yourself driving in your car and you hear that auto advertisement again. What happens this time? It’s much more likely that you take a hesitant look at the mileage on your car, cringe once more at your check engine light that has been on since the holidays, and decide it’s time to swing by a few dealerships.

This is the power of timing, and this very advantage is where radio takes the cake.

Many advertising mediums are effective at creating awareness. What’s just as important is that we reach these consumers when and where they are ready to shop. There are few, if any, better places to reach these adults than in their vehicles.

Rather than continue to provide more hypothetical scenarios, let’s back up these claims with some data. According to GfK MRI, 56.7% of Adults 18+ listen to the radio in their cars on a typical weekend. This number rises to 60.4% during weekdays. While these potential consumers are on the move, they are being exposed to messages on the radio, eventually increasing the awareness and revenues of your advertisers.

Considering that these potential customers are already in transport, there is a higher propensity that they will incorporate you into their trip. Unless these listeners are strapping their flat screens in the passenger seat, it’s probably true that radio was their last media exposure prior to shopping.

Nielsen Audio/Edison Research states that nearly half (49%) of all adults listened to AM/FM radio closest to arriving at a store to make a purchase. Seeing billboard advertising and watching TV are the next highest values, at 21% and 12%, respectively. Wouldn’t your client love to reach these on-the-go listeners, and most likely have the final word before these consumers begin spending? Radio can do just that, and the media industry needs to know that we are second-to-none when it comes to reaching these consumers prior to making purchases.

Timing is everything.

Okay, it probably isn’t everything, but it plays a crucial role in advertising, and radio certainly owns this front.

–Tyler Plahanski, Sales & Marketing Associate

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