The Radio Advantage

February 6, 2025

As an industry, we have a tendency to play a lot of defense. While radio has weathered many storms over the last 100 years, the dawn of the digital age drastically and dramatically changed the media landscape.

Yet, to paraphrase a quote from Monty Python – “We’re not dead yet.”

We need to play more offense. I want to highlight two areas where the power of radio continues to shine.

Digital

I’m not talking about your stream, app, or podcasts. Those are important assets. I am referring to the additive advertising value radio brings to any marketing campaign. Though I’m a data geek, I won’t bore you with numbers. You’ve likely seen those.

I ask you, instead, to think like a consumer. When you’re doom scrolling X or binge shopping on Amazon, what media platform can complement those actions?

TV – Nope. Sure, you may hit IMDB while watching a show but your attention is focused on the stream, not the side stuff.

Print – What little of that still exists demands your undivided attention?

Digital – When was the last time you intentionally clicked on a digital ad? Be honest.

Radio – Winner, winner! You can be completely absorbed by what you’re doing on line and still listen to the radio. Radio can make a tangible impression while you are multi-tasking. This is a huge selling point to your advertising clients.

Point of Purchase

We know that most radio listening occurs in the car. We also know that most successful music stations get around fifty percent of their target cume to tune in at some point on the weekend. What are most of your listeners doing on the weekend? Running errands, going to the store, schlepping the kids around, etc. They are a captive audience that is ripe for influencing.

As they head to the hardware store, are they going to Home Depot, Lowes, or – hopefully – the local outlet that is advertising on your station? The same can be said for almost every retail category – grocery stores, all types of restaurants, etc. This is especially true for the smaller, local businesses that have been squeezed out by either the big box stores or the Bezos behemoth. Radio can give them a leg up on the competition.

I’m sure you can come up with more and better examples but the bottom line is this – the power of radio to influence purchasing decisions is undeniable. We should be a part of EVERY media mix.

Time for the offense to take the field.

-Steve Allan, Programming Research Consultant

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