What Makes Qualitative Data So Important?

October 4, 2012

When a radio station is pitching an advertiser for business, they need to demonstrate that they understand who the advertiser’s consumers are, what drives their purchase, and how their station best reaches them. Qualitative information helps to better understand an advertiser’s customer and demonstrate the power of the station to reach them. With qualitative research, you can profile an advertiser’s customer in great detail – learn where and how often they shop, what they’ve bought, what they plan to buy, and much much more. With competition among media increasing daily, qualitative helps you go beyond the standard age/sex demographics and set radio stations apart from one another.

Ten Things You Can Do with Qualitative Data:

1. Show your station’s qualitative profile.
2. Show how your station reaches the advertiser’s target consumer.
3. Include a consumer profile.
4. Match your station’s audience profile to the consumer profile.
5. Show “Dollars Spent Annually” by your audience by category.
6. Show amount of products purchased by your audience.
7. Provide the advertiser with competitive data.
8. Provide the advertiser with closing ratios (shopped vs. purchased).
9. Prospect new business/generate new revenue.
10. Help develop cross-media ideas.

A lot of times, too much emphasis is put on CPP and rate; qualitative data helps to distinguish which radio stations/media will help you maximize your advertising dollars and get the best return. Something to ask yourself as an advertiser, “Do you just want bodies or do you want people who are looking to purchase what you are selling?” I’ve never seen a CPP purchase a product – people purchase products.  So who do you want to reach, CPP or people?

-Nakia Smith, Sr. Sales Research Consultant

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