Television / Video Plus Radio
- 63% of U.S. adults trust radio as a news source, more than newspapers (60%), network (61%) or cable news (56%) and even social media (45%). (Source: Morning Consult, 2024)
- Reach: Radio reaches more people every week than any other medium, including TV. Adding radio to a television schedule can bolster the number of different persons who will be exposed to an advertising message
- Local: Most AM/FM radio programming is local (or is perceived as local by consumers). This establishes a personal connection with the consumer that cannot be matched by network TV or cable programming
- Share of Media Time: The amount of time consumers spend with radio has remained constant over the past years despite the increase in media and entertainment options. Innovations in technology have only expanded radio's share of media - across devices and platforms
- Emotional Connections: Radio establishes an emotional connection with listeners, lending credibility to ad messages aired. This is especially true when on-air personalities deliver the message or endorse products or services. Utilizing radio in this way can bolster the impact of a more generic television ad schedule
- Commercial Acceptance: Radio listeners are receptive to commercial messages they hear on their favorite stations. 63% of adults occasionally/never skip radio ads unlike broadcast TV (51%) and cable/satellite TV (49%) who always or do most of the time. (Source: Nielsen 2023 Consumer Survey Report)
- Environment: Radio is relatively uncluttered compared to television, especially versus local TV stations and cable. Even if viewers stay tuned during commercial breaks on TV, messages aired in long pods not register, or may become lost to memory by the end of the pod; and competitive advertisers may find their spots placed directly adjacent to each other Many of the spots aired on TV/cable are poorly produced and irritating to the viewer; a well-produced spot will be aired in the same break. Radio spots can jog the memory of TV/cable viewers who may not clearly recall ads they had been exposed to
- Cost: Good radio advertising is inexpensive to produce in relation to TV/cable production costs. Creative for the same product can be tailored to appeal to a distinct consumer audience within a unique format such as Country, Talk, Urban, etc.
- Speed: The time to create a radio spot, produce it and get it on the air is shorter than the time to get a good TV/cable spot ready for airing. Radio can be the advance team for messaging that needs to get out quickly, or for timed sales or events
- Imagery Transfer: Radio can boost a TV/cable advertiser's message through imagery transfer or theater of the mind. Numerous research studies over the years have proven that radio listeners visualize images from a TV ad when they hear that advertiser's same or similar message on the radio, reinforcing the impact of the TV ad schedule. Additionally, as numerous advertisers incorporate sonic branding, radio helps to trigger brand recall through sonic branding
- Mobility: TV has become more mobile due to the capability to access on computers, tablets, and mobile phones – but the fact remains that the majority of TV viewing still takes place at home. TV advertisers can employ radio's high in-car, at-work and on-the-go tune-in to extend their messaging to listeners who are out of home and closer to the point of purchase
- Recall: Numerous studies point to radio's ability to drive brand recall and awareness. Radio when used in conjunction with other media, can also improve and increase recall, awareness and drive traffic
- For more information on radio:
Glossary: http://www.rab.com/public/reports/buysellterms.pdf
FAQs: http://www.rab.com/whyradio/WRnew/faq/faq.cfm
Statistics and Trends: http://www.rab.com/whyradio/
