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Plus Radio

• Immediacy:  Advertising messages on both radio and the Internet reach consumers immediately.  Radio ads reach many listeners at a single time, while online ads present themselves when the user decides to log on to the ‘Net.  Exposure to advertising on both is complementary and will reach consumers at times when they might not have access to one medium or the other
• Increase Reach:  With a variety of formats in every market and national networks also delivering programming directed to specific demographic or interest groups, Radio allows advertisers to zero in on large numbers of consumers in the age demographics and socio-economic characteristics they need to reach to successfully market their products and services. While Web sites also deliver niche markets, many are small and users are not all on the site at the same time.  Radio supplements the somewhat narrower reach of most Web sites, resulting in effective exposure across platforms.
• Timing:  Radio spots air at certain specified times designated by the advertiser.  Digital advertising's timing is more random, reaching the consumer at whatever point they log on to devices.  Each has the capability to remind consumers of the other and reinforce messaging impact
• Cut through the clutter:  Radio has done an effective job of cutting down on commercial spot loads in recent years, whereas the burgeoning popularity of the Internet among marketers has created a cluttered environment online.  A campaign on radio will showcase the advertiser's message and can direct listeners to a site
• Build Trust:  Radio represents a trusted source for information and entertainment among consumers; many Americans continue to exercise caution in using the Internet and believing what they read or hear online.  Radio adds credibility to an Internet-radio campaign mix
• Enhance Recall:  When radio is combined with internet advertising, it can increase brand recall and help drive awareness.

• Radio drives web traffic to business websites after ad commercial exposure. In analyses of AnalyticOwl data, radio increased new visitor traffic:
  
  • 9% for jewelry retailers
  • 5% for auto service businesses
  • 2% for healthcare practitioners
  • 4% for lawn and garden retailers/services
  (Source: AnalyticOwl category analyses 2022-2023)

• Heavy radio listeners drive more brand conversations that heavy users of other media, including social, TV, newspaper or 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%).
  

• 48% of consumers prefer to learn about new products and services from audio ads versus a display ad.
  

• 45% of consumers prefer to learn about new products and services from audio ads versus social media.
  

• 35% of consumers prefer to learn about new products and services from audio ads versus a video ad.
  

• 40% of consumers are more likely to buy items from an audio ad than a social media ad.
  

• 38% of consumers are more likely to buy items from an audio ad than a display ad.
  

• 55% of radio listeners are more likely to click on a social media link promoting a product or service if they have first heard it advertised on the radio.
  

• 72% of consumers are more likely to notice social media adsafter hearing about a product on the radio.
  

• Seven in 10 consumers are more likely to read a social media ad after a on-air radio mention.
  

Audio works across key commercial levers
Campaigns with audio outperform those without audio on profit (+75%), trust (+81%), price insensitivity (+81%) and customer acquisition (+19%). Audio's profit contribution also scales with media spend. Across 14 measures, the average uplift for all campaigns with audio was +22%, in comparison to campaigns without audio. See study results here.
Audio nearly doubles profit for emotionally driven advertising
The data also makes the creative case. Audio nearly doubles the profit generated by emotionally driven campaigns, and its effect compounds when it is paired with distinctive brand assets and run consistently over time. Over three years, 6% of nonemotional campaigns achieve incremental profit, while 33% of emotionally driven campaigns can say the same.

(Source: The Secret to Profit and Trust: Audio, June 2026)

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/