Study shows: radio advertising works
On behalf of Swiss Radioworld and Swiss private radio stations, Omnicom Media is investigating whether and how radio advertising works over the course of 2015. The advertising impact of the radio genre is being observed and analyzed in four waves. The results so far speak for themselves.
In the first two waves of the survey, the Omnicom Media Group, which was commissioned, used online interviews to investigate two key questions. Firstly, who, with what and when radio is listened to nowadays, and secondly, what effect the generic advertising has in terms of buying impulse and brand perception. For this purpose, around 1,000 participants were interviewed in German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland respectively, with the sample covering the population group between 15 and 64 years of age. A total of twelve campaigns have been studied so far, seven of them radio only and five radio/TV combined.
The study confirmed the trend that radio has long since ceased to be a singular reception device, but rather takes place as a companion throughout the day on a wide variety of platforms. For example, IP-based channels already account for 35 percent in cars, and 65 percent among listeners who are on the road without a car. Nevertheless, one third of those surveyed still remain accessible only via FM.
The survey also revealed that radio is listened to in roughly equal measure both at home (55 percent) and on the move, for example in the car (52 percent). One of the most important findings is that the medium reaches around a third (35 percent) of its listeners at work. Last but not least, the study provides initial indications of the additional reach provided by IP-based channels. For example, the reach of a classic radio campaign during drivetime can be increased by double-digit percentages through web radio pre-rolls during office hours.
Radio influences brand awareness and buying impulses
The results show that radio has at least as strong an effect as TV in terms of unaided brand awareness. In the media combination radio/TV and with singles spots, these values can be increased even more significantly. In this context, it was also noticeable that the respondents' recall of the medium was much stronger with singles spots than with commercial break contacts. In addition, it was shown that radio advertising influences the willingness to buy and has a positive effect on decision-making. For example, the willingness to buy of radio listeners is up to 22 percent higher than among customers who did not experience radio contact. And this despite the fact that the spots were rated as rather average across the board.
Radio enjoys a loyal listenership
The study produced clear results that highlight the impact of radio advertising. The medium can count on a loyal, ritualized and receptive listenership. With the two waves of studies still to come this year, the growing database will enable an even more precise analysis. In this way, links and dependencies between the place, device and time of advertising reception and the industry, budget or duration of a campaign can be precisely identified.
