Contributor: Rick Kestenbaum, general manager, AnalyticOwl
Connecting with individuals via media can be difficult. You need to engage with them personally and emotionally. It is a challenge that charitable organizations often struggle with trying to deliver their message to a mass audience.
No other medium engages in a more personal way than broadcast radio. As part of the local community, it is the duty of the radio station to generate awareness of issues that impact the community in which a radio station’s listeners live, work and play. Radio inspires listeners to get involved with charities, religious institutions and causes. AM/FM radio reaches 86% of adults 18+ who have contributed to any religious or social care/welfare organization in the past year, according to Scarborough’s USA+ 2024 Release 2.
AnalyticOwl’s Industry Insights report for the Charitable/Religious/Nonprofit category, based on 2024 calendar year data, reveals a number of opportunities that cause marketers can use to better understand the impact of radio on website traffic, and to understand where and how to optimize to even better response.
One key finding is that during this date range, 65% of charitable, religious or nonprofit website visits that occurred immediately after commercials aired came from search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.), while only 32% of visits came from users who entered a specific website address. Why is this important? In Google Analytics, the “Referring Source” metric identifies the last website a visitor was on. That can give the impression that all of that traffic should be attributed to search engines, when in reality, many visits are from people who had just heard a commercial and then used a search engine to get to the site. Understanding that people will overwhelmingly behave this way no matter what call to action is used is key to understanding the full impact of radio. Hard-to-remember website or landing page addresses, dedicated phone numbers and response codes all attempt to create a narrow response path that most people simply won’t go down.
For both categories, response rates were highest on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. In this case, the best strategy is a higher presence at midweek to leverage that spike in response, but also a presence the other days of the week which all had response rates that warrant their inclusion. The best daypart overall was Midday. Afternoon and Morning Drive both contributed at a nearly equal level, which is unusual since Morning Drive usually drives higher numbers later in the day as a benefit of reach and frequency. Evenings and Overnights often prove to deliver good value given lower rates. And :60 was the best performing ad duration, driving 6% lift in web traffic. This is an important consideration for those using :15s and/or :30s, as cause marketing commercials seem benefit from delivering a more detailed message to really engage the listener.
Radio visitors also drove quality visits. Session durations averaged 2 minute, 20 seconds with an average of 2.2 pages viewed, indicating serious interest and response. Bounce rates were on the low side at 34%, indicating that fewer people just visit a single page before leaving the site. And over 50% of site visitors used a mobile device, a great reminder that radio audiences can easily respond anywhere and everywhere.
Advertisers who follow these insights will find that increased response leads to increased engagement in the form of participating, volunteering and donating. Combining these insights with radio’s incredible connection and reach can help deliver a cause’s message in a very powerful way.
Own the Creative, Own the Ad Buy: The Untapped Differentiator in Local Media Sales
Author: Travis Cartier, senior manager, onboarding and development, Marketron
One of the most frequent questions I hear from radio salespeople is, “What’s my differentiator?” It’s a crowded landscape with local businesses receiving daily emails and calls from someone who wants their ad budget.
How do local media sellers break through the noise? At the top of the list is their local market expertise. Most agencies and ad tech platforms certainly can’t match this. It’s a great leading point, but not the only one.
The other powerful play is owning the creative. When local sellers come to the conversation with ideas, it can be persuasive enough to win them the deal. Overlooking this competitive advantage keeps a seller’s offerings on par with anyone else’s since most advertising is a commodity, and targeting options are standard.
The path to differentiation has a foundation in the creative, which has more impact on performance. A recent study found that creative as a sales driver has much more power than targeting.
So, how does one “own” the creative?
3 Strategies for Local Media Sellers to Own the Creative
During a conversation, how often are advertisers somewhat directionless on what types of ads to run? It’s easy for them to promote specific sales or promotions, but what are they doing for consistent brand awareness? How are they managing the message to their audience?
Most don’t have answers for this. They are busy running businesses and want increased traffic or sales but aren’t sure which road to take.
That’s where strategies for creative ideas come into play. These examples can help a seller apply this to their prospecting and pitching.
Understand the Vertical and Leverage Trends
Every industry changes and evolves, much as the result of audience shifts. How people buy and what criteria they use evolves. Think about the explosion of online grocery shopping or how many consumers transitioned to digital banking.
These changes in consumer preference caused businesses to adapt their advertising strategies. Before a seller pitches something, it is important to research the vertical and understand what’s trending. Center campaign ideas on these and present them to companies. It shows knowledge of their market and customers – key characteristics of a marketing professional.
Remember, Every Business Is Unique
Even within the same vertical, each advertiser has their own identity. A canned approach to pitching that only addresses the industry could still not impress. That’s why combining industry insights with actual company wants and expectations matters. It may mean evaluating their current ad campaigns to understand why they aren’t working. Much of the time, the cause will be the creative.
The key to attracting business owners as potential advertisers is customizing your VBR (valid business reason). This initial icebreaker can be used to tease creative ideas for them based on their current digital footprint and industry data.
Take Advantage of Resources Available
Being a creative fountain for advertisers means staying up to date. Our industry has many helpful resources that do much of the ideating for you. Examples include:
Research on local media ad campaigns where creative was impactful to performance (e.g., Westwood One studies and RAB presentations).
Industry-specific information, including changing advertising perspectives and general trends found in vertical publications.
Campaign idea generation articles like those on our sales enablement microsite, Aspire.
All this information can help personalize pitches and build credibility and value.
Be an Idea Generator, Win the Deal
Local sellers are creative at heart. They have to be as they adjust to all the factors that affect ad sales. A lot can’t be controlled, like the economy, but being an idea generator for campaigns can. It requires more work, but the payoff is earning an advertiser’s trust and dollars.
Owning the creative requires guiding the campaign’s core to achieve advertiser goals and resonate with audiences. That’s good for performance and eventual renewal conversations. With this approach, it is no longer purely sales. Instead, it is a consultative approach, solidifying relationships with businesses for the long term.
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
When considering advertising categories, there are some that have experienced numerous changes because of and due to the pandemic. Some of those changes were limited to the pandemic while other categories have undergone drastic changes influenced by external issues beyond the pandemic.
The auto industry has been on a roller coaster ride with inventory limitations, excesses and now with tariff concerns looming over their proverbial heads. As the tariff concerns grew greater, consumers have hit the marketplace with the hopes of buying a new vehicle at a lower rate. However, this surge in pre-tariff buying may be creating an inventory challenge for auto dealers. Understanding what auto buyers want and how they like to shop always matters, most especially now.
Prior to the concern of tariffs, Cox Automotive queried consumers in late 2024 to understand their purchase journey and compare it to years prior. Four in 10 consumers agreed that their buying experience was better than it had been in previous years. This satisfaction level may be higher due to higher prep and research levels. Consumers spent over 14 hours researching and shopping online, speaking with other and visiting dealerships – 48 minutes greater than 2023.
Even with the research and time spent, most consumers still prefer to shop in person. Fifty-one percent of new and used auto buyers did their auto transactions in person. (The auto buying experience is important to consumers so the experience at the dealer location should reflect that. Consumers want to know that the experience will be a positive one – an important aspect to note when reaching those in the market to buy a vehicle.) However, those who prefer online transactions are more apt to learn about incentives, estimated payment and F&I qualifications online versus in person.
Overall, the Cox Automotive survey found that consumer satisfaction levels with dealerships were high in 2024, 73% – but down from the 2020 high point of 77%.
Despite the high satisfaction levels existing among auto-buying consumers, the possibility of a shift in those perspectives can change quickly. The industry experienced that during the pandemic. Dealers will need to advertise on a medium that is nimble and can quickly adapt to changes in messaging. No local medium does that better than broadcast radio. It is also the medium that connects with consumers who are in the market for a new vehicle. Heavy radio listeners (three or more hours per day) spend more time listening to radio than using any other media option. According to The Media Audit. Heavy radio listeners who plan to purchase a vehicle (car/van/truck/SUV or crossover) spend 24% of their total daily minutes listening to radio.
Broadcast radio not only reaches consumers who are in the market for a vehicle, but AM/FM radio also dominates in-car ad-supported audio and accounts for 86% of audio share, per Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” report.
When connecting with radio listeners, auto dealers should address consumer concerns on tariffs. According to an MRI-Simmons 2025 Q2 Trending Topics survey, 76% of radio listeners are concerned that tariffs will increase their everyday purchases. Including information on inventory levels, etc. will help auto buyers know where to go for their vehicle purchases and what to expect.
Radio isn’t just surviving in 2025 – it’s evolving. With $12.3 billion in projected local radio and digital radio ad revenue this year, combining both traditional and digital platforms, radio remains the fifth-largest advertising medium in the local market space. BIA’s analysis reveals shifts in how different sectors are approaching radio advertising.
The landscape looks different than it did even a few years ago. Investment firms and retirement services now lead radio advertising spending, followed by quick-service restaurants and supermarkets. But perhaps the most interesting shift is happening in digital radio, where finance, insurance and restaurant sectors are each investing over $95 million.
Some sectors are betting big on radio’s digital future. Real estate developers are increasing their digital radio spending by 15.8%, while restaurants and bars plan an 8.6% boost. Even traditional sectors like hospitals are spreading their investments across radio’s various platforms, recognizing its strength in reaching rural and remote communities.
As traditional broadcasting merges with digital capabilities, radio is proving it can do what it’s always done best – connecting advertisers with local audiences – while offering the targeting and measurement that modern marketers demand. In a media landscape that grows more fragmented each year, that’s no small feat.
As we move through 2025, radio’s ability to maintain its position as a top-five advertising medium while embracing digital transformation suggests a bright future for this resilient industry. The medium continues to prove that it can evolve with the times while maintaining its core strength: connecting advertisers with local audiences in meaningful ways.
Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
I think we would all agree that there is no place like home. Travel destinations often refer to the comforts of home, but there’s something about sleeping in your own bed, sitting in your own chair and kicking your feet up at home that makes a difference.
What makes that difference? Perhaps it was the care taken during the selection and purchase process of each one of those items. It felt good, looked good and matched the décor of your current home. And since the pandemic, furniture has become more important as dwellings often serve as both a home and an office.
According to Provoke Insights, a full-service market research firm, over two-thirds of radio listeners have purchased furniture in the past year. Who are these radio listeners? They are households with children and are Gen Z.
Radio listeners are buying a wide array of furniture compared to their nonlistening cohorts. Radio listeners are much more likely to purchase mattresses, lighting, outdoor furniture, sofas as well as storage and office furniture.
Radio listeners with a higher household income ($250K+) are more likely to purchase storage cabinets, office furniture and accent tables. Furniture retailers with higher price points may want to focus their messaging to connect with higher-income consumers. However, all furniture retailers should include inventory availability and diversity in their radio ads to reach this highly engaged consumer.
Furniture retailers should also place as much emphasis on their online storefront as they do their brick-and-mortar location. Radio listeners will make their furniture purchases online because of pricing and wider selections versus nonlisteners. Radio listeners are more apt than nonlisteners to visit physical locations, check out online reviews and, if satisfied, they are willing to splurge on their furniture purchase. (This is an opportunity to promote upgrade options in fabric, size, colors, etc.) And while family/friends may influence radio listeners’ purchase (21%, versus 13% total respondents), online reviews are the top influence for radio listeners.
What’s the cause behind radio listeners and their increased propensity to purchase furniture? Trust. Based on 1,501 respondents ages 21 through 65, the Provoke Insights survey results show that audio is trusted as a channel that builds connections with brands and their customers. Among podcast listeners (54%) and radio listeners (48%), audio creates that emotional connection with listeners – potential furniture buyers.
Broadcast radio has high reach among all listeners and connects with furniture shoppers – especially among diverse consumers. Radio reaches 85% of adults who shopped at any furniture or mattress store in the past year. That reach is greater among Black and Hispanic consumers – 87%. When it comes to watching furniture sales come in, broadcast radio offers the best seat.
The devastation we witnessed from hurricane Helene was beyond belief. As you can see Asheville, North Carolina has suffered a tremendous loss, and it will take years to recover. We are helping in any way we can and we’re asking you to do the same. Click the link so you can make a donation to the United Way in Ashville, NC to help them recover. https://bit.ly/3XNRAPk
