FINDINGS FROM NEW KATZ STUDY ON LOCALIZED CREATIVE
The primary role of a radio station is to connect with consumers locally – in the communities where they live. Local is a fundamental element of AM/FM radio, and in fact, 9 in 10 listeners believe that its local feel is one of radio's primary advantages (Jacobs Media Techsurvey 2023). With such local ties, radio is an environment where national advertisers can gain credibility and acceptance from local consumers. But besides being on the local airwaves, how can advertisers tap even further into radio's local resonance? Katz surveyed 950 adults across three markets to show how localizing spots can help brands go the extra mile.
CONSUMERS NOTICE AND APPRECIATE LOCAL SHOUTOUTS
Localizing radio creative brings an added level of targeting, leading to spots that are more likely to break through and grab listeners' attention. Brands that reference listeners' locations increase their relevancy, producing ads that are more impactful. And consumers like a personalized touch; they appreciate the brands that mention their city or state in their advertising.
LOCALIZED CREATIVE BOOSTS PURCHASE INTENT
Katz's study tested 2 versions of audio ads for a specialty retailer, insurance brand, and healthcare provider across 3 different geographies in order to compare the impact of generic ads to those with localized references. Results showed that while every tested ad improved purchase intent, the ads that incorporated local elements into the copy averaged a +24% boost in effectiveness in the featured markets.
Market names, area landmarks, accents, and other unique market features are just some of the ways that brands can localize generic ad creative to diversify copy and help boost consumer engagement. Spot radio's ability to deliver tailored creative by market ensures that all brands on-air have the opportunity to tap into the local flavor of an area, target consumers with creative, and increase purchase intent.
RADIO IS THE WATER COOLER FOR MILLIONS OF POST-OSCARS CONVERSATIONS
The 95th Academy Awards were the biggest awards show of the season, drawing nearly 19 million viewers this past Sunday, according to Nielsen. Even without another "slap heard around the world," there were still many memorable moments and historic firsts to discuss from the evening. Katz surveyed 900 listeners after the Oscars and found that radio was home to many of these discussions, proving that radio can amplify the impact of events by extending conversations and growing audiences.
OSCARS BUZZ ACROSS THE DIAL
In the two days following the Oscars ceremony, radio was buzzing with discussions around the shows highlights and lowlights. According to the Katz survey, 6 in 10 listeners reported hearing on-air conversations about the Oscars during their daily listening. That's even higher than the 48% of listeners who said they watched any of the Oscars broadcast on TV.
Oscars news and conversations hit the radio airwaves across both music and spoken word formats. Half of listeners heard coverage on news stations, while one-third heard discussions on music stations. And in a somewhat surprising departure from their usual content, 5% of listeners even heard Oscars talk on sports stations. Discussions around big cultural events cross genres, potentially reaching audiences that would not have tuned into the Oscars telecast.
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Live conversations on AM/FM radio echo the same ones people are having across America - and when that dialogue is about big events involving big advertiser investments, marketers are also winners. Radio has its finger on the pulse of big pop culture events, even those outside of a station's typical character, and amplifies the impact, extending conversations, and growing audiences.
THE RISE OF SMART SPEAKERS AND RADIO DOMINANCE IN-CAR
Edison Research, along with partners Amazon Music, Wondery and ART19, released a new edition of the Infinite Dial, exploring all facets of the audio landscape. This year's study was fielded in January 2023 and reveals the state of consumers' evolving audio appetites in-home and in the car.
IN-HOME: SMART SPEAKER GROWTH IN ADOPTION AND NUMBER OF DEVICES OWNED
An estimated 103 million consumers, more than one-third of the U.S. population over 12, now own a smart speaker. Ownership levels have grown +3% over last year, and have doubled over the past 5 years. Smart speakers saw an initial spike in adoption during the first year of the pandemic, and the new Infinite Dial data is evidence that consumer interest continues to thrive.
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Not only are more consumers buying smart speakers, they are also increasing the number of units in each household. As of this year, 58% of smart speaker owners have more than one device, a +76% increase over 2018. The number of households that own 3+ devices has grown +15% in the past year, and more than tripled since 2018. Multiple device ownership implies that consumers who invest in a smart speaker are finding more use cases for it, creating a desire for multiple devices. The average number of smart speakers per household is now 2.8, up from 1.7 in 2018.
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IN-CAR: RADIO DOMINATES THE AUDIO LANDSCAPE
The Infinite Dial affirms radio's dominance in the evolving in-car media environment, reporting 73% reach among car users. Radio's in-car audience is +38% higher than its nearest competitor, owned digital music, and +92% higher than the podcasts and online audio. Radio delivers nearly double the audience as other ad-supported platforms, and upwards of +2.5x more than satellite radio.
Both podcasts and digital audio experienced major growth over the past 2 years as the automobile has become an increasingly connected environment - 53% listen to audio on a cell phone, and 26% of car users have access to mobile operating systems like Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. A casualty of the evolving car dashboard has been CD players, losing 17% of users over the past 2 years.
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Consumers have more ways than ever to connect with their favorite local AM/FM stations in the car and at home (or work). Marketers, in turn, have even more ways to reach them - over-the-air and on radio station streams - through different types of speakers.
For more information from the Infinite Dial.