Report: Radio is a Smart Way to Grow Customers

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, July 7, 2017 | 1:51pm CT

Pierre Bouvard

Advertisers can turn to AM/FM radio as a smart way to boost customers in the face of rising paid search costs, wrote Pierre Bouvard (pictured) in the latest Westwood One blog. In fact, traditional media outperforms social, short-form digital and search, according to Neustar. A study from Accenture also states that reducing traditional media causes search and social ROI to drop. AM/FM radio solves search's price inflation crisis by driving ROI and growth in customers.

• Radio delivers for an auto aftermarket retailer: A recent study by Nielsen found a radio campaign for an auto aftermarket retailer resulted in a 48% increase in buyers, a 71% growth in market share, and $21 of incremental sales for every $1 spent in radio.
• Three case studies show radio creates digital impact: A major motorcycle brand's radio campaign grew website visitation, Amazon saw the strongest sales conversion from radio ads, and there was an increase in website visitation among those who were reached more frequently by a home improvement brand's radio campaign.
• Allocating 20% of a digital budget to AM/FM radio produces significant reach growth and greater brand impact: Redistributing a percentage of digital dollars to AM/FM radio creates improvement in brand awareness, consideration, purchase, and brand advocacy.

Though search costs continue to rise, AM/FM radio remains a stable and effective alternative for advertisers looking to make an impact.

Cumulus, Signal Hill Release Fall 2025 Podcast Report Cumulus Media, Signal Hill Cumulus Media, in partnership with Signal Hill Insights, has released the Podcast Download -- Fall 2025 Report, offering a detailed look at the latest behaviors and trends among weekly podcast consumers. Now in its fifteenth edition, the study continues Cumulus Media's ongoing effort to share research and More

Connoisseur Sells 15 Missouri Stations to Carter Media Connoisseur Media Connoisseur Media has reached an agreement to sell fifteen of its Missouri stations to Carter Media LLC and Carter Media Too LLC, a family-run broadcaster based in Carrollton, MO. The deal awaits FCC approval and is expected to close early next year. The stations included in the sale span several More

CPB, NPR Settle Interconnection Funding Dispute Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has reached a settlement with National Public Radio (NPR), ending NPR's lawsuit seeking to block CPB's award of public radio interconnection funding to Public Media Infrastructure (PMI), a new coalition of public media organizations. More

LABF Elects Parenti & Denes as New Co-Chairs for 2026 Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) has elected Deborah Parenti and Dave "Chachi" Denes as its new Co-Chairs, succeeding outgoing leaders Heidi Raphael and Jack Goodman. Their five-year term will begin on January 1, 2026. Raphael, Chief Communications Officer at Beasley Media Group, More

Jacobs Media, Quu's Techsurvey 2026 Launches in January Jacobs Media Techsurvey 2026 & Quu Jacobs Media and Quu have opened registration for commercial radio stations in the U.S. and Canada to participate in Techsurvey 2026, the industry's largest annual study focused on media and technology trends. The 2025 edition, fielded in January and February, included 500 participating stations across More

Keith Cunningham Launches New Black Box Group Black Box Group Veteran media programmer and strategist Keith Cunningham has launched Black Box Group, a new consultancy designed to help audio and media companies navigate an increasingly complex competitive landscape. The venture offers what Cunningham describes as a "high-impact, More