Radio Ad Effectiveness Study Reveals Benefits to Brands

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, August 15, 2022 | 11:30am CT

Cumulus Media

Independent data analysis agency Colourtext and Radiocentre, the UK commercial AM/FM radio industry group, recently released the largest comprehensive AM/FM radio ad effectiveness report in the world. Big Audio Datamine encompasses 1,002 campaigns for 463 brands covering 14 sectors. This week's Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog outlined the key findings.

• AM/FM radio can strongly impact the two jobs of marketing: Converting existing demand and creating future demand. Across the 1,002 studies, Big Audio Datamine concludes that AM/FM radio "consistently delivers significant uplifts for advertisers across a wide range of long- and short-term effectiveness outcomes."

• AM/FM radio creates future demand by increasing awareness and building positive brand sentiment: The 1,002 studies reveal AM/FM radio campaigns generate significant lift in crucial top funnel metrics such as ad recall, brand relevance, and brand trust.

• AM/FM radio converts existing demand by increasing purchase consideration and stimulating online response: Among those in the market to buy now, the 1,002 studies reveal AM/FM radio advertising drives significant lower funnel impact.

• Auto, B2B, travel, CPG and telecom have the greatest increase in advertising recall: The average brand experienced a 49% increase in awareness due to AM/FM radio advertising.

• AM/FM radio increases the efficiency of media plans: Coulourtext and Radiocentre compared AM/FM radio's average share of total media spend (8%) to the increase in advertising awareness, brand relevance, and brand trust generated by AM/FM radio campaigns. In each case, the brand lift is three to five times greater than AM/FM radio's share of media spend.

• AM/FM radio elevates the media plan: Adding AM/FM radio to the plan improves the efficiency of the media campaign.

• The best-performing campaigns place an emphasis on creative consistency: Eight of the top ten creative attributes relate to consistent audio elements such as music, slogan, brand characters, or sonic brand.

• Campaigns that focus on building reach deliver stronger effects: Average uplift rates in advertising awareness were compared for campaigns with heavy and light GRP weight and heavy and light reach. The more people reached, the bigger the impact of an AM/FM radio campaign.