Radio Ads Build Brand Awareness in Joplin Study

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, March 23, 2026 | 2:57pm CT

Cumulus Media & Westwood One

A new blog post from Cumulus Media | Westwood One's Audio Active Group highlights how long-term AM/FM radio advertising helped a local Missouri business significantly boost brand awareness and growth.

The post centers on Bug-A-Way Pest Control in Joplin, MO, a company that had operated for more than two decades but struggled with name recognition. Owner Doug Hansen realized the issue during a local marketing event when attendees were unable to recall his company among pest control providers.

In response, Hansen and his team shifted their advertising strategy away from print and television, focusing instead on consistent radio campaigns featuring memorable, entertaining ads and a distinctive jingle.

According to a January 2026 study conducted by Quantilope among 150 Joplin consumers, the approach delivered measurable results. Bug-A-Way achieved 20% unaided brand awareness, surpassing some national competitors and ranking second overall in the category. The company also showed strong performance across key brand metrics, including ad recall (28%) and favorability (25%).

The research also underscores a broader challenge for local businesses: population turnover. New residents are less familiar with local brands, reinforcing the need for ongoing advertising. Among Joplin residents of 10 years or more, 61% were aware of Bug-A-Way, compared to 46% among newer residents.

The blog emphasizes that most advertising today focuses on short-term sales conversion, targeting the small percentage of consumers actively in the market. However, the findings highlight the importance of "creating future demand" by building brand familiarity with a broader audience over time.

Industry experts cited in the post note that effective marketing requires balancing both strategies-converting existing demand while also ensuring a brand is "easy to mind and easy to find" when consumers eventually enter the market.

The Bug-A-Way case study suggests that sustained investment in broad-reach media like AM/FM radio can play a key role in long-term brand building, particularly for local businesses competing against larger national brands.

Read the entire blog post here.