Study Finds 67% of Americans 14-54 Now Own Smart Speaker

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, January 27, 2021

NuVoodoo Media Services

NuVoodoo Media Services is offering a free upcoming webinar, "How to Get Your Ratings From Here to Vaccinated" on Thursday, February 11 at 1pm ET. The webinar will share the latest findings of its Ratings Prospects Study XVII and important insights for marketing radio brands in 2021. With nearly 3,500 respondents, ages 14-54, across all PPM markets interviewed in January, 2021, NuVoodoo's Ratings Prospects Study XVII revealed that Smart Speaker penetration is up 67% among Persons 14-54.

The NuVoodoo Ratings Prospects Study is conducted twice a year to learn more about those who are most likely to say "yes" to the opportunity to wear a meter or fill out a diary in order to provide NuVoodoo clients with competitive insights and advantages that they can exploit to capture higher ratings. This is the 17th Ratings Prospects Study that NuVoodoo has completed since 2011. The company shares the top-level findings of its studies with its radio broadcasting clients to develop winning next-generation marketing and programming strategies for stations of all formats in PPM markets.

NuVoodoo Media Services Executive Vice President, Research Insights Leigh Jacobs said, "According to our January study, smart speakers are in the homes of 67% of 14 to 54 year-olds and the penetration rate is accelerating. Up from 60% last June and 56% in Jan 2020."

NuVoodoo Media Services Executive Vice President, Marketing Mike O'Connor remarked "Smart speaker penetration is even deeper among those likely to accept a Nielsen meter. In fact, more that three-fourths of those who would accept a meter are using a smart speaker for audio entertainment, compared to just over half of those who'd say no to being a panelist."

O'Connor continued, "This segment listens to a lot more radio, too. A small fraction, about one in seven, in the PPM No Group report are listening to radio for a half hour or more each week on their smart speaker. Compare that segment to the PPM yes group, where the percentage who listen for a half hour or more each is over three times as large."

NuVoodoo Media Services President/CEO Carolyn Gilbert noted, "The great news here is that smart speakers are in many more homes and that continues to accelerate and provide listeners with greater access to audio information and entertainment. That presents a tremendous opportunity for radio in 2021 and beyond, as stations get smarter about optimizing their brands' smart speaker positioning."

In addition to smart speakers, this first webinar episode will give you 2021's first snapshot of likely PPM panelists and diary-keepers. The 40-minute NuVoodoo webinar will cover the things your need to know to help put your radio station on top of the Nielsen ratings, including:

• Work-from-home and workplace listening trends
• Podcasts, smart speakers and streaming
• National and local contests
• Marketing messages that drive tune-in or boost TSL
• Social and digital channels that move the needle

As usual, NuVoodoo will highlight the difference between those who'd say "yes" to Nielsen and those who would never participate in radio ratings.

Register for the webinar here.