Studies Reveal Audio is Home Improvement Sales Engine

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, November 1, 2021

Westwood One

Eight consumer studies commissioned by the Cumulus Media and Westwood One Audio Active Group over a six-year period has found audio listeners are the engine of home improvement sales. The studies also reveal creative and media strategies that can optimize impact. This week's Westwood One blog post outlines the key findings.

• A home improvement retailer and Lowe's have a branding opportunity as few loyal shoppers are aware of their innovative shopping apps and home improvement tech tools.

• Women prefer female voiceovers: A major study found ads with a female voiceover drove stronger brand awareness and brand perceptions among both men and women.

• Big audio users are massive home improvement shoppers: Podcast listeners and heavy AM/FM radio listeners are much bigger home improvement shoppers than heavy TV viewers. Heavy audio listeners spend more (4X) and shop more frequently (+43%).

• Heavy up spending works: A home improvement retailer that increased AM/FM radio spend 2.3X in 21 local markets experienced a significant surge in store traffic and sales.

• Audio is an ideal media platform to tout home improvement ecommerce as heavy AM/FM radio and podcasts listeners are more likely to shop online.

• AM/FM radio ads that focus on sales events for different home improvement departments create a "halo effect" that results in increased online shopping and store visits.

• AM/FM radio generates significant incremental reach for home improvement TV campaigns: Recent TV campaigns for a home improvement retailer and Lowe's saw significant lift in reach with the addition AM/FM radio. The younger the demographic, the greater the reach lift generated by AM/FM radio.

• AM/FM radio generates three times the sales lift of TV in a historic Nielsen TV and AM/FM radio sales effect study for a home improvement retailer.