Airwave Analytics: The Data & Advantages of Radio Advertising
In the early 2000s, Billy Beane was the General Manager of the Oakland Athletics, a Major League Baseball team with an extremely low payroll compared to competition. No problem. Billy would go on to transform his team, baseball, and sports as a whole. How? He was the first person to bring analytics to athletics.
Every decision from what pitch should be thrown when, to whether bunting was a good idea in a given scenario, would now be better informed. Because to Billy data is the truth. Instinct, intention, and tradition are not (necessarily).
In the world of marketing and advertising, instinct, intention, and tradition can be particularly tempting. But as humans, we’re too easily biased. Yet data doesn’t care about bias, or intuition. It just cares about being seen, read, and shared.
“Data is the truth. Instinct, intention, and tradition are not (necessarily).”
For businesses seeking effective advertising, there is simply no equal to the personal, penetrating airwaves of local radio. It is efficient, targeted, and king at creating top-of-mind awareness. We at Iliad Media Group know it, but don’t just take our word for it...see for yourself.
The Best Way to Advertise? Go Where The People Are.
Okay, so imagine a business wants to advertise. Say it has dynamite copy, or a hysterical idea for a television spot. Maybe it weaves in a timely social media campaign, and a bundle of other creative gold.
That’s wonderful, except it doesn’t matter whatsoever if no one is engaging with it.
When compared to visual mediums, radio reigns supreme in actually reaching potential customers.
What about other audio?
Even if podcasts continue to grow, they’re looking at a lengthy battle to actually overcome the trusty goldmine that is AM/FM listenership. Satellite radio is an awesome innovation, no doubt - it just lacks the soul of local radio.
All the advertising potential and skill in the world means little if its final result doesn’t end up in the right place - radio.
“All the advertising potential and skill in the world means little if its final result doesn’t end up in the right place - radio.”
We see what radio advertising does and what it leads to. But why? What about it makes it so darned effective?
The Best Marketing and Advertising is Targeted
Whether due to legislation or sheer inability of the medium, true targeted advertising is virtually impossible these days on social platforms, podcasts, television, you name it. However, one of the powerful advantages of radio advertising is the ability to advertise demographically, as opposed to individually. Meaning, radio advertisers can target legally, ethically, and effectively—all while saving money.
The graphic below is just a tiny example of what advertisers could use to find their target audience, and be heard in a highly effective way.
Radio Advertising = Local Advertising
No other medium captures the soul of its region like radio. And it’s more than just local businesses reaching local people. It’s the local people’s connection with their beloved on-air talent. In a Nielsen Total Audience poll, 77% of listeners say they would try a brand recommended by their favorite on-air personality.
Do you think podcast, print or television conversation rates even flirt with 77%?
But wait, there’s more:
Radio is the pulse of a community. Even more so in times of need or disaster, as a yearning for community increases. This has only bolstered radio enthusiasm over the last two years, particularly in places like Boise, where waves of newcomers connect with their new home through the local radio stations.
Radio Advertising Costs
Occam’s Razor is an old philosophical principle that essentially states the simplest solution is usually the best one. It should be renamed Radio’s Razor, because radio is not only highly effective in reaching consumers—it’s a beautifully simple process compared to other forms of media.
That simplicity means saving precious marketing dollars that can instead be allocated to the business itself.
Let’s break it down by starting with a bird’s eye view of some large American cities.
Let’s go right to the Big Leagues with the Big Apple. Now, $1,405 is no meager sum. But in illustrating the cost-effectiveness of radio, what would $1,405 get you in New York if you were filming a 30-second television ad? A safe bet would be just the food bill for the cast and crew! Let’s check the financials of other mediums though:
Ah, billboards as a close second. Yet they’re not able to be seen from home, while people can easily tune in to their favorite stations from any room in the house! You can get a rough idea for Boise radio advertising costs here.
Radio’s “Weakness” is Overblown.
For decades, advertisers have cited the fluctuation of listener numbers as a reason to stick solely with morning or afternoon drives or abandon radio entirely. Now look, of course those stretches will have the most ears tuned in. And sure, social media gets heavy lunch break usage, and sports viewership adores weekends. But that doesn’t mean the drop-off in radio listenership, while part of the equation, isn’t being massively overestimated. Have a look at the data.
If radio’s upside is well-documented, and its downside is overestimated, you don’t need to be Billy Beane to see that radio advertising is the wise, data-backed choice.
Boise is growing exponentially, and your business should too.
