Radio is an effective advertising medium-when used properly.
Radio is best used for targeting a particular demographic group, to build message frequency, as a value-added promotional tool (live remotes, free radio spots, free sponsorships, free promotional announcements, tickets to give away), and as a promotional medium (special sale events, etc.).
Radio is a targeted medium because each radio station attracts a specific demographic group based on the station format, which means that every station has a "best demo." For example, an Album Oriented Rock station is dominated by males 18-34 years of age. A Big Band/Nostalgia station is dominated by adults 65+. A Classical station reaches upscale adults 35-54, and a News/Talk format is dominated by males 45+.
Because people have a favorite radio format, people also have a favorite station. And because, as the saying goes, "birds of a feather flock together," any given format will attract a certain and predictable demographic group. A typical person has one favorite station, and two others they listen to less frequently. By knowing the demographic cell in which your target audience falls, and if your target demo is narrowly defined, you can hit many of them with a one or two radio station buy in many instances. However, it is best to hit both your primary and secondary demo for maximum reach and effectiveness in any given media buy.
Each station also has a best time slot or day part, where rating points and audience listenership are the highest, making your spot more effective. Some stations have more listeners in morning drive (Monday-Friday 6 a.m.-10 a.m. in major metros, and 7 a.m.-9 a.m. in smaller metros), and others have more listeners during midday (Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-3 p.m.), as they are the listen-at-work format or talk radio.
So for an effective campaign, you want to buy only the radio stations that deliver the highest number of your primary and secondary demos. And of those stations, you want to buy only the best day parts that deliver the highest number of these target listeners. But don't forget that people are creatures of habit and they have listening patterns that are nearly set in stone. This means that in order to reach the entire target audience of any one station, you have to run your spots Monday through Friday in the morning drive, midday, and evening drive; and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., with the majority of your spots running in the morning and evening drive times.
When looking at the Arbitron data, be aware that you must compare the audience share (the percentage of people listening to that station in that day part out of all people listening to all radio stations in the market in that day part) and the total number of people listening in that day part (given in quarter-hour averages). A station may have a very high audience share in a particular day part, but only 1,200 people are listening.
You only have so much money to spend in your marketing mix, and only a portion of that is available for radio. Take the time to do your homework so you can get the most out of your radio investment.
Duane Sprague is an automotive marketing and advertising expert, consultant, and author of "35 Tips For Successful Direct Mail Marketing."