A newly released study commissioned by Katz Radio asks this question: “What makes a favorite radio station?” The inquiry is driven by a compelling engagement statistic:
More than 86% of listeners engage with radio on a frequent basis.
Daily routines bolster and maintain that engagement, we learn. Unsurprisingly, weekday mornings are the most fertile fields for tuning in: sixty-four percent of the overall audience are tuning in between 6am and 10am. That sounds like a commute-to-work audience, and indeed, the car remains radio’s primary listening environment.
Katz characterizes this listening as “highly attentive”
While those metrics are rock-steady, the survey also informs us that listeners are not necessarily loyal to one station, even in the day-to-day regularity of commuting. But even as Katz informs us of that, other survey results indicate that personalities drive loyalty. Two data findings drive home (if you will) that implied loyalty:
Sixty-three percent of listeners say personalities are very/extremely important.
Fifty-seven percent can name a favorite radio host.
Naturally, that attachment to personality helps radio sell products and services. Katz drills into this subject with five survey findings:
- Six in ten listeners (61%) say they are more likely to consider a brand when it is endorsed by a DJ or on-air personality.
- Nearly 40% say these endorsements feel more personal and authentic than traditional advertising, while 37% say they attract more attention than a standard commercial.
- Nearly 59% say they pay attention to advertisements on their favorite stations.
- 57% trust brands advertised there.
- 61% say they are more likely to consider brands they hear advertised on the station.
The Katz findings are HERE.