Ready for 2020? Radio is.
When the radio was first invented, the year 2020 must have seemed so distant. A future filled with technology beyond our wildest dreams - technology that would surely replace radio.
Well, here we are! And we do have life-changing technology at our fingertips like our smartphones, AirPods, voice assistants and smart speakers. Do you know what else we still use on a daily basis in 2020? Radio!
Thanks to its consistently massive reach and a renewed interest in audio, radio has thrived in an era of intense change. Radio is still the #1 reach medium, and has held its top position consistently for 16 quarters. Moreover, mobile devices, streaming, and podcasts have fueled the demand for content that can go wherever the consumer goes.
Audio dominated the conversation in 2019. What’s next? Here are some key lessons we learned and what it means for radio in the new year.
Media fragmentation continues to unphase radio
Radio may be the king of mass reach, but it also commands a majority of our attention. In Nielsen’s Total Audience Report Q2 2019, time spent with radio among adults 18 and older is nearly 12 hours per week, while adults spend just under six hours a week with their TV-connected devices. They say we’re living in the golden age of TV, but there are only so many hours in a day one can set aside for binge-watching. Radio is there to entertain and inform when a screen isn’t nearby or convenient, helping to keep AM/FM radio as the #1 in-car entertainment choice.
News/Talk drives listening
While Pop CHR and Country drew in younger listeners, News/Talk was by far the most listened to genre last year according to Nielsen with a 9.5% share of listeners among persons 6+ in 2019. Though it’s held the top spot among general audiences for almost a decade, listening typically spikes around key election years, and 2020 will be no different. Radio has proven itself as a trustworthy resource for consumers who want to stay informed at the global and community level, and as usual, radio will not disappoint.
Looking to reach loyal, highly-involved listeners? We also have our own News/Talk network that’s jam-packed with top stations across the country.
Radio proves itself to the savviest of marketers
If it wasn’t last year, attribution will be the big radio buzz word for 2020. Digital advertising has made it easy for marketers to precisely track campaign response, and that granular level of detail has raised the bar for other media platforms. Radio is ready to meet those expectations with attribution and enhanced measurement tools. Radio advertisers can pinpoint how their campaigns drive traffic to make smarter creative decisions and get the most out of the dollars they spend.