Yes, Radio Is A Traditional Advertising Medium. No, It’s Not Obsolete.
by Pamela Ross
Radio, alongside television, print, direct mail, and more, is a traditional advertising medium. By traditional, I mean mostly non-digital channels through which to promote products and businesses. The popular imagination has deemed radio obsolete, another casualty of digital media and an increasingly fractured media landscape. Sure, my road trips are now soundtracked by curated Spotify playlists instead of AM/FM chatter — but radio hasn’t gone the way of the dodo. Below are the primary reasons radio advertising remains advantageous for your business, event, or cause.
- Intimacy
We’re barraged by advertising messages every day — in our inboxes, while streaming television shows, on our social feeds. The challenge for advertisers, of course, is to cut through the clutter and engage prospective customers. But how to override the overstimulation of being a human in the twenty-first century? Radio could be key. Radio is inherently an intimate medium. For one thing, it’s strictly audio, and the most compelling ads feel like someone is speaking directly to you. When consumers listen to the radio, they’re often a) alone b) somewhere they can’t leave. While doing something solitary like housework or commuting via car or bus, people are less distracted — and thus less likely to tune out your message. And let’s be honest: a carpool or bus full of people is essentially a captive audience, a.k.a an advertiser’s dream.
2. Selective Targeting
Radio allows targeting based on several specific factors, increasing your chances of reaching your desired demographic. You can choose when, or which daypart, to air your ad. Maybe you want to engage white collar professionals en route to work in the morning, or maybe you want to reach second- and third-shift laborers at dusk or overnight. The radio format is also relevant — country music fans might be more likely to buy deer blinds, while conservative talk radio could connect you to listeners who love golfing. And of course, radio enables targeting based on geographic area, specifically DMA (Designated Market Area). This factor makes it especially useful to local businesses.
3. Frequency
Perhaps most importantly, radio allows for increased frequency of messaging. While television relies on reach and visual presentation, radio depends on repetition. Hearing your ad multiple times within a short period increases the chance that listeners will retain information from it — whether it’s your business’s name, slogan, or specific offer you’re promoting. And as any advertising veteran will tell you, mere name recognition goes a long way towards convincing customers to try your product or service. Maybe right now they don’t need you, but in six months when a storm damages their roof, they’ll turn to “Ted’s Home Improvement — We Get The Job Done Right The First Time!” because that ad made an impression.
With these points in mind, don’t shy away from incorporating radio into your advertising plan. It could be the perfect medium for your message! And if you need great radio copy, consider Write Label’s on-demand services.
