Results from the NuVoodoo Ratings Prospects Study 24, which included over 3,000 14- to 64-year-olds nationwide, show that many listeners say they listen to more radio station content via a smartphone app – suggesting that these listeners are not always aware of station apps. As shown in the graph below, this figure is more than 2 in 5 across the sample – and over half among Gen Z, Millennials and heavy radio users (those who listen for at least an hour a day). That can mean many quarter hours lost.
Not surprisingly, the number of people saying they would listen more using an app drops sharply among Gen X (now ages 44-59) and the last five baby boomers in our sample, but the higher numbers among younger generations should get our attention. If you need more data to convince you that this is a serious deficit, the chart below shows the full sample data in blue and the 15% of the sample most likely to participate in ratings in olive green (labeled “RPS Ratings Likelies”). Among Gen Z and Millennials, more than two-thirds say they would listen more using an app—and among the older age groups in the sample, it’s nearly half.
Not all format constituencies are the same—and the likely ratings subgroups of those constituencies aren’t uniform either. Among core listeners of alternative and rock format stations (labeled “Alt + Rock” in the chart below), it’s 51%, and a slightly smaller percentage in the likely ratings subgroup. Conversely, among core listeners of classic rock, it’s 32%, but nearly twice as much in the likely ratings subgroup. And we see a similar picture among core listeners of classic hits and adult hits (labeled “Classic + Adult Hits” below).
The numbers are significantly lower among core country listeners – but they are not zero. As a manager of a country format, can you afford to forego possible quarter-hours?
In an age where it’s difficult to buy a radio unless it comes pre-installed in a new vehicle, it’s important to make listening to your stations as seamless as possible. That means your app, and especially the great benefits it offers, should be mentioned frequently on the radio, placed front and center in all online resources, and receive significant exposure in your social media feeds. Too often we hear stations throw away mentions of their app on the radio without mentioning the benefits enjoyed by listeners who have the app installed. And as demonstrated here, being able to listen to the station is no small benefit – and one you couldn’t overstate even if you tried.
Leigh Jacobs is Executive VP of Research Analysis at NuVoodoo, which helps a variety of companies achieve their marketing, research and digital goals. The company’s mantra is that research should focus on the demographic most likely to help clients get higher ratings, without becoming so restrictive that a station loses ranking if the panelists or diarists change. Information about its webinar series can be found HERE.
