The following summarizes some key radio marketing trends that FMR Associates has been tracking since the mid-90's - including advertising visibility and contesting attitudes. These findings represent an analysis of more than 85,000 radio listeners from various studies, conducted among a cross-section of markets over the past several years. Results for the 2007 column are further broken out by major audience format categories. With a sample size this large, even a 1% difference is significant. Findings for each report year include all data obtained in studies since the previous report year.

Media Placement Effectiveness - What types of radio station advertising generate the most awareness? For the highest-visibility stations, it continues to be billboards. The most recent (2007) top-of-mind awareness of billboards (62%) is the highest in the past ten years. At the same time, the 2007 awareness of television advertising has declined slightly (from 31% in 2005 to 29%) -- but is still higher than 2003 (26%). Fewer continue to recall a bus sign (9%, down from 10% in 2005). Meanwhile, bumper sticker recall is about the same as in 2005 (20%, up slightly from 19%), and newspaper advertisement (5%) and direct mail (1%) recall remain low.

In terms of specific formats, Rock radio stations that are effective in generating top-of-mind awareness are particularly apt to be associated with billboard advertising (68%). This is also the case among high profile Country and Oldies/AC stations (58%-60%). Television recall is elevated among all but Rock stations (25% versus 33%-37% in other formats). Bumper sticker association is greater for Spanish radio stations (38%). Meanwhile, high profile Hot AC stations have unusually high bus sign recall (22%), with some elevated recall among Spanish radio stations as well (14%). At the same time, Oldies/AC stations are more apt to be recalled for newspaper advertisements. The low level of direct mail mention does not reflect its effectiveness, just that it does not significantly contribute to "high profile" station visibility. So, this is not surprising.

Radio Contest Predispositions - The share of "active" on-air radio contest "players" (18%) has declined from 2005 (21%), but remains higher than in 2003 (15%). "Passive appeal" ("don’t play, but listen") has also declined (36%, down from 41% in 2003-2005). Instead, there has been an increase in “negative” responses to contests – including “toleration” (“just there”) (from 25% to 31%) and tune-out (from 11% to 13%).

Formatically, Country radio listeners are among those most apt to indicate "active" (28%) and "passive appeal" (46%) of on-air radio contests. Hot AC listeners remain the least likely to participate (14%) and most likely to tolerate (35%) on-air radio contests.

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