Radio: ‘We Have The Reach.’

Arby’s has the meat. Radio has the reach! That was the rallying call from Pierre Bouvard at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. Bouvard, Cumulus Media/Westwood One Audio Active Group Chief Insights, closed the Small and Medium Market Radio Forum on Saturday providing insights for attendees about AM/FM radio’s reach and the medium’s ability to engage consumers.

Bouvard displayed stats from Edison Research’s Share of Ear, which shows that of all ad-supported media, AM/FM radio commands 69% of audio time spent among persons 18+. Podcasts are next with 16%, followed by minimal shares for ad-supported Pandora, Spotify, and SiriusXM—all in the single-digit share range.

“Podcast is the new FM,” Bouvard said, noting that back in the 70s, “there was some snickering going on about FM… they play weird music, they do strange things on FM, and the NAB didn't let them participate in the NAB. Now, 90% of all radio listening is FM, but this is the new FM.” In the car, 86% of persons 18+ spend time with AM/FM radio. “If you want to reach Americans on the path to purchase, all roads lead to AMFM radio,” Bouvard explained.

The audience was treated to “freshly created” data, including radio and TV stats from Nielsen, podcast information from Edison’s Infinite Dial, and figures from MRI Simmons.

Among persons 25-54, AM-FM radio has the largest monthly reach across all ad-supported media, with 88% of the share. Linear TV follows with 73%. Podcasts account for 64% of the monthly share, while AM/FM streaming is 19%.

To counter the common thought that younger Americans are not tuning into radio, Bouvard showed that among those 18-34, AM/FM radio was No. 1, with 80% of monthly reach/usage among the demo. Podcasts are second with 68% of the monthly share, while AM/FM streaming accounts for 16%.

“It's a nice, younger audience” listening to the radio,” Bouvard said. “So, we have the reach. Arby's has the meats; we have the reach.”

Bouvard also explained and provided examples of how radio can elevate the media plan, especially for clients who place ads on social media.

“We can get you all of those people that Facebook doesn't get,” Bouvard said. “We can get you the people that Instagram doesn't get. We can get you the people that TikTok doesn't get you. We have the reach.”

The presentation also touched on how advertising works and the jobs of every advertiser, offering advice from Les Binet, “the godfather of marketing effectiveness,” who “explains advertising on one piece of paper and how it works.”

Bouvard also shared a brand study on Columbia, MO-based Steve’s Pest Control, a company started in 1998 with one work vehicle. After a consistent schedule of radio ads, the company has grown to 90 trucks and leads all pest control competitors in the state. You can view Inside Radio’s July 2024 report on the brand study HERE.