Radio is far from dead, Caroline Gianias, President of Radio Connects, told the recent Western Association of Broadcasters (WAB) conference. However, convincing a new generation of advertising planners of that is commercial broadcasters’ biggest challenge right now.
Gianias asserted that common misconceptions about commercial radio need to be debunked, including challenging the belief that remote work has eliminated commutes, noting that 83% of Canadians still work from the office at some point, making in-car listening a crucial advertising touchpoint.
“Really, the challenge we’re having right now is that we’re dealing with a different generation of planners who don’t speak the same language as we do,” said Gianias. “How many times do we hear that radio is dead, no one’s listening. That’s the common misperception that many people have in the advertising industry because they didn’t necessarily grow up with the medium or even if they did, they’re just not really aware of it. But, the fact is radio is not dead, and across the five PPM markets [Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal], there’s over 14 million people listening, each week.”
She also strongly refuted the idea that Spotify is replacing radio, emphasizing radio’s significantly higher reach (82% weekly), compared to streaming and podcasts, pointing out the difficulty in reaching premium (ad-free) streaming users. Gianias also dispelled the notion that radio is only for older demographics, presenting data showing strong listenership among 18-34 year-olds. She stressed that despite the rise of e-commerce, 94% of Canadian shopping still occurs in person, making radio a powerful tool for influencing consumers on their “last mile path to purchase.”
“We need to reframe the way that we see radio, because it’s not the platform that’s outdated, it’s just the perception. Radio is not dead,” she reiterated. “While streaming and podcasts still get the buzz, live radio still reaches more people consistently across every age group. People are tuning in during the day, not just during the commute. So, when you need to reach your consumer…radio is a perfect opportunity to do that.”
Gianias concluded by advocating for radio as the “foundation” of audio campaigns, with digital audio serving as a complementary “echo” or “boost” for precision targeting and enhanced reach, especially through streaming radio’s first-party data capabilities. She characterized streaming radio as the “bridge.”
“That’s our first party data, that you can take what everyone loves about radio, trusts about radio, and extend it into the digital, where you can make those connections, you can overlay all that data. You can offer the same targetability, the same exactness that any other of the digital audios can offer.”
“You’ve got the trust, you’ve got the reliability, you’ve got the known brand…and now you’re bringing it into places where people can listen to it on demand on any device and still offer that same kind of targetability that the other digital players are offering.
