AM/FM Radio Boosts Or Replaces Outdoor Ads, With Help From In-Car Visuals.

There’s good news for advertisers having to deal with the limited availability of highway billboards: AM/FM radio can reach the same consumers with in-car display ads showing the same content, while driving lifts in awareness, consideration and action.

The findings come from various studies cited in the latest Westwood One blog, which shows how radio can benefit from Quu’s AM/FM in-dash visual ad units and Xperi’s DTS AutoStage listening heatmaps. 

“In an AM/FM radio industry first, the DTS AutoStage heatmap visualizes the listening proximity to outdoor billboards and retail locations the next day,” Cumulus Media/Westwood One Audio Active Group Chief Insights Officer Pierre Bouvard says. “In over 300 local markets, DTS AutoStage generates AM/FM radio listening data from six million connected cars in the U.S. AM/FM radio now has modern, cutting edge, timely measurement, which does not rely on a consumer’s memory or require a respondent to do something (like wear a gizmo).”

Adding the impact of Quu’s in-dash visuals — which can sync to an AM/FM radio ad or run as a standalone visual in-dash ad unit, with the same creative as on billboards (as shown above) — significantly increase effectiveness, according to a Quantilope study where more than 1,200 respondents saw in-dash ads for six national advertisers across 374 AM/FM stations in 75 U.S. markets. 

The study found that 83% of consumers pay attention to what’s on screen while listening to broadcast AM/FM radio, and that visual messages boosted results across the marketing funnel, lifting brand familiarity by 50%, slogan familiarity 57%, brand favorability 58%, purchase consideration 56%, purchase intent 89%, and brand usage 64%.

“The combination of loyal AM/FM radio audiences and in-dash visuals drove a significant lift in awareness, consideration, and action,” Bouvard says. “Combining AM/FM radio’s most loyal audiences and the connection they have with stations with the power of a visual ad on screen generates a huge lift in brand equity for national advertisers.”

From the advertiser and agency side, there’s a high level of interest in in-car AM/FM radio display ads, according to an Advertiser Perceptions survey showing 71% familiarity with them, and a willingness to pay an average 17% more for them.

Research from MRI-Simmons shows several similarities between AM/FM radio listeners and the outdoor advertising audience. Drivers clocking 250 or more miles weekly and are heavily exposed to outdoor advertising are 23% more likely to also be heavy AM/FM listeners, while less likely to be heavy users of other media.

Of all major media, AM/FM radio and outdoor have the strongest audience similarity.

Likewise, MRI-Simmons finds that the heavy AM/FM and outdoor audiences are similar when it comes to median age, employment, presence of children and household size.

Additionally, a study examining the impact on Meta (Facebook/Instagram) click-through rates when AM/FM radio and outdoor were added to the media plan shows that used together, outdoor and AM/FM radio drive significant digital impact. 

Adding AM/FM radio drove a 29% increase, and out-of-home a 57% lift, in click-through rates, with the combination of outdoor and AM/FM boosting click-through by 86%. “The click-through rates in these regions jump up as each media channel makes the other work harder,” Bouvard says. “It almost doubles response.”