Even though 35% of employers and executives responding to a late-August 2020 survey by The Conference Board said they were still unsure when their companies would reopen, their employees are working. Daytime radio has been and is still a favorite media choice for many employees in these four occupations.
Professional/technical workers not only account for the largest percentage of radio listeners (15.2%), but they over-index the most (124). The other three occupations also over-index: business owners/partners/ corporate officers (122), proprietors/managers (119) and clerical/sales workers (112).
“From convenience stores and coffee shops during the morning rush hour to restaurants and quick shopping trips during the lunch hour to grocery stores on the way home, these workers are primary target audiences for many retailers and other businesses,” said Nick Miller, VP, The Media Audit.
Focusing on professional/ technical workers reveals 81% listen to radio during an average day, almost two-thirds (64.3%) listen at least 60 minutes and 76.7% tune in from 5am-7pm. Unsurprisingly, most of that listening occurs from 5-10am (48.0%), but is also strong during the two other primary dayparts, 10am–3pm (33.2%) and 3pm–7pm (40.2%).
A deeper dive into the demographic data indicates an almost equal percentage of men 18+ (15.5%) and women 18+ (14.9%) who are in professional/technical occupations listen to radio during an average weekday from 5am-7pm. Professional/technical workers 50–54 are the largest age group (80.6%), but the other three age groups come close to that percentage.
“With this data from The Media Audit, brands and retailers can craft specific radio messages to reach these professional and technical workers of various age groups listening to radio from 5am to 7pm,” said Miller.
Obviously, 2020 has been a difficult year for most companies and their employees and the businesses that want to attract their consumer dollars. Adds Miller, “Daytime radio is where businesses can capture more of those ears today and prepare to capture even more during 2021, as more people return to their workplaces.”