New Research Shows How AM/FM Radio Boosts Media Plans.

Data taken from multiple sources during this past year – including Nielsen, Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” report and MRI-Simmons – makes a strong case for AM/FM radio when it comes to significantly improving the reach of any media plan, according to an analysis in Westwood One’s blog.

“Given that reach is the most significant media sales driver, smart media planners need to identify strategies to grow campaign reach,” Cumulus Media/Westwood One Audio Active Group Chief Insights Officer Pierre Bouvard says. “The main way brands grow [is to] always aim to get more customers from all segments of the market. AM/FM radio makes your media plan better with significant incremental reach.”

Whether among persons 25-54 or 18-34, AM/FM radio has the largest monthly reach of all media, with a commanding 86% reach of the former demographic and 81% for the latter. Ranking second in both demos is another audio medium, podcasts, ahead of TV, Facebook and YouTube.

“If reach is the primary driver of media effectiveness, AM/FM radio is the ideal addition to the media plan that targets persons 25-54,” Bouvard says, while noting the medium’s potentially surprising performance among younger listeners. “Think AM/FM radio is not up to the task of reaching 18-34s? Think again! AM/FM radio leads all media for 18-34 monthly reach.”

According to MRI-Simmons, AM/FM radio generates significant incremental reach to social media platforms and YouTube. Adding AM/FM results in a 34% greater reach to Facebook; 60% to Instagram, 112% to TikTok and 46% to YouTube.

A media plan adding AM/FM radio to digital audio has the same effect, more than doubling the net reach from 32% to 72%. According to Edison’s “Share of Ear” study of ad-supported audio, the combined persons 18+ daily reach of Pandora and Spotify is only 12% of Americans, with podcasts pushing that reach to 32%.

“If you check the box on audio with just a digital audio buy, you’ve missed two thirds of America,” Bouvard says. “AM/FM radio reaches the 40% of Americans daily who are not reached by digital audio.”

A Nielsen Audience Insights study shows that adding AM/FM radio to a TV buy generates a significant boost in reach across the board: up 23% for persons 18+, 32% among 25-54, 45% for 18-49 and an impressive 65% among 18-34s.

“AM/FM radio makes your TV better with stunning incremental reach growth,” Bouvard says. “The younger the demo, the greater the incremental reach.”

What is it about AM/FM radio that causes these notable lifts in consumer reach? “AM/FM radio’s significant reach helps advertisers grow mental availability and create positive brand memories,” Bouvard says. “The objective of advertising is to increase mental availability, the propensity of a brand to be noticed and thought of in buying situations.”