Study Finds Radio Drives Long-Term Marketing Success.

A new blog post from the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group highlights a local Missouri pest control company that offers a powerful lesson for marketers: sustained investment in AM/FM radio advertising can build brand dominance and long-term business growth.

The report examines Bug-A-Way Pest Control and its decades-long use of radio to grow from relative obscurity into one of the most recognized brands in its category in the Joplin market.

The transformation did not happen overnight. In fact, the company’s leadership once discovered that despite years in business, brand awareness was virtually nonexistent. “Out of all these people… why have they not heard of my name?” the owner recalled after surveying local residents.

That realization prompted a dramatic shift in strategy. The company reduced spending on print and television and instead concentrated on AM/FM radio, developing memorable, entertaining ads anchored by a distinctive jingle: “Customer satisfaction is our number one goal at Bug-A-Way Pest Control!”

The results have been striking.

According to a 2026 study of Joplin consumers conducted by Quantilope, Bug-A-Way has surged from zero unaided awareness to a leading position in the market, surpassing major national competitors and ranking a close second overall.

The research underscores a central principle of advertising effectiveness: the importance of building “future demand.” As the post by Pierre Bouvard, Chief Insights Officer of the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group, explains, advertisers must reach not only active buyers but also the much larger group of consumers who are not yet in the market. “Creating future demand is ‘being known before you’re needed,’” the report says.

This distinction is critical. Only an estimated 1% to 5% of consumers are ready to buy at any given time, meaning that focusing solely on short-term sales activation misses the majority of potential customers.

Bug-A-Way’s radio strategy successfully addressed this challenge by prioritizing broad reach and emotional engagement. Its lighthearted, consistent messaging created what the report describes as “positive memories” that make the brand “easy to think of and easy to buy.”

The impact is evident across multiple performance metrics. The company posts strong levels of ad recall, brand favorability, and purchase intent, with nearly one in three consumers saying they would consider using the service.

Crucially, AM/FM radio played a central role in this growth. Among radio listeners, brand awareness for Bug-A-Way is even higher than in the general market, reinforcing the medium’s effectiveness at driving both reach and recall.

Company leadership credits radio as the decisive factor. “Radio had paid off for us more than TV advertising ever did,” Bug-A-Way’s Rorie Hasen said. “They’ll sing us the jingle… we can remember the jingle.”

The findings challenge a common industry tendency to overemphasize short-term metrics and performance marketing. Instead, the report argues that long-term brand building — particularly through high-reach channels like radio — is the primary driver of sustained growth and profitability.

The broader lesson for marketers is clear: effective advertising is not just about immediate results, but about establishing lasting mental availability. Or, as the report concludes, success comes from “being known before you’re needed.”

For a video summary of the key findings, click HERE.