Local businesses have been marketing their goods and services on Detroit radio since August 20, 1920. That's when the Detroit News, owner of radio station 8MK, (later known as WWJ) began broadcasting. The broadcast originated from the second floor of the newspaper's headquarters on Lafayette Boulevard.
The historic programming that night began with station operator Frank Edwards declaring, "this is 8MK calling." This was followed by the playing of 78 rpm records on a borrowed phonograph. The first selections played were two of the most popular songs of the World War One era, "Roses of Picardy" and "Annie Laurie".
Who could have guessed that 103 years later, advertising on Detroit radio would still be the best advertising option for all types of retailers and business owners.
Every week, according to Nielsen, Detroit radio reaches 2,804,826 adult consumers. This reach is significantly higher than all other advertising options including local TV, cable, social media, streaming video, online audio, and newspapers.
Reach, according to Nielsen, is the audience metric most responsible for driving the success of an advertising campaign. Only the message itself carries more sway.
According to additional data released this month by Nielsen, not only does AM/FM radio reach more adults each week, but the medium also reaches more adults every single month. This is true among almost every imaginable demographic segment.
Among all ad-supported audio options, according to Nielsen's new research, AM/FM radio commands the greatest time spent listening every day. In other words, adult consumers spend more time listening to local radio than with choices such as YouTube, Pandora, Spotify, Podcasts, and Sirius/XM.
Local business owners may wonder why Detroit radio, an early 20th-century technology remains the dominant advertising medium among adult consumers.
According to the 2023 Media Techsurvey from Jacobs Media, these are the three main reasons listeners choose to spend the majority of their audio time with AM/Radio:
- Easiest To Listen To In Car (67%)
- It's Free (64%)
- DJs/Hosts/Shows (60%)
Radio's reach dominance over nearly ten decades can also be attributed to the medium's strategic decision to make its content available both over-the-air and online. According to Nislen's latest measurements, 20% of all time listening to AM/FM radio among adults 25-54 happens via stations' online streams. This is 42% more time than in 2021.
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