Roadmap Through the Years: 5 Key Radio Listener Trends

As radio professionals, we’re trend experts. We trend ratings, sales, music call out and more so we can get a handle on what’s going on and to find competitive advantages that lie ahead. And hopefully Listener Trends are in your list as well.

One of our favorite trending projects at A&O&B involves our annual online perceptual study Roadmap. It’s a great tool that helps keep our station partners at the forefront of their markets.

Last week we launched our 13th Roadmap.  As we step into 2019 and beyond, we investigated where more than a dozen different aspects of programming and consumption here are headed. Here are five of our observations and recommendations.

Five Key Trends

  1. Mobile Listening Will Continue To Increase – Including Increased Listening to Our Comptetitors
  2. More Cars In 2019 Will Have Internet Access Than Won’t
  3. Down But Not Out: Reports Of Facebook’s Demise Are Premature
  4. Music Matters On Your Morning Show More Than Ever
  5. Three Things That Will Continue To Be At The Core Of Your Station’s Success

Phoning It In: Mobile Listening Will Continue to Increase

While pre-5G mobile phone sales may be flattening, the ability to listen to AM/FM country stations via cell phones continues to increase in importance for our P1s. In fact, its importance has grown roughly 40% over the past five years and is now approaching the point where half the audience considers this vital.

Here’s the five-year trend on 25-54 Country fans who say it’s “very important” to be able to listen to their AM/FM Country station via cell phone.

However there’s also significant competition for ears on the cell phone front.  Here is the percent of Country fans who report listening to each of these services on their cell phone at least weekly.

N=US + Canadian Respondents

Meanwhile listening to AM/FM radio via Smart Speakers was also significant in 2018, our first year of tracking this. More than 7 in 10 respondents reported that the experience was positive. Considering the increased percent of homes with one or more such devices – as well as the looming in-car Smart Speaker – this is another platform were consumption (and competition) will increase.

Obviously making it as easy and as enjoyable as possible for listeners to consume our stations on their phones and smart speakers is critical. As programmers we need to monitor the listening experience through the eyes (ears) of our fans.

But we also need to monitor competitors for innovations and respond with enhancements and upgrades of our own while leveraging our talent, community ties and other unique attributes.

2 – More Cars In 2019 Will Have Internet Access Than Won’t

In addition to competition on the phone, the presence of in-car internet continues to increase. Here’s the four-year trend for the Lifegroup.

Plug-in access leads built-in by roughly 2:1 in terms of percent of growth, but built-in ownership has more than doubled in this time frame.

More importantly, overall access to in-car internet is accelerating with each passing year.

This year, Country listeners with in-car internet will surpass those listeners who don’t. And those with built-in access are finding it increasingly easy to use.

3 – Down But Not Out: Reports of Facebook’s Demise Are Premature

The daily use of the major social media is trending up over the past 5 years although to varying degrees across platforms. While it’s popular to report Facebook’s demise, for our Country P1s that’s not the case. In fact, the daily use of Facebook is up slightly.

While the percent of respondents following a station on various platforms is mostly flat compared to last year (86.0 – 85.5), the 5-year trend is certainly positive.

A potential area of concern is the approximate 10% decline in Facebook engagement compared to 2017. Roadmap defines engagement as “liked, commented or shared” a post on Facebook so this is a relatively “loose” definition and may be a reason why this number that has bounced around a bit over the years.

Still, it’s certainly worth tracking your posts vs. levels of engagement. Here’s a formula you can use: (Likes + Comments + Shares/Fans) x 100.

A stagnant or declining number over several months deserves some attention.

Here is a 5-year look at Country listeners and Facebook.

4 – Music to Our Ears – Or Not. Morning Music is Increasingly Important.

Country listeners have a love affair with their talent. In fact, as far as morning shows are concerned, close to 1 in 6 listeners say the morning DJ is the exclusive reason they pick one station over another. Another 58% site both music and the air talent equally.

However we’re also seeing s small but consistent trend pointing to music as a primary driver of morning listening.

Distancing your station from a competitor based solely on your morning music isn’t as easy as creating separation because of your talent. Thus the best strategy is to make both morning music and talent as “must hear” as possible.

5 – Three Things That Will Continue to be at the Core of Your Station’s Success

Over the last 12 years we’ve seen listeners’ opinions change on any number of subjects. But thing has definitely not changed over the time: the Top Three Listener Wants.

In order, these are: 1) plays the best music, 2) makes me feel good when I listen, and 3) DJs that sound like my friends.

While clustered tightly in terms of “Very Important” scores, these three are in a class by themselves. Each scored in the mid to upper 80% range.

Somewhat behind is “music quantity.” At 71% “Very Important,” this is off slightly from 5 years ago but flat over the last two and still has value as a position.

Back to You

So why should you participate in Roadmap 2019 – or any survey of your listeners?

As AudienceBloom.com‘s Jayson DeMers writes in Forbes:

“Market research and data collection share one significant factor: they give you the information that you need in order to move forward and connect effectively with your customers. The best strategies are customer-centric, and data collection always goes back to helping you get to know them better and serve them better. The right information can help you structure your business model, shape marketing campaigns, design products, and market in a way that serves your customers while growing your business.”

If you’re a partner station, there’s still time for you to be a part of Roadmap 2019 and receive not only all the national data but complete local data as well.

We’re excited to see what listeners have to tell us. We’re even more excited to use this knowledge as our secret weapon against competitors.

A&O&B will present Topline Data from Roadmap 2019 in Nashville at our 26th annual Pre-CRS Seminar on February 12 from 8:30 to 11:30 am. The location is the brand new Marriott AC hotel which is located directly across the street from the Omni. Be sure to RSVP to Mike@AandOandB.com or Becky@AandOandB.com.

Related: 10 Ways to Keep Your Face in Facebook



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