Consumers relate to Radio stations in a personal way: Listeners talk about “my Radio station” and exhibit strong loyalty to one or two stations among many choices. (1)  Listeners feel an emotional connection with Radio, describing their relationship in emotional terms such as “improves your mood,” “makes you relax,” “comforts you,” “makes you feel motivated,” and “helps you have a good time.” (1)  In Radio’s environment, listeners are especially receptive to the advertising messages they hear. (1)

Properly placed Radio ads can build emotional connections to brands and products in a unique environment where listeners expect ads to be interesting and relevant to them. (1) Radio listeners perceive ads as “fun,” “honest,” “concise” and feel that ads on “their” station are directed at them personally. (1)

Radio listeners accept advertising as an integral part of their Radio experience: Fewer than half of listeners feel Radio ads are “repeated too often;” nearly two-thirds do not believe ads “get in the way of their enjoy­ment” of their station; and just a quarter think ads “appear at inconvenient moments.” (1)

Radio commercial breaks hold an average of 92% of their lead-in audience, overall. Radio does a remark­able job of holding onto audiences even during longer commercial breaks, with 88% of listeners staying tuned in at the lowest-rated minute during breaks of three to six minutes. (3)Listeners have a personal affinity with their Radio stations. That should affect how advertisers use each sta­tion. Radio is considered very intimate compared to other media, as if it is “right there with you.”

 (1) “Radio and the Consumer’s Mind: How Radio Works” – Harris Interactive, Inc. for Radio Ad Lab, 2006
(2) “Advertising Avoidance Study – People Are Listening to Radio Advertising” –Radio Marketing Bureau, Canada – 1996
(3) “What Happens When the Spots Come On” – Arbitron, Inc., Media Monitors and Coleman Research, 2006