I want to wish a very happy and healthy Jacobs Media Tech Survey Season to those who observe the holiday.
For those who don’t or aren’t familiar with this holiday, every year Jacobs Media fields a giant survey where respondents talk about how they’re currently using different types of technology.
This survey has been fielded annually for more than twenty years. The system is simple. Radio stations sign up to participate, and Jacobs Media sends the survey to everyone in their email database. This year, over 500 stations from across a wide spectrum of formats participated, and over 30,000 people responded.
The beauty of this giant sample is that these people are radio listeners. They care enough to be a part of a radio station database, which generally equates to some level of listening. This isn’t a random sampling of people — it’s a look at where radio listeners are when it comes to adopting new technologies and their thoughts on many other topics.
Probably my favorite question that’s asked each year is “Why do you listen to the radio?” Respondents are given a long list of possible reasons for listening, and they can mark which ones apply to them. With the ability to break the responses out by format, we can see how listeners who prefer a certain type of radio station — for example, Classic Rock or Hits — compare to the overall sample of 30,000 listeners.
Let’s start with the whole sample. The chart below shows how many people selected each option from the list. At the top, selected by two-thirds of the sample, is the fact that radio is easy to listen to in the car, something the industry doesn’t market nearly enough. The other two options selected by over sixty percent of respondents are that radio is free — another thing we don’t promote enough — and DJs, shows, and hosts (60%), which reinforces the value of talent.
The next chunk of reasons reinforces radio’s emotional connection. Answers like “I feel a connection with the radio” (55%), “I like to work with the radio on” (48%), and “it keeps me company” (45%) all speak to the strength of the medium. Hearing their favorite songs (53%) is also in this section of the chart.
Also note what’s at the bottom: winning prizes (15%), charitable/community events (22%), and information like sports and traffic (24%). Music surprises (24%) and discovering new artists (25%) don’t score very highly overall either. This is a good reminder that, while contests and community work can bolster a station’s image and strategically grow ratings, they may not be the reason for a listener’s initial tune-in.
Now let’s compare the total sample’s answers to those of Classic Rock listeners. There are some notable differences.
For Classic Rock listeners, hearing their favorite songs and artists jumps to the number one position, with three-quarters of respondents saying that’s a reason they listen.
Also, notice that music jumps ahead of DJs, hosts, and shows (52%), which comes in a little lower than the overall sample.
The other notable difference is that 61% of Classic Rock fans said they like to work with the radio on. That’s 13 points higher than the overall sample.
When you think about imaging, positioning Classic Rock stations as a great at-work option clearly has a lot of value.
Classic Hits has some similarities to Classic Rock, with listeners hearing their favorite songs and artists on top of the ranker. 70% of respondents cited it as a main reason they listen.
DJs, shows, and hosts came in slightly higher at 58%, where Classic Rock listeners were at 52%.
Working with the radio isn’t as big of a draw for Classic Hits at 56%, about five points behind Classic Rock listeners. But it is still eight points ahead of the total sample, making it a viable image worth pursuing.
These charts represent just one data point from the survey. There are a lot of important lessons in talking to 30,000 radio listeners. On Thursday at 2 PM ET, the Jacobs Media team is hosting a free webinar where you can learn a lot more.
Regardless of your role at the station, there is a lot of valuable knowledge that’s going to be shared. If you’re interested, click here to sign up.
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Mike Stern is a Classic Rock columnist and Features writer for Barrett Media. He has been with Jacobs Media consulting stations in the Classic Rock, Rock, Alternative and AAA world for more than a decade. Prior to that he programmed stations in Chicago, Detroit, Denver Las Vegas and other markets. He also worked as News/Talk Editor for Radio and Records, wrote about Top 40 Radio for Billboard Magazine and had his own radio talent coaching business called Talent Mechanic.
