We tried something very different for this year’s tech survey… and it worked.
Thanks to some pushing from Joel Denver, we opened our annual tech study to everyone in radio. And 170 stations and more than 57,300 respondents later, we have something very special.
There’s data on everything from Pandora to in-car audio entertainment systems to smartphones and tablets – and unlike other studies, Techsurvey8 is cross-tabbed by format.
So you can see how Sports/Talk fans use Twitter (a lot!) or how strong Contemporary Christian partisans recommend their favorite stations to others (off the charts).
Here is the link to an infographic that provides some of the top-line findings. In the next several weeks, we’ll release more information from Techsurvey8, as well as announce format-centric webinars. There’s a lot of learning here, and we’re excited about the study. It will also be presented in a free Conclave webinar later this month. Details here.
While there are thousands of data points in this survey, our job is to make the numbers talk. We’ve developed 8 takeaways from Techsurvey8 that form a narrative. So here goes:
1. Stop doing “random acts of digital” – The survey provides station and format “tech footprints” in the form of our Media Usage Pyramids. Tim Davis developed this graphic depiction for our very first survey in 2005, and it has served us well through the years. These data sets are road maps to help stations, clusters, and companies better understand where their audiences live and connect for media entertainment. You can’t do everything, so prioritize and strategize. This approach will help stations and management teams best use their human and financial resources.
2. “Car Wars” – Techsurvey8 underscores the importance of the automotive world. More than half our respondents spend the lion’s share of their radio time on four wheels. And half can now connect their smartphones and iPods into their cars. Nearly one in ten now has a more elegant in-dash entertainment system like Ford SYNC. Our data suggests that about one-fifth of radio listeners who have these systems spend less time with AM/FM radio. (And I don’t have to remind you about the #1 sales category at most stations, do I?) If this isn’t impetus for an industry task force, I don’t know what is.
3. Winning “First Occasions” – Arbitron has taught us the value of creating “listening occasions” to drive higher ratings. There is no more important one than what we’re calling the “First Occasion” – the medium a person selects to start her day. In Techsurvey8, most respondents are core radio listeners. Yet, nearly six in ten begin their mornings with a channel or gadget other than radio. What does this tell us about the job they hire radio to do in the morning – and how well radio is delivering on that need?
4. Radio’s Big 4 – When we asked our respondents the main reasons why they’re AM/FM listeners, favorite songs and DJs were on top of the list. But next in line are four key emotional triggers that speak volumes about how radio can better serve its audiences: listening to the radio while they work, putting them in a better mood, providing companionship, and giving them an escape from their often challenging lives. Slogans like “Favorites of the ‘80s, ‘90s, and Today” fail to get at the key motivators for why broadcast radio is still viable. How many stations are truly delivering on these emotional promises?
5. Rent & Own – Not all channels are created equally. There are the digital pathways that stations are renting – Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. And then there are the assets they own – their frequency, website, and database. Of course, it’s important to feed both beasts, but Techsurvey8 suggests that the email database has the potential to create the strongest listener bond. And our respondents are more likely to regularly visit a station’s website than they are to drop by the Facebook page.
6. Go Mobile – You would expect me to recommend this. And it’s not just self-serving because of our mobile apps company, jacAPPS. More than half our sample now owns a smartphone, while tablets are skyrocketing. More than 9 in 10 smartphone owners download apps, and individualized station apps are much preferred over “aggregated apps” (like iHeartRadio). Techsurvey8 provides a mobile yellow brick road, and as Google’s Eric Schmidt reminds us, “Mobile first.”
7. What about Pandora? They look strong in this survey – especially among younger listeners. They have the most popular radio centric app, and nearly half of those who listen to Pandora believe its music is better than the stuff they hear on commercial radio. Nearly half (43%) also agree that Pandora is radio. So what’s the good news? Respondents listen to Pandora less because it lacks the human touch and a connection to what’s happening in their local cities and towns. Hmmm… I know a medium that does a pretty good job in those areas. Let’s stop worrying about the semantics and start focusing on how radio solves the problems and needs of advertisers and consumers.
8. Socialize Smartly – As social media sites proliferate, it can be easy to get caught up in trying to cover them all – and not really do justice to any of them. Techsurvey8 provides a social media map for participating stations as well as the 12 formats. Of course, Facebook rules, but it is essential to know the other channels that matter most to your listeners, and create an appropriate game plan. This is what our digital consulting with Lori Lewis is all about.
So, what’s next? We’re in the process of creating format webinars so that programmers, managers, jocks – and yes, even consultants – can better understand what their corner of the world is doing media and tech-wise. Most companies have the resources to test their music and their basic perceptions and behaviors. But few have invested in learning what’s happening in the digital arena where the greatest challenges and opportunities are ahead of us.
Now’s the time.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Fred … thanks for the props! Much appreciated.
This is, as always, a well-done blog and great thinking points … the only thing I’d change would be moving #3 to #1 … that by far is the biggest “takeaway” learning point for me … winning “First Occasions” is vital.
Radio must create content so compelling that listeners can’t wait to hear it, or are afraid to turn it off – “what did I miss?”
I recall being a PD and preaching that “vibe” to my staff – not just airstaff the ENTIRE STAFF – because that vibe must be in the hallways too! Management must be on-board with this to see radio continue to THRIVE, not just survive.
Joel, right back at you. Thanks to you, we made this survey available to everyone, and 170 stations later, we have something very special here.
Regarding “First Occasions,” you are right on the money. Whenever people say to me that our Techsurveys are somehow less valid because they are comprised of core radio listeners, I point them to a finding like 57% of these respondents start their day with a medium other than radio.
Thanks for your comments, your passion for radio, the AllAccess staff, and your role in Techsurvey8.
Your description “something very special” is correct but I would add “that maps out a general gameplan that everybody on the staff can easily understand and help execute”. This is an amazing snapshot from the minds of 57,000 listeners that for the most part is actionable right now! Many of these touch points we as an industry discuss over and over but move to slowly on, me included.
Listeners continue to love us (even when we mis-step), I see it all the time in focus groups. But I worry how much more time a growing number of listeners will GIVE US as an industry to catch up with THEIR every changing life challenges and personal priorities.
Thanks Fred, The Jacobs Team and Joel for sharing this information! Hopefully moving us forward in our relationships with listeners and advertisers.
A plug for Fred & Lori on the road. If you are a member of the Illinois Broadcasters Association, come see their presentations and Q & A sessions on June 20 in Normal at the IBA Convention. In 2011 I spent five minutes pitching our convention organizing committee on why we should hire Fred to speak at our convention. This year my pitch to have him return took 5 seconds before the vote was unanimous.
Mike, I cannot thank you enough for the support and your great comments. Our staff worked very hard on Techsurvey8 and we are proud of the result. At times, you get the feeling that radio succeeds in spite of itself. We hoped that by identifying some of the underpinings of the medium’s appeal, we could change the way that programmers and managers think about how they are truly connecting with audiences, communitiies, and advertisers.
I had a grea time last year at the IBA, and Lori and both look forward to seeing everyone next month. All the best to you.