WHY RADIO? WHY NOT?
Over the years, radio has stood it’s ground to prove that it is the most powerful medium ofcommunication. True, newer forms of media continue to dazzle, but not one has ever achieved the wide reach that radio covers. Amid dire predictions, radio has survived everything from TV, Betamax, and VHS to billboards, the Internet, and DVD.
Given the archipelagic nature of the Philippine Islands, radio continues to be an indespensible medium for information entertainment and advertising. Why not when it has the affordability, portability and mobility which other media do not have. To begin with, almost all Philippine households own at least one radio set. Radios are easily transferred from one section of the house to another. It travels with its listeners be they in private cars or in jeepneys, taxis and FX.
To the advertising industry, radio remains to be a strategic medium, reaching over 85% of individuals aged 10 years and older in Metro Manila. THis represents a potential audience of about 7.3 million radio listeners on an average day. On average, people spend more time listening to FM radio (three hours 10 minutes per day) compared to watching TV (two hours and 20 minutes per day).
The use of radio with TV in an advertising campaign allows advertisers of both media. Radio is the preferred medium during the morning, afternoon and late night while TV viewing is highest during noontime and primetime. This combination ensures that more consumers are reached faster and exposed to creative messages more frequently.
Not yet convinced? Here are more facts to prove why radio should be it:
* Listenership is uniformly high across all income classes and age groups. Radio listenership is higher that viewership, before 11 a.m., and from 2 to 5 p.m.
* In Metro Manila, news is second only to music while in Metro Cebu, news programs rate higher. Commentary and drama also have their own niches.
* When listeners turn on the radio, they already know the station they will listen to. But unlike TV watchers who easily zap as commercials come in, radio listeners do not necessarily switch to avoid the commercials.
According to AC Nielsen Research, with radio, consumers are exposed to creative messages more frequently. Radio is also the more cost-efficient medium mainly because ad materials are less costly to produce and promos cheaper to execute.
Since 2004, a number of major product categories have shown positive growth patterns in their advertising expenditures on radio. Most notable are shampoos, government, telecom, cigarettes, proprietary, drugs, beers, vitamins and tonics.
There are several product categories and advertisers who are maximizing the use of radio as part of their media mix. For example, the cigarettes and rhum categories allocate over 50% of their money on radio.
Radio is also getting significant support from several advertiser who have increased their ad spend on radio like P&G, SAn Miguel Brewing, Unilab, Colgate-Palmolive, Ginebra San Miguel, and Smart Communications.
Apart from traditional radio supporters, considerable growth in radio advertising expenditure can be seen from non-traditional radio advertising products like PCSO, Smart and Globe, Rejoice, SAfeguard, Head & Shoulders, GLobe, and United HOme Vitamins.
