When Was the Last Time…

When was the last time the radio made you laugh?  When was the last time the radio made you smile?  We asked these and other questions about radio’s emotional bond with listeners in one of the two national consumer studies NuVoodoo fielded for 2016.  We were pleased with the relatively high marks radio gets for laughs and smiles, but we also think there are opportunities for radio here.

These emotional connections are powerful tools in the quest for additional TSL from listeners.  Framed within our day-to-day personal experiences, we generally seek to spend more time with people who make us feel good; those who make us laugh or smile.

Many of the most successful music stations are those which build in good surprises along with the consistent stream of favored songs listeners expect from them.  Perhaps these stations owe part of their success because they enjoy better word-of-mouth advertising, since partisans are more likely to mention them to friends.  Think about it, we only mention utilities in our conversations when that utility has failed us.

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Overall, radio is more consistent at making people laugh or smile than getting into conversations.  While it’s hard to force stations into conversations, perhaps we need to look at making more attempts.  The sub-40% number for seeing something they liked on a radio station website or Facebook page is an easy place to start.

And we can’t help but feel that the item the medium is rated worst at here is an opportunity.  How many times have you walked out of a bricks-and-mortar store feeling unappreciated?  Compare how regularly you go there compared to a store where they seem to really appreciate your patronage.  How do you want your listeners to feel?

Next week we’ll look at what’s important to morning radio listeners.  We’ll show you what’s important to more people: Lots of important information or getting in a good mood.