Where’s Your Newest Radio?

We last asked about purchases of technology devices in NuVoodoo Ratings Prospects Study Nine back in January of 2017. We saw that about as many people had bought a new radio (not installed in a car) in the prior year as had bought a new landline phone.

We even wrote about a veteran PD we know who ran out to buy a boombox for an impromptu station event. At Walmart, the 20-something sales associate had no recollection of a portable device that picked up over-the-air radio. The sales associate asked if the PD meant Bluetooth speakers. An older associate eventually directed him to an obscure aisle where there were a few radios. It’s not easy to buy a new radio – and there’s not a wide selection if you can find one.

Likewise, the infotainment systems on new cars often put broadcast radio at least one menu below the front page and on a level playing field with SiriusXM, Spotify, Pandora and other sources. And these new systems often make tuning the radio on the fly nearly impossible. These changes make station campaigns to remind listeners to set a button on their car radios relevant once again.

We’ll be updating our understanding of tech purchases and taking a look at the state of the dashboard in our 15th Ratings Prospects Study that we’re preparing to field at the start of 2020. And we’re asking for your input on what other questions you’d like us to explore in that study of over 3,000 respondents. You’ll find a short survey at: nuvoodoo.com/rps15.

The questionnaire includes a page gathering your interest in different areas. On the second and final page, there’s ample opportunity for you to weigh in open-ended about what you’d like us to cover. We’re fairly certain you’ll be done in less than five minutes. If there’s a specific question you’d like to see addressed, please let us know.  Anything related to on-air content, station promotion and marketing or ratings participation is fair game.

Over the past 14 studies, we’ve studied what digital channels get used most by likely Nielsen ratings participants, the radio station marketing messages that have actually caused them to change their listening and what motivates them to participate in the radio ratings to begin with. We’ll continue to dive deep on trends with Smart Speakers, the best contest prizes and the best contest-activation methods. And for our 15th study, we want to incorporate as many of your questions as we can: nuvoodoo.com/rps15.