Why Advertising on Radio Has Got To Go

For over a century, radio was one of the main sources of entertainment for families around the world. Between tuning in to breaking news, listening to the newest chart-topper, or catching the score of a game on a long drive, radio has provided niche content for listeners of all ages and interests.

As the global interest in radio grew, so did its advertising. To this day, radio is a highly used medium for marketing due to its cost efficiency and listenership. However, the times have brought about new ways of consuming media; even television is slowly being replaced with the new and improved. There are several factors contributing to their downfall, but the blame predominantly rests in the hands of streaming services.

Apps like Spotify, Pandora, Netflix, Hulu, and more, offer consumers movies, TV shows and music curated to their personal tastes. No longer do people need to scroll endlessly through stations or channels; streamers can find exactly what they’re looking for with a touch of a button. Even events taking place live on television can be DVRed to watch later, enabling viewers to skip over commercial breaks.

That being said, you shouldn’t cut audio advertisements out of your marketing strategy completely; allocating them to different audio streaming services can prove to be beneficial. There are so many ways people consume audio content: music, podcasts, even audiobooks. Streaming your ads on audio platforms can help you lock on to more targeted audiences to create the perfect listening experience for your consumer base. You can also partner with different podcasts and craft compelling ads with streamers your audience trusts.

While there are still many people who actively listen to the radio, streaming services incorporate advertisements as an integral part of the user experience. For example, Spotify listeners who want to explore the app without paying for a subscription have to listen to intermittent ads if they want to continue listening to their content. Radio consumers still have the option to surf stations so they aren’t forced to persevere through minutes-long commercial breaks.

As revolutionary as radio was for its time, streaming apps are quickly surpassing radio’s listenership. As streaming services continue to push the boundaries of media consumption, how much longer can radio keep up?