Author: Engagement Labs
Can radio still drive brand conversations in a social media world? Much more than you think

Radio’s commanding brand conversations
Heavy radio listeners engage in a staggering 4.7 billion weekly brand conversations, outpacing heavy users of other media channels, including TV, social media, magazines and newspapers.Diverse industry dominance
The study underscores for advertisers’ radio’s dominance across 15 business categories, including sports, financial services, technology and more. Radio emerges as a potent bridge, effectively connecting brands with diverse target audiences. Read the full Bulldog Reporter article, here.For more information on TotalSocial® or to request a demo, visit www.engagementlabs.com For sales contact us at:sales@engagementlabs.com For media inquires contact us at:media@engagementlabs.com
About TotalSocial® Want a better understanding of the online and offline conversations around your brand? Are you a journalist who wants to use real data to measure the brands you’re reporting on? Are you a company who wants to gain further insights into your brand’s marketing strategies to develop effective campaigns to reach your audiences?
Amplifying Brand Buzz: How Radio Redefines Conversations and Influence
Harness Radio’s Unique Ability to Fuel Purchase Intent and More

Radio’s Commanding Presence in Brand Conversations
At the heart of this study lies the revelation of radio’s unparalleled capacity to ignite brand conversations. Heavy radio listeners engage in a staggering 4.7 billion weekly brand conversations, surpassing heavy users of TV, social media, magazines and newspapers. What’s even more compelling is that 25% of media’s impact is driven through these conversations, further underlining their significance. For advertisers, this means conversations matter, and they can significantly influence brand success.
Watch the webinar recording where we delved into the study’s details and present real-world case studies.
Diverse Industry Leadership
Radio doesn’t just lead the conversation; it dominates it across 15 diverse industries and sectors. From sports to financial services, beauty & personal care to technology, radio emerges as the bridge connecting brands with their target audiences. This industry-spanning dominance positions radio as a dynamic platform for reaching diverse consumer segments.Magnifying Everyday Influencers
Heavy radio listeners aren’t just passive consumers; they are influential everyday consumers. These influencers have a unique power: the ability to enhance both the quantity and quality of brand conversations. Recognizing these influencers and nurturing their impact can significantly bolster your bottom line.
Transforming Conversations into Purchase Intent
Radio doesn’t stop at sparking conversations; it transforms them into tangible results. A remarkable 51% of brand conversations among heavy radio listeners result in an intent to purchase, surpassing the national average of 49%. This remarkable impact underscores radio’s proficiency in translating discussions into actual business outcomes.
Cultivating Enlightened Societal Dialogue
Beyond the commercial realm, radio plays a crucial role in fostering informed societal conversations. Heavy radio listeners engage passionately in discussions about a wide array of topics, from personal financial concerns to pressing political issues. This positions radio as a platform for meaningful, informed dialogue.Advocating for the Influence of Radio Conversations
In conclusion, “Radio Drives Brand Conversations” highlights radio’s transformative potential in the media landscape. Conversations, their conversion to sales and the importance of nurturing them are the key takeaways. With radio’s unique ability to amplify conversations, engage everyday influencers, fuel purchase intent and incubate dialogue on crucial issues, it’s an indispensable tool for advertisers.Maximizing Radio’s Potential: A Brand’s Action Plan
- Embrace radio as a strategic platform for your brand.
- Invest in conversation-driven strategies and recognize the significant impact they can have on your brand’s growth.
- Recognize conversations as tangible assets that can be measured and optimized.
- Tailor your radio advertising strategies to align with specific industry nuances.
- Identify and engage with everyday influencers among your audience. Leverage their potential to amplify your brand’s message and reach.
- Craft radio campaigns that not only engage but also drive purchase intent.
- Align your brand with societal issues that resonate with your audience.
- Recognize radio’s potential to be a platform for discussions that matter.
Radio ‘catalyzes’ consumer brand conversations and interactions

Why radio listening matters
The findings of the study* – commissioned by radio industry body RAB in collaboration with Engagement Labs – point to radio’s enduring resonance and its ability to shape the brand-consumer relationship, drive social communication and impact the bottom line.Takeaways
- Brand conversations: Heavy radio listeners engage in 4.7 billion weekly brand conversations, surpassing heavy users of other media channels like TV, social media, magazines, and newspapers.
- Everyday influencers: Around half (51%) of brand conversations among heavy radio listeners result in an intent to purchase, surpassing the national average of 49%. This impact is particularly pronounced in sectors like automotive, sports, telecom, technology, beverages and healthcare.
- Diverse audiences: Radio dominates across 15 different business categories and acts as a potent bridge, effectively connecting brands with diverse target audiences.
For more information on TotalSocial® or to request a demo, visit www.engagementlabs.com For sales contact us at:sales@engagementlabs.com For media inquires contact us at:media@engagementlabs.com
About TotalSocial® Want a better understanding of the online and offline conversations around your brand? Are you a journalist who wants to use real data to measure the brands you’re reporting on? Are you a company who wants to gain further insights into your brand’s marketing strategies to develop effective campaigns to reach your audiences?
Bud Light’s Big Football Marketing Bet—Is It Enough To Save The Brand?

‘A waste of money’
Bump Williams, president and CEO of the beverage alcohol industry consultant Bump Williams Consulting, believes the issue plaguing Bud Light is not transphobia or sexism but consumers who felt insulted by comments then-brand VP Alissa Heinerscheid made in a podcast, deriding the “fratty, out-of-touch humor” of Bud Light’s marketing past as it sought a younger and more diverse audience. Heinerscheid went on a leave of absence as the controversy heated up in April and the company has not commented on her current status.
“It has nothing to do with transgender. It has nothing to do with conservative vs. liberal or Republican vs. Democrat or man vs. woman or rich vs. poor,” Williams said. “When I look at local market data, I see California, a liberal state, is down double-digits on Bud Light. Iowa, a pretty conservative state, is down double-digits … That tells me it has nothing to do with transgender or blue and red. It’s a Bud Light problem.”
Figures from Engagement Labs tell a different story, showing that sentiment among Republicans for Bud Light fell from around 60% positive in April to less than 20% positive by June. Democrats remained 60% positive in both periods, Engagement Labs’ figures show. That suggests the brand has weathered criticism from progressive groups that accused Bud Light of not standing by Mulvaney. Some LGBTQ+ bars pulled AB InBev products in protest.
According to Williams, solving the problem involves more than appeasing customers but making amends with entities along the supply chain that have been damaged by the scandal, including retailers and distributors. Although AB InBev announced a plan to support its distributors in June, Williams called the effort insufficient.
Read the full Ad Age article, here.For more information on TotalSocial® or to request a demo, visit www.engagementlabs.com For sales contact us at:sales@engagementlabs.com For media inquires contact us at:media@engagementlabs.com
About TotalSocial® Want a better understanding of the online and offline conversations around your brand? Are you a journalist who wants to use real data to measure the brands you’re reporting on? Are you a company who wants to gain further insights into your brand’s marketing strategies to develop effective campaigns to reach your audiences?
Conversations About Brands Tend to Be More Positive When Face-to-Face Than on Social Media

For more information on TotalSocial® or to request a demo, visit www.engagementlabs.com For sales contact us at:sales@engagementlabs.com For media inquires contact us at:media@engagementlabs.com
About TotalSocial® Want a better understanding of the online and offline conversations around your brand? Are you a journalist who wants to use real data to measure the brands you’re reporting on? Are you a company who wants to gain further insights into your brand’s marketing strategies to develop effective campaigns to reach your audiences?
RAB Delves Into Radio’s Heavy Hand In Brand Conversations

For more information on TotalSocial® or to request a demo, visit www.engagementlabs.com For sales contact us at:sales@engagementlabs.com For media inquires contact us at:media@engagementlabs.com
About TotalSocial® Want a better understanding of the online and offline conversations around your brand? Are you a journalist who wants to use real data to measure the brands you’re reporting on? Are you a company who wants to gain further insights into your brand’s marketing strategies to develop effective campaigns to reach your audiences?
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Bud Light Isn’t The Only Polarizing Big-Name Brand

Seemingly apolitical brands such as Swiffer, DiGiorno and State Farm have big divides in Democrat and Republican support, Engagement Labs finds
By Jack Neff. Published on September 07, 2023
Bud Light might seem emblematic of the cultural divide between red and blue America. But it turns out Swiffer is polarizing too. The Procter & Gamble Co. brand had a polarized fan base long before Bud Light faced backlash this spring over its affiliation with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney, with a 24-point favorability gap for Republicans (net positive sentiment 78%) vs. Democrats (54%) over two years from July 2021 to June 2023, according to data from Engagement Labs, which conducts regular surveys regarding how Americans talk about brands face-to-face, not on social media. That’s more polarized than the supposedly red-leaning Paramount+ TV series “Yellowstone” (19-point favorability edge among Republicans). DiGiorno frozen pizza and State Farm (both Democrat-leaning) and Costco’s Kirkland private label (heavily Republican) are among other surprisingly polarized brands. Bud Light, for its part, was pretty equally loved by Republicans and Democrats before its affiliation with Mulvaney captured headlines in April, according to Engagement Labs. In April, net sentiment was close to 60% positive on the Anheuser-Busch InBev brand between Democrats and Republicans alike in Engagement Labs surveys. By June, rolling 26-week net sentiment for Bud Light dropped under 20% for Republicans while staying at 60% for Democrats. Among lessons from a two-year look back on brand polarization from Engagement Labs surveys is that while news can drive division, many brands have big, and sometimes inexplicable, divides in preference among Republicans and Democrats without getting caught up in the culture wars. So it makes sense for brand marketers to understand the political bent of their consumers before they decide to take public stands on polarizing issues, according to Brad Fay, co-founder and chief commercial officer of Engagement Labs. Read the full Ad Age article, here.For more information on TotalSocial® or to request a demo, visit www.engagementlabs.com For sales contact us at:sales@engagementlabs.com For media inquires contact us at:media@engagementlabs.com
About TotalSocial® Want a better understanding of the online and offline conversations around your brand? Are you a journalist who wants to use real data to measure the brands you’re reporting on? Are you a company who wants to gain further insights into your brand’s marketing strategies to develop effective campaigns to reach your audiences?
Radio Drives Brand Conversations: RAB and Engagement Labs Study Uncovers Dynamic Insights
- Radio’s Commanding Brand Conversations: Heavy radio listeners engage in a staggering 4.7 billion weekly brand conversations, outpacing heavy users of other media channels, including TV, social media, magazines and newspapers.
- Diverse Industry Dominance: The study underscores for advertisers’ radio’s dominance across 15 business categories, including sports, financial services, technology and more. Radio emerges as a potent bridge, effectively connecting brands with diverse target audiences.
- Everyday Influencers Amplified: Heavy radio listeners stand out as influential consumer influencers, driving more impactful conversations among a group that have an amplified impact on other people’s purchase decisions. This trait reaffirms conversations as a tangible asset, capable of propelling significant bottom-line growth for an advertiser.
- Conversion of Conversations to Purchase Intent: A staggering 51% of brand conversations among heavy radio listeners result in an intent to purchase, surpassing the national average of 49%. This remarkable impact is particularly pronounced in sectors like automotive, sports, telecom, technology, beverages and healthcare.
- Fostering Informed Societal Dialogue: Beyond commercial interactions, radio emerges as a dynamic platform for societal discourse. From personal financial concerns to pressing political issues, heavy radio listeners engage in a diverse spectrum of discussions about today’s leading issues, reinforcing radio’s multifaceted role in consumers’ lives. The comprehensive findings of the study are a testament to radio’s enduring resonance, its ability to shape the brand-consumer relationship and its capacity to engage and drive social communication and impact the bottom line.