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

Posted on September 14, 2023September 15, 2023 by Engagement Labs

by Richard Carufel | Sep 14, 2023 | Public Relations Remember the days when radio was on every PR pro’s radar? The medium’s enormous reach and variety of coverage opportunities was unsurpassed for generating brand awareness and visibility. Well, guess what? That hasn’t changed—and practitioners should still be taking advantage of all that radio has to offer. New research from radio-focused nonprofit trade association RAB, in collaboration with data and analytics firm Engagement Labs, offers valuable insights into radio’s singular influence as a driver of brand conversations. The firms’ new study, Radio Drives Brand Conversations: Unveiling the Untapped Potential of Radio Conversations, uncovers the incredible impact of radio on purchase intent, societal discourse and the bottom line for communicators’ brand goals. Key findings:

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.

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Radio ‘catalyzes’ consumer brand conversations and interactions

Posted on September 12, 2023September 15, 2023 by Engagement Labs

Radio can reach diverse audiences, drive brand conversations and, ultimately, impact purchase intent, says a new US study.

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.

Read the full WARC article, here.

Study: ‘Radio Catalyzes Consumer Brand Conversations And Interactions.’

Posted on September 11, 2023September 15, 2023 by dev

Radio’s ability to drive consumer conversations about brands and its impact on purchase intent and achieving brand goals are examined in a new study commissioned by the Radio Advertising Bureau. Conducted by data and analytics firm Engagement Labs, the study found heavy radio listeners engage in 4.7 billion weekly brand conversations, outpacing heavy users of other media channels, including TV, social media, magazines and newspapers. Radio’s ability to drive consumer conversations about brands and its impact on purchase intent and achieving brand goals are examined in a new study commissioned by the Radio Advertising Bureau. Conducted by data and analytics firm Engagement Labs, the study found heavy radio listeners engage in 4.7 billion weekly brand conversations, outpacing heavy users of other media channels, including TV, social media, magazines and newspapers. “These influencers possess a distinct power: more and better conversations hold the potential to significantly bolster the bottom line for brands, everything from increased sales in CPG to growing new subscriptions in streaming media,” the report says. “We must recognize conversations as a tangible asset, measure them, and harness their potential rather than allowing them to languish.” Heavy radio users are defined as spending 2+ hours with the medium per day. The threshold is the same for heavy TV and social media users but drops to 1+ hours per day for heavy newspaper and magazine users. Read the full Inside Radio article, here.

Bud Light’s Big Football Marketing Bet—Is It Enough To Save The Brand?

Posted on September 8, 2023September 15, 2023 by Engagement Labs

…

‘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.

Conversations About Brands Tend to Be More Positive When Face-to-Face Than on Social Media

Posted on September 8, 2023September 15, 2023 by Engagement Labs

Word-of-mouth (WOM) is a key influencer of consumers’ purchase decisions, once credited with driving almost one-fifth of consumer sales. Most conversations about brands continue to take place offline, according to a recent report [download page] from Engagement Labs, as they have for more than 15 years now. In examining its TotalSocial data over a two-year period from July 2021 through June 2023, Engagement Labs found that 69% of conversations about brands among Republicans took place face-to-face, as did 63% of brand conversations among Democrats. Interestingly, the analysis also reveals that the net sentiment of brand conversations differs by mode of communication. In this case, net sentiment is determined by subtracting negative and mixed conversations from positive ones, to arrive at an overall score. Face-to-face conversations about brands are the most positive in general, per the report, with a net sentiment score of +52 (meaning that positive conversations are 52% points higher than mixed and negative ones). Following face-to-face in net sentiment are voice calls (+46), video calls (+44), and text messages (+43) about brands. Read the full MarketingCharts article, here.

RAB Delves Into Radio’s Heavy Hand In Brand Conversations

Posted on September 7, 2023September 15, 2023 by Engagement Labs

A recent study conducted by the Radio Advertising Bureau in partnership with Engagement Labs has revealed the significant role radio plays in driving brand conversations and impacting consumer purchase intent. The report, entitled Radio Drives Brand Conversations: Unveiling the Untapped Potential of Radio Conversations, offers data on radio’s reach and effectiveness across multiple business sectors. Key findings of the study include how heavy radio listeners engage in nearly 4.7 billion brand conversations weekly, surpassing heavy users of other media like TV and social media. Of those conversations, about 51% of brand conversations among heavy radio listeners lead to a purchase intent, which is higher than the national average of 49%. Radio shows dominance in 15 different industries such as sports, financial services, and technology, effectively connecting brands with varied target demographics. Additionally, the study highlights radio as not just a commercial medium but also as a platform for informed societal dialogue. Heavy radio listeners are active in discussing a range of issues, from personal finance to politics. RAB President and CEO Erica Farber said, “Radio is often referred to as the original social medium because of its ability to engage listeners through conversation, entertainment, and information. This study underscores radio’s ability to drive word of mouth brand conversations for advertising partners, more so than any other media.” Read the full Radio Ink article, here.

Bud Light Isn’t The Only Polarizing Big-Name Brand

Posted on September 7, 2023September 11, 2023 by Engagement Labs

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.

A Beauty Nation Divided: How Polarized Politics Are Impacting The Industry

Posted on August 31, 2023September 5, 2023 by Engagement Labs

CARLA SEIPP | PUBLISHED AUGUST 31, 2023 Beauty is undoubtedly political—from the writings of journalist Darian Symoné Harvin to bold campaigns by Dame, Saie and The Lipstick Lobby—but how are politics potentially affecting beauty? There is undoubtedly a need to address the geographical nuances of the US beauty consumer, with politics being one facet of this. In the lead-up to the first 2024 Presidential Election primary debates, data and analytics firm Engagement Labs decided to dive into the impact of polarized politics on consumer brands with their Brand Marketing Amid Political Polarization report. The enterprise gathered offline consumer conversation data through weekly surveys for consumers aged 18 to 69 from almost 500 brands, collected via the TotalSocial platform. Offline conversations were specifically chosen as they constitute two-thirds of consumer conversations, according to the company. Analyzed industries ranged from food to fashion, with the beauty and personal care factor only being represented by Kirkland. They found that 23% of the companies are polarized between Democrats and Republicans. Here are further key takeaways from the report: Republican vs. Democratic Sentiment

Coca-Cola, Gucci, and Lay’s Chips had equal sentiment for both political leanings.
Kirkland, Olive Garden, and Shein had the highest positive Republican sentiment.
DiGiorno, Vanguard, and Meijer had the highest positive Democrat sentiment.

Read the full BeautyMatter article, here.

Social Media Interactions Don’t Predict Offline Conversation

Posted on August 25, 2023September 8, 2023 by Engagement Labs

Republicans and Democrats communicate about brands face-to-face much more often than through electronic channels, according to a study by data and analytics firm Engagement Labs. The premium content is behind a paywall and available to subscribers to MediaPost‘s Research Intelligencer and/or a member of the Center for Marketing & Media Research. This content cannot be viewed by non-subscribers/non-members. Read the full MediaPost article, here.

Brands and politics: As campaigning ramps up this week, the deeply polarized state of US affairs could drag down a quarter of Fortune 500 brands

Posted on August 21, 2023August 24, 2023 by Engagement Labs

The seemingly never-ending electioneering in America is about to ramp up again as Republican candidates take the stage for the first debate of the 2024 Presidential election cycle. The divisive and often dangerous impact that US politics is having on citizens is clearly undeniable, but that impact has also been crossing over to consumerism and branding—and whether they brought it upon themselves or not, some of the country’s biggest brands could be damaged in the fallout. A new research report from data and analytics firm Engagement Labs reveals the extent to which polarized politics in America is impacting major consumer brands, creating a new challenge for brand communicators eager to attract consumers across the political spectrum. The firm’s new Brand Marketing Amid Political Polarization report, based on consumer conversation data for nearly 500 brands, finds the conversations relating to almost a quarter (23 percent) of brands are polarized between the warring Republicans and Democrats. The timely new report comes in the wake of a politically controversial video featuring a trans influencer, Dylan Mulvaney, which provoked boycotts and outrage on social media. Also, after Bud Light lost its first-place ranking in the beer market, the brand’s parent company, AB InBev, placed members of its marketing team on leave and revamped its approach. Read the full Bulldog Reporter article, here.