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Issue 11, vol. 1 - November 2005
Well they haven't. Radio has just grown and evolved into four new appealing and culturally resonant formats.
Our most recent national Ping study shows that pushed music content is still very much alive and well. While young people still listen to radio for enjoyment and to gain new musical experiences, the tone and texture of what we refer to as "radio" is most definitely changing.
To start, the notion of "radio" has expanded to include:
- regular radio stations broadcast online (real time or catalogued broadcasts);
- online-generated radio stations (not broadcast and only offered online);
- digital radio (i.e. those Digital Audio Broadcast stations many of us can receive through our cable boxes at home),and, the newcomer on the block;
- satellite radio (just recently made legal here in Canada and showing some strong early signs of popularity).
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The take-away is that "regular" radio is still a solid avenue for youth marketing reach. Hours spent listening to the radio go up strikingly as young Canadians get older (quite noticeably once they become legal drivers and listen to the car radio). Also, females tend to listen to "regular" radio more than their male peers.
We found the fact that young people are spending a relatively equal amount of time (anywhere between 1.5 and 2.8 hours per week) across the other four types of "radio" interesting and demanding of further inspection.
First off, when added up, the share of a young Canadians' weekly "alternative" radio listening habits is greater than regular radio. From a marketing perspective this means that we simply must start to recognize these previously considered "alternative" radio formats as real mainstream media. These radio formats have the potential to reach a fertile mix of niche and mainstream young consumer audiences.
Secondly, it's important to consider that each one of these formats is being experienced at fairly even rates by young Canadians; even with tweens.
In effect, there is no one new ascendant delivery format to really focus in on; every format should be considered as a potential marketing / advertising vector.
Can marketers still use radio to reach the youth market? Of course. But think beyond the 30 second brand sell spot. Radio is best used by youth marketers when they develop integrated promotional campaigns treating the radio station as more of a "brand partner" and less as a "media buy". Street teams, live mentions, online and email promotions and on-air product placement can be effectively combined with a 30 second spot to create a strong brand impression on the airwaves. Frequency will make all the difference to the youth consumer fan of Canada's most popular youth stations like Flow 93.5 (Toronto), 102.1 The Edge (Toronto), CFOX (Vancouver) and Vibe 93.5 (Calgary). Radio done right can make an impact among Canadian youth.
For more information on Youthography's marketing, advertising, events and promotions expertise, please contact Jeff Roach at 416 204 1256 x231 or email jeff@youthography.com
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