Putting listeners in their place

Virtually all radio promotions you’ll hear in the UK are pretty clear on who they’re talking to. Over the years we’ve learned how to target by demographic, lifestyle and attitude.

But do we always consider where our listeners might be with the same clarity when we’re planning, writing and scheduling promotional campaigns?

Absolute Radio’s Adam Bowie has investigated in-car listening (to all radio) with some illuminating charts in a recent blog post – the data is there and I believe it can provide valuable insights for promotions writers and producers.

If we think of place as well as person it becomes easier to focus a message and therefore improve its relevance. Putting listeners in a real situation helps us think beyond just demographics and view them as individuals. It can spark new ideas in creative sessions and help us recognise opportunities for enhancing what we do.

For example, why not version spots by daypart to reflect likely listening location and drive relevance or help an advertiser take advantage of times when your listeners most likely to be close to shops and their purchasing decisions?

And you know those promos for podcasts we’ve all made? The ones that push listening on the move, anytime, anyplace because that’s the benefit of podcasts, right? Well Rajar says 77% of podcast users listen at home. Whoops.