Americans Hunkered Down at Home Turn to Radio — Just Differently

With Americans hunkered down at home and working remotely their usual media routines have been upended According to Nielsen39s online survey of 1000 adults conducted between March 20 and March 22 while incar radio usage is down athome listening jumped 26 percent Rather than using just radios however audiences are connecting via digital devices including 19 percent listening on smartphones 12 percent on computers and 10 percent on smart speakersThese homebound listeners are device agnostic and will listen however they can noted Tony Hereau Nielsen39s vice president of crossplatform insights quotThat could be headphones speakers computers and smartphonesquot he said quotIt39s linear audio content and it39s the information that is helping listeners understand what39s going on in their communitiesquotIn a notable finding young adults who have largely moved away from radio in favor of digital streaming audio are returning to AMFM radio Nielsen reported that listening during the survey period increased 35 percent among adults 18 to 24 years old and jumped 31 percent with adults 24 to 35 years oldOverall 92 percent of respondents said they were worried about the novel coronavirus and since the survey those concerns have likely deepened For many listeners local radio serves as both an important news source and an emotional salve quotAmericans trust radio to keep them informed connect them to their community and help them deal with the outbreakquot Hereau saidIndeed about half of the respondents said radio delivers the most accurate updated information about the virus as well as local closures and restrictions That information can change daily if not hourly making radio a mustuse media Among listeners 53 percent said AMFM stations make them feel informed and 46 percent said local radio provides important updates on what stores are open and where to shopIn times like this that strong bond between stations and listeners comes into focus quotTrust is not something you build overnight It is built over years and maybe decades and that39s why radio has such a strong connection to their communitiesquot Hereau notedIn that relationship radio39s beloved onair personalities play an important role and they can feel like friends or family Listeners lean on those bonds 46 percent of adults said local radio makes them feel connected to their community while about four in 10 adults said it reduces feelings of loneliness and stress As the virus39s impact on the economy grows 48 percent of listeners who are temporarily unemployed due to COVID19 feel radio connects them to their communities Nielsen reportsAt the same time local businesses are also struggling to adapt They39re weathering interruptions and closures while also trying to safeguard their employees39 health and safety The chaos might make advertising seem unnecessary or even inappropriate but radio advertising is essential to keeping communities informedOn radio brands and businesses will find a receptive audience Daily radio users are more inclined than the general population to be shopping for necessities Nielsen reported For example threequarters of daily radio users plan to shop for groceries in the next week while about half plan to get gas and about 40 percent plan to order takeout from a local restaurant or shop at a local pharmacyLocal businesses in these categories amp8212 as well as other essential services such as hardware stores auto repair centers and liquor stores amp8212 can use radio to communicate their store hours and any specials or restocked items or to reach out with a calming personal message for their community It is important to stay in touch with customersquotSome brands could lose market share if they clam up and their competitors are out there with messagesquot Hereau saidWith the pandemic showing no signs of abating local radio will continue to play a critical role quotWhether it39s for local news a place to listen to what is happening to connect with community members or simply as a way to find out which essential retailers are open for businessquot said Brad Kelly managing director Nielsen Audio quotradio is continuing to fill those needs for consumers everywherequotDon39t stop now Stay in the know on audiopodcasting trends with more from Audio InSites and Alli RomanoClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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Americans Hunkered Down at Home Turn to Radio — Just Differently

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Alli Romano

"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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Americans Hunkered Down at Home Turn to Radio — Just Differently

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