Of Course Listeners Switch Stations

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Mark RamseyMark Ramsey is not shocked the average consumer switches stations in-car some 22 times per commute. In fact, he doesn’t think that’s news.


He’s nonplussed about the angst over the Edison Research study in which 100 commuters used portable cameras to record their media consumption.

And advertisers know people switch stations: “In the opinion survey that accompanied the field test, 25% said they listened to part of one commercial, 23% to at least one commercial, and 29% didn’t switch at all, presumably due to the heavy demands of the latest text message or the nagging distraction to our entertainment and communications addictions caused by the actual driving of a deadly weapon on four wheels,” he writes.

The media strategist agrees with Edison that easy access to change will leads to much channel surfing. Do they also not know that folks zip through TV spots on their DVR’s?

“What if better ads will keep people tuned in more effectively than better wrappers around crappy ads?” he asks in a blog.

He challenges advertisers to develop compelling content and says the key to retaining listeners is not to prevent switching but to create content good enough to get them back.

1 COMMENT

  1. I have always contended it is radio that shot itself in the foot. We have taught listeners to not like commercials, persuading them to think they are the ‘bad’ that comes with the good.

    As advertisers or their hired hands direct the content, might I inject that radio center on conversations about the commercial being yet another element of programming, finely tuned to maintain listeners while conveying the advertiser message in a way that is heard as a continuation of the great programming.

    Granted, this is pie in the sky thinking at this point but the words need to be conveyed by many folks to get more folks thinking along these lines. In fact, some advertisers have enjoyed commercial messages that not only sold but entertained and were welcome to listeners. Sadly they are the exception rather than the norm.

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