Radio commercials are outperforming the national average for product discovery with Baby Boomers and Gen X, according to new data, and the numbers point sellers toward a clear next step: layering in digital to close the gap with Millennials and Gen Z.
Among Baby Boomers+, 41% say TV or radio commercials are how they discover new products, more than any other channel except word-of-mouth-adjacent categories like recommendations from friends, family, or colleagues (50%). Gen X isn’t far behind at 35%, well above the 31% average across all US adults, according to YouGov Profiles data collected between June 2025 and June 2026.
With that level of sustained success for broadcasters comes some spending power. Households headed by someone age 45 to 54, the bracket closest to Gen X’s core, spent an average of $100,327 in 2024, more than any other age group tracked, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Consumer Expenditure Survey. That’s well above the $78,535 national average across all consumer units. Households 65 and older, roughly overlapping with the bulk of Baby Boomers, spent $61,432, still a substantial base for advertisers reaching them through the channels they trust most.
Millennials and Gen Z tell a different story. 26% of Millennials and 19% of Gen Z cite TV or radio commercials as a discovery channel, both below the national average. For Gen Z specifically, social media influencers or bloggers (41%) and search engines (42%) far outpace broadcast advertising as ways they find new products.
That’s where digital comes in for radio. Advertisements on websites or social media platforms show almost no generational drop-off, sitting at 39% for both Gen Z and Millennials and matching the 39% national average.
For sellers, the numbers make the case for a bundled pitch rather than a broadcast-only one: stations that already reach Gen X and Boomer audiences effectively through commercials have data-backed room to grow revenue by pairing that strength with digital products that are already resonating with younger consumers.
