Westwood One and Emmis’ NextRadio have partnered up to roll out what they say is “the first and largest interactive audience measurement tool of over-the-air FM radio.”
This means “old-school broadcast radio” can now deliver the same insights on audience, engagement, clicks to retail, and more as digital advertising, they say.
“This alliance enables Westwood One to deliver consumer insights and intelligence that optimize campaigns and prove ROI to national advertisers,” the companies said in a joint announcement made Wednesday (6/28).
Of course, all data depends on use of the NextRadio mobile app, which remains largely unknown outside of the radio industry and will soon see a streaming-only app for iOS-powered devices such as Apple’s iPhone.
Therefore, the data is limited to a select group of consumers who are listening to local FM radio via an app that has made great strides in unlocking the FM receiver chips in Android-powered devices, with Samsung its biggest champion.
Through the NextRadio app, consumers can experience synced interactive ads and content. Listener interactions with a call-to-action, like store directions or promotions, are tracked via the Dial Report, an attribution dashboard that measures the impact of FM advertising campaigns. This data are translated into actionable insights on campaign demographics, brand exposure, listening engagement, in-store traffic, and proximity, among other data points.
Westwood One had been testing interactive audience measurement with NextRadio prior to today’s agreement.
In May 2017, the Cumulus Media-owned WW1 ran a NextRadio campaign for “a major retailer” on 250 of its affiliate radio stations, which showed a drive of listeners to the retailer. One-third of people who heard the ad also viewed the companion ad within the app. Of those listeners exposed to the campaign, some 10% visited the retailer.
“Imagine interacting with broadcast radio and brand content on your smartphone,” said Suzanne Grimes, EVP/Corporate Marketing at Cumulus and Westwood One President. “What an inspiration for getting consumers to take immediate action. This capability is now a reality for a quarter of a billion Westwood One listeners who get more control over their experience, while advertisers get massive and actionable insights and results. In addition, NextRadio’s collaboration with industry partners, including Nielsen, further validates this alliance as transformative for our business.”
NextRadio President Paul Brenner added, “We are thrilled to add their scale to our technology. Through this alliance, our rich consumer data is now available for a mass audience reach, allowing us to connect with larger brands and drive new business opportunities through Westwood One’s innovative advertiser solutions.”
