Newspaper Advertising vs Radio Advertising

We hear the comment all the time; “I advertise on radio, people hardly read newspapers.” While it is true that newspapers have had their challenges since the rise of digital media, newspaper advertising remains the most reliable marketing option and yields the biggest return on your investment.

When a person reads a newspaper, it is deliberate. Research has revealed that one of the main reasons people buy newspapers is to view ads. However, the radio industry knows that people do not turn on their radio to listen to commercials; that’s why the stations promote that they “play more music.”  People turn on their radio either to be entertained or because they want background noise while driving or doing household chores.  People who want to be entertained consider commercials interruption and those who want background noise do not hear them at all.

Jenna Bruce, in a Mediaspace Solutions article “Newspaper Advertising vs Radio Advertising – And the Winner is….” examined how newspaper ads measure up to radio ads.

Bruce concluded that the power of radio ads is fleeting. “A radio ad plays for 30 seconds and then it is gone, never to be thought of again, but newspaper consumers usually cut out and save advertisers’ contact information for a later date and will remember you when they need your product or service.”

To get a better understanding of the size of your radio market, Bruce suggested that you sit in your car and tune in all the local FM stations, you’ll find that there are about 15 radio stations; with a listening audience. That means the market share is split up into small numbers for market penetration. As an advertiser trying to reach about 50 households (give or take), would you take your chances with the media that has the bigger market share, or the one with the smaller market share?

Source: Mediaspace Solutions “Newspaper Advertising vs. Radio Advertising – And the Winner is….”

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