Radio Puts a Bow on Holiday Gift Shopping

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

With Thanksgiving behind us, it means that the holiday shopping frenzy is just beginning, or is it? If you are following consumer sentiment reports, it is anyone’s guess as to how “frenzied” it will be. Retailers will need to be diligent about product promotions and sales and where they promote them.

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Scams Targeting Small Businesses

Contributors: Kevin Frisch, Associate and Brad Deutsch, Principal, Foster Garvey PC

News outlets regularly discuss the impact of scams and fraud on individuals and high-dollar schemes that target large and established companies make headlines. However, less attention is paid to lower dollar frauds and scams targeting small businesses. Small business personnel may be more likely to make key mistakes in interactions with scammers, as they may jump at opportunities to save money on business essentials, and they shoulder significant workloads without the infrastructure or security tools available at larger businesses to protect themselves from scammers.

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Amplifying Brand Buzz: How Radio Redefines Conversations and Influence

Harness Radio’s Unique Ability to Fuel Purchase Intent and More

Contributor: Vanessa Lontoc, VP of Marketing, Engagement Labs

In the ever-evolving landscape of media impact, radio emerges as a potent catalyst for brand conversations. The study “Radio Drives Brand Conversations,” commissioned by RAB in partnership with Engagement Labs, dives deep into radio’s role in driving brand discussions and explores its profound influence on purchase intent, societal discourse and the bottom line. In this blog, we dissect key findings and offer actionable recommendations for brands and advertisers looking to harness the untapped potential of radio conversations.

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Radio and Small Businesses are Perfect Partners

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

During the pandemic, while many businesses were impacted, the role that small local business within communities was magnified. Many small businesses had to pivot to survive or struggled to keep their doors open.

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Wage Transparency Legislation Brings Unique Challenges and Benefits for Employers

One of the greatest challenges employers across all lines of business has experienced is recruitment. A talent pool shortage, applicant expectations, hybrid or remote work demands and more, compounded by economic uncertainty has made it difficult for employers to not only fill those open roles but also retain current employees. Radio has often successfully served as a medium to help organizations and businesses with their recruitment efforts.     

Colorado was the first state to pass a law requiring business to list salary ranges in job postings. Since then, additional states are adopting their own disclosure laws. RAB reached out to our partners at Foster Garvey PC to provide some guidance on wage transparency laws.


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Radio Listeners and Cocktail Selections

Authors: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights and Victor Texcucano, Content Coordinator, RAB

There is nothing better than a cold beer at the end of a long workday, or a few alcoholic seltzers in the backyard while grilling with family or friends – though the world of alcohol is steadily changing.  

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Radio Digital Ads to Generate $2B for Stations in 2023: Uncovering Insights in the RAB-Borrell Annual Benchmarking Report

Contributor: Bo Bandy, SVP of marketing, GM Digital, Marketron

The 11th annual RAB-Borrell digital benchmarking report for radio didn’t disappoint with its insights for the industry. Of those, the projection for radio digital advertising hitting $2 billion in 2023 certainly deserves attention. The revenue generated by this segment is impressive. In 2022,19% of total ad revenue was from digital advertising sales. So, what does this new growth mean for radio?

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2022 – The Year of Local

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

Businesses. Retailers. Restaurants. Community. There has been incredible focus on everything local as consumers looked around and realized the role and impact local has in their lives. After all, it is great to travel, but “there’s no place like home.”

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Use Radio to Gain the Attention of Back-to-School Shoppers

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

It is summer! It’s the time of year for backyard parties, days at the beach and back-to-school shopping. While it may be hard to believe, families are already planning their strategy for purchasing all their children’s back-to-school (BTS) and back-to-college (BTC) needs.

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Radio’s Role in the Valued Business of Retail

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

Shopping habits have changed. Consumer expectations of the brands they purchase and where they purchase them have shifted dramatically. These changes will continue to impact retailers everywhere from Main Street to Broadway. Retailers of all sizes are constantly trying to navigate these changes, so it is important to understand the values of today’s shoppers.

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Radio Digital Sales Surge 33%: Debriefing the RAB-Borrell Annual Benchmarking Report

Todd Kalman, senior vice president of sales at Marketron

Now in its 10th year, the RAB-Borrell Digital Benchmark report is a must-read for the radio industry. As broadcasters seek to increase revenue and diversify offerings, digital advertising is a critical part of this. In 2021, the world faced year two of the pandemic and its impact. The findings of this year’s report show there are reasons for optimism.

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You Can Count on Radio for Banking

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

There have been numerous articles, studies and surveys on shift in consumer shopping preferences and behavior. While percentages for each survey may have varied, there was one consistent finding – Americans have increased their use of online transactions. The implication of this behavioral shift is not just limited to retail but also to banking – 27% of consumers agree that banks will be more flexible over the next two years.

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Radio Whets the Appetite

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

The impact created by COVID-19 restrictions has been felt across a number of industries. One of the hardest hit has been the restaurant industry. According to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), as many as 110,000 restaurants have closed since the start of the pandemic.

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Radio Builds Home Improvement Business

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

If you are reading this, chances are either you, or someone you know, learned a new skill or used a new tool in 2020. According to a CRAFTSMAN Built@Home Survey, 78% of adults sharpened their home improvement skills. They also learned how to use various power tools, like drills, sanders and even table saws. Meet the new DIYer.

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The Digital Advertising Boom of 2020: Debriefing the RAB-Borrell Annual Benchmarking Report

Contributor: Jimshade Chaudhari, SVP Product, Marketron

Every year, the RAB-Borrell Digital Benchmark report catalogues the health of digital marketing in the U.S. radio industry. Every year, the results are interesting  ̶  but none, I would venture, can compete with 2020.

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Radio Covers Auto Insurance

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

At the onset of the pandemic in 2020, nonessential workers limited their vehicle use – other than for trips to the supermarket or leisurely drives. As lockdowns lifted, drivers hit the road again as businesses reopened and companies developed hybrid work-from-home and office schedules. In a report issued by INRIX, a location-based data and analytics firm that tracks traffic and parking, the vehicle-miles traveled may have had dropped initially but speeds increased. Based on this same report, collision rates began to climb back up to pre-COVID-19 levels between August and October.

Recognizing the shift in consumer behavior, the insurance industry responded by offering their customers discounts or rebates. However, those consumers who had once not owned or leased a vehicle, were now beginning to view vehicle ownership as a form of personal protective equipment. All these shifts created another behavior – search for auto insurance.

While radio reaches 88% adults who use any auto insurance provider, radio’s reach is even higher among adults, Blacks/African Americans and Hispanics who are planning to switch their auto insurance provider – 90%, 94% and 93%, respectively.*

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Celebrating Black History

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

Next week we will celebrate Black History Month – an event that celebrates and recognizes the impact that Blacks/African Americans have had on our history. According to ASALH, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History, the theme for 2021 is The Black Family: Representation, Identity, and Diversity.

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Purpose in Action with Radio Drives Business and Positive Change

Author: Tammy Greenberg, SVP/Business Development, RAB

It has been well-documented that consumers, now more than ever, care deeply about how brands are addressing social and environmental issues. According to the 2020 Porter Novelli Executive Purpose Study, 89% of business leaders believe companies that lead with purpose have a competitive advantage in today’s marketplace. In fact, 85% agree being a purpose-driven company drives profit. The bottom line is that in increasingly competitive markets, in just about every category of business, a brand’s contribution to society becomes the decisive point of difference for consumers.

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Being Thankful

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

It’s hard to believe, but Thanksgiving is here. It has been a very unusual year for everyone, and the pandemic has prompted many of us to stop and appreciate some of the things that we may have taken for granted in the past.

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Happy Anniversary, Radio!

Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB

This month marks radio’s 100th anniversary. It’s an incredible milestone, and never has radio been more important, valued or recognized as it has this past year.

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