More than 64% Indians listen to FM radio every day: AZ Research

Radio is one of the oldest mediums, but it still stands tall when it comes to reach, states AZ Research’s Radio Listener’s Research Report. According to the report, more than 64 per cent of people listen to FM radio every day. They attributed the increased acceptance of FM radio to the ease of access.

A detailed research analysing the consumption pattern, the study burst the myth that radio was largely consumed by Sec C of the consumers. While only 51 per cent from Sec C indulged in radio, a whopping 72 per cent of Sec A and B listened to radio on a daily basis. Another interesting revelation was the behaviour of the listeners. As per the report, more than 71 per cent of the listeners preferred to listen to the same channel at the same time, indicating strong loyalty. Respondents who flipped channels were a meagre 16 per cent.

From the recall perspective, too, FM radio exhibited a better quality recollection. Radio had a significantly higher quality recall (43 per cent correct recall), compared to television, which was only at 22 per cent. Regular listeners could remember elements like name of the programme, name of the RJ, the main sponsors of the programme and even the contests that are run on the FM channel. This clearly shows that FM radio is a very high involvement category, much more so in comparison to television and print.

Elaborating on the research, Sujay Misra, Managing Director, AZ Research, said, “Radio provides marketers with great reach and quality recall, but is often underrated. Though slowly marketers are realising its potential and are adopting focused approach. I am confident it will not only increase spends on radio, but also give way to more focused brand building campaigns rather than tactical ones that are been aired.”

An in-depth analysis on the penetration across the country, according to findings, at 94 per cent Bangalore exhibited highest acceptance to the medium, tier 2 cities like Jaipur (89 per cent) and Lucknow (82 per cent) were not far behind, reiterating the national acceptance of the medium. Interestingly, while the centers in the South of the country seem to be more content driven, the rest of the centers were more music driven. From consumption mode standpoint, mobile phones (71 per cent) topped the chart, followed by radio sets (53 per cent) and then web (21 per cent).

The report aims to understand the FM radio listening behaviour vis-à-vis other mediums and to elucidate many myths that marketers and media buyers have about FM radio as a medium. The study involved 45,000 respondents comprising SEC A/B/C consumers in the age group of 14-50 years. It covered key cities like Ahmedabad, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Jaipur, Lucknow and Bangalore.

AZ Research Partners is a full-fledged marketing consultancy firm offering Market Research, Market Intelligence and Consultancy Services. The firm offers services across the South East Asian region panning India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan and Malaysia.

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