Radio Adds Analytics

Ever since the first advertisement, marketers have been looking for ways to measure and quantify their results.  We have come a long way since the late 19th century’s John Wanamaker, a pioneer in today’s marketing stage, said, “Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is, I don't know which half.”

Today, even with all the available analytics tools at our fingertips, it still isn’t always clear which advertising channels are yielding the best outcomes.  But most would agree that some feedback is better than none when analyzing advertising results.

While a little late to the game, radio advertising recently launched its own analytics tracking program. Companies like Owl Analytics have started providing a similar product where they track Google searches for a brand’s radio commercial immediately after it airs. At the local market level, these services track branded Google searches within an eight second window. We have found it a useful tool to help clients improve their advertising strategies.

While far from perfect, these services provide a glimpse into what happens when the radio commercial airs. Granted, some commercials or brands aren’t likely to lead to a Google search conversion, but when enough people do visit a brand’s website, it offers valuable directional information like:

• Which station or stations generate the biggest lift in Google searches?

• What creatives/commercials are having the biggest impact?

• Tracking engagement by time of day and day of the week.

• Bench-marking results against industry/category averages.

Similar to any analytics tool, alone, it tells only part of the story. However, for the first time, radio can provide some insights to illustrate what works best and to create a path to optimize results.

Perhaps best of all, radio analytics reporting is available at no charge to advertisers, and may just offer priceless results.