Clear Channel's "Less is More" a success, say studies
CC Radio CEO John Hogan promised more details were coming (1/21 RBR #15), and here they are: CC Radio has released more on its independent studies that found listeners love the longer programming blocks, actively noticing fewer commercials, shorter commercial breaks and more music. The studies also found that listeners are retaining advertising content better in the improved listening environment.
The first, a national study commissioned from Burke Inc., a premiere international research and consulting firm, also found that creative, compelling commercials are effective at any length. Among the specific conclusions:
* Over time, fewer commercials and more music are likely to improve listener loyalty.
* A commercial's effectiveness is not dependent on length.
* Creative, well-executed, relevant spots generate strong recall.
* A significant number of 30- and 15-second commercials had recall scores equal to or greater than many 60-second commercials, suggesting that recall and impact relate to things other than commercial length.
The Burke study was conducted across nine geographically diverse markets including, Atlanta, Birmingham, Cincinnati, Chicago, Denver, Nashville, Philadelphia, Phoenix and San Diego. The study also varied by format, including Rock/Alternative, Top 40, Classic Rock, Soft Rock and Country formats. Commercials tested were from a wide-range of sectors, including telecommunications, retail, automotive, beverage, insurance and home improvement, among others.
Also, more from the second study (1/4 RBR #10), from Atlanta-based media and market intelligence company Navigauge, measures audience behavior during and around commercial breaks. The Navigauge study examined more than 46,000 stop-sets and more than 127,000 commercials over a three-month period. An Arbitron competitor, Navigauge passively measures actual in-car listening.
Among this study's findings:
* A first-position, 30-second spot retained more audience than a first-position, 60-second spot, no matter how many spots are in the break.
* With shorter commercial breaks (i.e., those having four or fewer ads), roughly 80% of the qualified audience is still listening after the second commercial, and roughly 70% are still listening after the third spot.
Are you reading this from a forwarded email?
