Maine Business Owners Reach Most Desired Consumers on Portland Radio

To survive, Maine small business owners need to market themselves to consumers who have the need, desire, and, most importantly, the means to purchase their goods and services. Recent research indicates Portland radio delivers the audiences Maine businesses covet the most.

According to Nielsen, 700,234 adults living in southern Maine tuned-in to a Portland radio station last week. This reflects national data that shows AM/FM radio reaches significantly more adults than TV, smartphones, PCs, tablets, or other TV-connected devices.

Not only does radio reach almost everyone in southern Maine, it reaches what business owners recognize as the most desirable audience. For instance, Portland radio audiences have a greater concentration of high income households than exists in the general population. (How to read: Portland radio audiences are 7% more likely to earn $150,000 per year than people in the overall southern Maine population).

The higher incomes of Portland radio audiences are fueled by the employment status of listeners. These listeners are far more likely to have full-time jobs than the general population.

Portland radio’s ability to deliver well-employed listeners is directly realted to this audience’s educational attainment. College graduates in southern Maine are considerably more likely than the general population to listen to AM/FM radio every week.

Marketing To Portland Radio’s Quality Demographics Pays Off For Business Owners

When advertising campaigns include radio’s well-employed, well-educated, and well-heeled audience, the return on investment is impressive. Nielsen has produced 20 studies that demonstrate AM/FM radio can deliver what Ad Age magazine calls an “eye-popping return on investment.” A study by the company released earlier this year produced similar results. It revealed that a radio advertising campaign conducted by an auto-aftermarket retailer generated $21.00 of incremental sales for every $1.00 invested.

Over a three-month period, according to Westwood One who commissioned the latest study, Nielsen matched its Portable People Meter panel with credit and debit card spending data in order to compare purchases of those exposed to the radio campaign with consumers who were not exposed. The results continue to demonstrate radio advertising’s jaw dropping ability to improve a business owner’s bottom line.

In addition to the 21-times ROI, the current Nielsen study also found that during the radio advertising campaign, the retailer experienced a 64% increase in brand new customers. It also found that the retailer’s share of total auto aftermarket sales increased by 71%.

Maine Small Business Owners Benefit

This Nielsen study confirms what many Maine small business owners already know: advertising to the quality demographics on Portland radio produces results.

Case in point. Scott Libby, owner of Royal River Heat Pumps in Freeport, credits his radio advertising campaign and its catchy jingle with doubling his sales in just one year. “When it comes to reach,” says Mr. Libby, “radio is second to none.”

Cathy Manchester, a real estate agent based in Gray, Maine, has had similar results utilizing radio as part of her company’s marketing mix. “When we began advertising on the radio several years ago,” says Ms. Manchester, “our business doubled! We went from selling 100 homes a year to approximately 200 homes each year! Radio advertising continues to provide a steady stream of well qualified customers for us!”

Jon Goodman, who is the front man of Time Pilots, a Maine based wedding band also experienced accelerated growth when he started advertising on radio. “It would be fair to say,” says Mr. Goodman, “that our wedding business has tripled.”

Measurable Results

Stacy Dodge, an owner of the Bill Dodge Auto Group with Maine locations in Westbrook, Saco, and Brunswick, also lets reality not perception guide her company’s media and marketing decisions. “We have been using Portland radio as a primary marketing source for about 10 years now.” said Ms. Dodge. “We have seen very measurable results and are able to target our audiences more effectively.”

“We are also more effectively able to market specific brands to a specific audience which is sometimes harder, and more expensive, to do with other mediums, said Ms. Dodge. “Radio is a very cost effective way to get your message out to the people you want to hear it.”

Not every radio campaign can deliver these types of results. On average, the studies Nielsen has conducted, produce a 6 time ROI. According to Ad Age magazine, these findings indicate that advertisers can expect higher returns-on investment from radio than TV, digital, or social media.

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