There’s data on everything from Pandora to in-car audio entertainment systems to smartphones and tablets – and unlike other studies, Techsurvey8 is cross-tabbed by format.
So you can see how Sports/Talk fans use Twitter (a lot!) or how strong Contemporary Christian partisans recommend their favorite stations to others (off the charts).
Here is the link to an infographic that provides some of the top-line findings. In the next several weeks, we’ll release more information from Techsurvey8, as well as announce format-centric webinars. There’s a lot of learning here, and we’re excited about the study. It will also be presented in a free Conclave webinar later this month. Details here.
While there are thousands of data points in this survey, our job is to make the numbers talk. We’ve developed 8 takeaways from Techsurvey8 that form a narrative. So here goes:
1. Stop doing “random acts of digital” – The survey provides station and format “tech footprints” in the form of our Media Usage Pyramids. Tim Davis developed this graphic depiction for our very first survey in 2005, and it has served us well through the years. These data sets are road maps to help stations, clusters, and companies better understand where their audiences live and connect for media entertainment. You can’t do everything, so prioritize and strategize. This approach will help stations and management teams best use their human and financial resources.
2. “Car Wars” – Techsurvey8 underscores the importance of the automotive world. More than half our respondents spend the lion’s share of their radio time on four wheels. And half can now connect their smartphones and iPods into their cars. Nearly one in ten now has a more elegant in-dash entertainment system like Ford SYNC. Our data suggests that about one-fifth of radio listeners who have these systems spend less time with AM/FM radio. (And I don’t have to remind you about the #1 sales category at most stations, do I?) If this isn’t impetus for an industry task force, I don’t know what is.
3. Winning “First Occasions” – Arbitron has taught us the value of creating “listening occasions” to drive higher ratings. There is no more important one than what we’re calling the “First Occasion” – the medium a person selects to start her day. In Techsurvey8, most respondents are core radio listeners. Yet, nearly six in ten begin their mornings with a channel or gadget other than radio. What does this tell us about the job they hire radio to do in the morning – and how well radio is delivering on that need?
The radio consultant Fred Jacobs trots out some key takeaways of a major survey on technology usage by radio users. The trends are important to watch. I'm sharing his first three takeways, but you should go to the full post to see them all.
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