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News, Weather, Sports and Traffic up Next!
The average metropolitan motorist spends 40-45 minutes commuting to or from work each way! During this time, radio listeners will be exposed to 2 or 3 “info” packages comprised of news headlines, weather, sports... and traffic. If you’ve already heard most of these items, there’s no need to listen to them again. The news is often the same as it was 15 minutes ago - the forecast won’t change from the previous report - and last night’s sports scores, are still last night’s scores. The only item constantly changing is the traffic report.
The Unpredictable Commute
Given today’s highways, it is remarkable how quickly commuters can travel across an urban centre. Just as remarkable is the volatility of the situation. Thousands of motorists grind to a halt and traffic backs up for the simplest of reasons - disabled or stalled vehicles, construction, collisions, closures, distractions and of course... volume. What is clear and moving well at one moment, can come to a complete stop in a manner of seconds. It takes far longer for traffic to clear. The congestion that follows can linger for hours.
The Attentive Commuter
Broadcaster Magazine recently reported a study conducted by the Bureau of Broadcast Measurement found that over “90% of Canadians commute to and from work”. Of those who traveled by car, “74% said they listen to the radio “every day” during the drive”. Behind the wheel, commuters view traffic reports differently than any other facet of a radio station’s programming. Music, news items and DJ banter may help to pass the time, but won’t help listeners reach their destination any quicker. A recent study in Radio and Records magazine confirmed that listeners identified traffic information as the second most integral feature of a radio station’s programming.
The Attentive Consumer
A traffic report is awarded attention because of the immediate relevance. The fact that the information is being delivered live by an announcer amplifies the attentiveness of listeners. Only the broadcaster knows when the traffic information will conclude and the sponsor’s will begin. The attention given to the traffic report is transferred to the sponsor. The attentive commuter becomes the attentive consumer.
Credibility and Reliability
Motorists award the traffic announcer their attention because the information is valuable and reliable. Over time, the broadcaster becomes a trusted voice. The credibility associated with the personality is transformed into credibility for the sponsor. The sponsor’s message, in turn, becomes as valuable and reliable as the traffic information itself. THE ATTENTIVE COMMUTER BECOMES THE ATTENTIVE CONSUMER |
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