The Role of Radio in Marketing and Advertising

Introduction

During my career at BYUradio, where I worked for almost three years, only leaving due to graduating with my Communications degree, one of my favorite things I did was write radio marketing promos—thirty-second advertisements for our shows and stations, inviting people to tune into us for family-friendly, entertaining content. I wrote a lot of promo drafts while working at BYUradio, with only a few being accepted by my managers, who would then either give me suggestions to improve the promos or edit the promos themselves (or both) before sending them back to me. I would look at their notes, make final adjustments, and then go to a studio booth to perform the promos. I had many jobs at BYUradio, and I wish I could’ve written more marketing promos. Although I had a lot of ideas, only a few of them were accepted and workshopped—good practice for someone who wants to be a published creative author one day.

But one piece of feedback from a manager stuck with me. In one promo, I had written something along the lines of “gather your family to listen to BYUradio for clean entertainment.” That sounded fine to me when I initially wrote it, but my manager returned it and said something like, “We aren’t in the 1940s—people don’t gather in the living room to listen to the radio.” He was right, of course; it was an out-of-touch thing to write, and I’m not even sure why I said that given that my family never listened to radio that way. It’s the kind of out-of-touch copy you’d expect from an old suit, not a college student in her early twenties. But that comment made me think—how useful is radio marketing in the twenty-first century? How many people still listen to the radio, and what are their demographics? How effective is radio advertising as a modern marketing strategy?

For me, radio was always background noise in gyms during tumbling and cheer practice, and later at the pools where I lifeguarded in the summers of 2020 and 2021. Yet, even as streaming services like Spotify and YouTube became more popular, I often found myself listening to the radio while driving to work. But my experience is a sample size of one, and even though I’m not too skilled in statistics (much to my dad’s chagrin, since he majored and mastered in it), I know that’s an abysmal sample size.

Who is listening to the radio, and when?

Before doing research, I assumed radio listening wasn’t very common—maybe only in cars—but I was surprised to learn that’s not the case. Radio still reaches a wide and active audience. According to Amra & Elma, 82% of Americans listen to the radio weekly, with Musical Pursuits reporting that 55% of Gen Z (my generation) listen to AM/FM each day. More Americans listen to the radio each week than use Facebook. Smart speakers and online streams have also made radio more accessible.

Interestingly, radio ranks high in consumer trust compared to other advertising channels; almost half (47%) of listeners consider radio ads a fair exchange for free content (Musical Pursuits, 2025). According to Audacy, the most common places people listen are in their cars, followed by while at work, and then at home (Borelli, 2025).

What role does radio play in marketing and advertising?

I spoiled the answer to that question in the above section, but the answer is: quite a strong one. Radio continues to prove its value through reach, recall, and measurable results. Data from Amra & Elma shows that 61% of listeners actually recall radio ads better than digital ones, and 52% of them conduct online searches after hearing an ad—evidence that radio marketing strategies successfully drive multichannel engagement. Radio advertising remains one of the most cost-effective advertising options available, generating an impressive 12:1 ROI (Amra & Elma, 2025). ROI, or Return on Investment, measures how much profit a company earns relative to its marketing spend (Oracle). That ROI connects closely with CLV (Customer Lifetime Value), reflecting how much lasting value a company gains from each customer (Oracle).

Brands today often focus their budgets on social media, but overlooking a proven channel like radio marketing wastes significant potential. Its combination of affordability, strong listener trust, cross-channel connection, and consistent reach across demographics shows that radio advertising and marketing remain not just relevant, but highly effective.

Conclusion

We might not be in the days of FDR when families gathered around a single radio at home, but that doesn’t mean radio isn’t still a powerful medium for communication, storytelling, and marketing. Radio remains an accessibl

e, trusted, and cost-effective advertising platform, delivering measurable results for companies and brands. Its proven ability to engage audiences and drive ROI keeps radio an important element of modern marketing promos and broader radio marketing strategies—a timeless tool in an ever-evolving advertising landscape.

References

Borelli, Ray. “ As Americans Head Back to Work, AM/FM Radio Listening Surges .” Audacy Inc., 23 Apr. 2025, audacyinc.com/insights/as-americans-head-back-to-work-am-fm-radio-listening-surges/.

Perplexity AI. (2025). Perplexity [Large language model]. https://www.perplexity.ai/.

“Radio Statistics in 2025 (Listening & Advertising).” Musical Pursuits, 18 Apr. 2025, musicalpursuits.com/radio/.

“Top 20 Radio Station Marketing Statistics 2025.” Amra and Elma LLC, 9 Nov. 2025, www.amraandelma.com/radio-station-marketing-statistics/.

“What Is Marketing ROI?” Oracle, www.oracle.com/cx/marketing/marketing-roi/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.