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Media Audit: Domestic Auto Purchasers Lean Heavily on Radio

Domestic auto manufactures may be more effective in stimulating sales if they increased their advertising investment in radio, according to the finding of a study by The Media Audit, the company which is bidding against Arbitron on the U.S. electronic radio ratings contract.

A telephone study of 17,395 adults planning to purchase a vehicle in the next year showed that better than 1 in 5 planned purchasers are heavy radio listeners. Of all the major media, radio had the highest proportion of planned vehicle purchasers.

“Radio stations and the amount of time consumers spend with each of the other media are a reflection of a person’s lifestyle” explained Jim Higginbotham head of research and Chairman of The Media Audit. “So too, automotive preference is a reflection of a lifestyle. Thus it is not surprising that there is a correlation between media consumption and product consumption. There’s a definite media skew for advertisers to consider. In the auto category, heavy radio listeners are skewed towards domestic vehicle purchases while heavy internet users are skewed towards foreign vehicles purchases.”