The launch of sub $100 digital radios in Australia has resulted in over 940,000 people tuning into a digital service Vs the traditional analogue radio. Sales are less than 550,000 units resulting in a new marketing campaign.Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) said that there are 940,000* people listening to digital radio in the five state metropolitan capitals of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide and 508,462 ** digital radios have been sold.
According to the GFK Marketscope Q2 2011 report, 71,233 additional digital radios were sold in the 2011 Mother’s Day quarter during which the commercial radio industry ran a specific Mother’s Day on air campaign. This is up from Q1, 2011 when 53, 996 were sold.
This increase brings the total number of digital radios sold since launch in August 2009 to over half a million.
Commercial Radio Australia chief executive officer, Joan Warner said: “The latest digital radio sales and listening figures include the 2011 Mother’s Day retail period and in a challenging retail environment, show the commercial radio industry’s ongoing digital radio awareness campaign has been able to cut through.”
Official Nielsen radio survey results for metropolitan Survey 5 2011 show that the number of people listening to digital radio is moving towards the 1 million mark.
7.6 % of listening to radio is now via a DAB+ digital radio device in the five state metropolitan capitals.
Time Spent Listening (TSL) to radio via a DAB+ digital radio device also continues to grow, reaching 11 hours and 28 minutes. TSL to digital has once again outstripped TSL to radio via the internet which is at 5 hours and 40 minutes.
A new series of radio advertisements promoting digital radio for Father’s Day begins today on high rotation for three weeks, across 42 commercial radio stations in the five digital radio metropolitan markets of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth and is also supported by online, point of sale and social media.
Ms Warner said; “For the first time in our digital ad campaign, we are mentioning a price point in conjunction with retailer Harvey Norman to highlight the fact that digital radios are an affordable present for Fathers’ Day.”
Harvey Norman, Business Development Manager, Adam Mills said: “Harvey Norman has made digital radio a focus this Father’s Day featuring a selection of radios in our catalogue, plus an online campaign and working with Commercial Radio Australia on a digital radio stand .”
A digital radio demonstration stand will also operate at the Bondi Junction Harvey Norman store from 1-3 September with a range of digital radios on display for listeners to try before buying.
The animated online banner ad complementing the radio campaign will run on all metropolitan commercial station websites and on www.digitalradioplus.com.au.
