Report: Shift To Buying Impressions Quickens

A new Nielsen study commissioned by The Southern California Broadcasters Association (SCBA) demonstrates the power of impressions for the radio industry. These findings show that agencies are increasingly using impressions to evaluate media, and the usefulness of impressions to evaluate radio and digital using a common metric.

According to the study, the benefits of impressions based buying offers increased granularity over ratings and adds value to more dayparts and easier comparison across markets. It also gives audio and digital platforms the ability to capture all of their audiences no matter where content is consumed. Additionally, the study showed that impressions also provide a brand safe environment for advertisers looking for premium impressions at the local level.

"The importance of combining radio and digital advertising effectively cannot be overstated, and impressions are clearly where the industry is headed," said Southern California Broadcasters Association President Miles Sexton. "As radio continues to evolve within the digital ecosystem, the building blocks of a successful cross-platform campaign will include impressions."

Additional highlights from the study include:

• The shift to buying on impressions is accelerating. In fact, 54% of agency professionals are now buying on impressions.
• Buying on CPM levels the playing field, where supply and demand determine pricing rather than market size.
• The line between radio and digital is starting to blur, and impressions are key to evaluating radio station app and website audiences.

Data from the study further demonstrated that impressions allow radio to add scale to media plans in a cross-platform environment and recommended best practices for converting to CPM for buyers and sellers in the radio industry. Among these recommendations are the importance of looking beyond price and evaluating other items that add value, focusing on quality over quantity, and looking for opportunities to combine radio and digital impressions for cross-platform opportunities.

To view the SCBA/Nielsen study results click here.