Advertisers are becoming increasingly interested in learning about Pandora, the online radio service that recently passed 200 million users.
But Pandora’s still not a serious threat to traditional
radio, say media buyers and planners, despite all the hoopla around it.
That’s the finding of a recent Media Life survey on Pandora,
which asked readers to weigh in on their clients’ attitudes toward the service.
Less than a third of readers, 28 percent, see Pandora as a
serious threat to terrestrial radio.
The largest percentage, 39 percent, called it a medium
threat, saying it could develop into a bigger one in the future but for now is
more of an afterthought.
And 22 percent dismissed it as a small threat, saying it has
little more than buzz around it and does not represent an effective alternative
to traditional radio.
“While it certainly has many advantages (targetability,
don’t have to buy multiple formats, tracking) there is still value in local
radio with the DJ connection, and the time-shift listening from one medium to
the other based on daily behavioral habits,” noted one reader.
Wrote another: “Without any local content it’s just a music
source not the same as traditional radio.”