Study: Radio Can Persuade Swing Voters

Brent Seaborn

A new national survey from Vox Populi Polling, a leading polling company that designs and fields surveys to uncover what is happening within the political and public policy landscape, finds radio an extremely effective way to reach swing voters. Research shows that 81% of swing voters say they listen to AM/FM radio on a regular basis.

Moreover, voters across the political spectrum report that radio ads are more credible than the ads they see on the internet by a 56-35 margin, which increases to a 62-38 margin among low turnout voters. The survey, commissioned by Katz Media Group, examined how much influence radio has in the electoral marketplace. The sample size for the survey was 1,059 active voters and has a +/-3.0% margin of error.

Other key findings from the survey include:

• Swing voters spend 10% more time with radio daily than the average American voter.
• 67% of swing voters listen to FM regularly, while 14% are exclusively AM radio listeners.
• 65% of low turnout Republicans and Democrats say they listen to FM music on a regular basis.
• 61% of swing voters agree that radio is a good way for political candidates to reach them.

Stacey Lynn Schulman

“As political campaigns shift gears into the final stretch, they will increasingly focus on the all-important swing voters and radio is an extremely effective way to reach and influence them,” said Vox Populi pollster Brent Seaborn. “Our research indicates radio is even more effective in reaching those who are undecided or may change their mind before Election Day. Radio should be a key part of any political advertisers’ strategy.”

“This research illustrates that radio is both a habitual and influential medium for reaching voters who can make the difference on Election Day,” added Stacey Lynn Schulman, Executive Vice President of Strategy, Analytics & Research at Katz Media Group.  “In the race for credibility, radio outshines online advertising by a wide margin in the minds of still impressionable voters.”

Click here for a memo outlining the poll results. To see the toplines and methodology: Click Here.