Nielsen: Heavy Radio Listeners Ready For Normalcy

Nielsen held a series of client webinars Friday to review key insights from a brand new study of consumer COVID-19 sentiment and spending intentions. They also reviewed just-released audience data from the 45 Portable People Meter markets. The PPM data covered the period of March 27, 2020 through May 6, 2020. Nielsen reported a significant resurgence of U.S. AM/FM radio listening.

AM/FM radio listening levels recover to 82% of pre-COVID-19 levels

Nielsen presented an analysis of unweighted quarter-hour listening from their PPM overnight audience service for AM/FM radio programmers. They benchmarked pre-COVID-19 listening from the second week of March at a 100 index. In the back half of March, AM/FM radio listening dropped as America began sheltering at home.

A major finding from Nielsen’s Portable People Meter data is the significant resurgence of crucial weekend listening which occurs as Americans run errands and shop. The most recent weekend measured (May 2 and 3) had listening levels at 94% of pre-COVID-19 levels.

News formats gain share while most other formats remain remarkably consistent

The CUMULUS MEDIA |Westwood One study found that by a four to one margin, AM/FM radio listeners want to near-normal programming on their favorite stations. As such, it is not surprising that format audience shares are so consistent.

Within the last week (April 30 to May 2), Nielsen fielded a national study of 1,000 adults to probe the degree of consumer sentiment on COVID-19 and spending optimism. Nielsen identified three equal-sized consumer segments with varying degrees of post-COVID-19 normalcy.

The “wait and see” consumers are those do who do not feel things are normalizing or opening up. The “proceed with caution” consumers are those in the middle on opening up and resumption. The “ready to go” segment is most optimistic about a return to normalcy.

The “ready to go” segment says they will be spending quickly, meaning within a month. Across seven categories, the “ready to go” segment has exceptionally high spend intention indices for purchasing within a month. The “ready to go” segment is 29% more likely to spend in a month on auto parts and repair, 47% more likely to spend on household services, and 43% more likely to spend on home improvement.

These consumers are ready to be at the forefront of marketplace spending across dozens of categories. These “ready to go” high optimists (1/3 of population) and even broader moderate optimists (2/3 of population “ready to go” and “proceed with caution”) and their growing consumer confidence are key drivers of the country-wide momentum towards a more normal way of life and spending.

Key takeaways:

• AM/FM radio listening levels recover to 82% of pre-COVID-19 levels
• Weekend AM/FM radio listening levels recover to 94% of pre-COVID-19 levels
• Both Apple Maps and Geopath report significant growth in driving trips and miles traveled
• Out of home is still the number one location of AM/FM radio listening
• One-third of Americans fall into the optimistic “ready to go” consumer segment: They see signs of normalcy and are ready to spend and spend quickly
• The “ready to go” consumers have jobs, kids, skew younger, are light TV viewers, and heavy AM/FM radio listeners
• Across 23 different service and product categories, heavy AM/FM radio listeners are much more likely to say they will spend more soon