Brands Using Social Media Get Added Benefit From Radio Ads

Critical Mass Insights (CMI) unveiled a study Monday demonstrating that radio advertising significantly boosts consumer engagement with brands on social media and in physical stores. 

The research found that 55% of radio listeners are more likely to click on social media links for products or services they first heard advertised on the radio, with listeners twice as likely to engage with such links compared to unfamiliar products.

Among 25–44-year-olds—a demographic often juggling full-time work, early parenthood, and homeownership—64% reported a higher likelihood of clicking on social media links for products promoted on radio. 

CMI President Lainie Fertick noted, “In an era of constant advertising and AI-generated misinformation, radio’s trusted environment enhances the legitimacy of brands and products, building on our prior findings that 80% of consumers trust radio hosts’ recommendations, even as confidence in other media wanes.”

Additional findings include:

• 72% of consumers are more likely to notice social media ads for products they heard on the radio.
• 70% are more likely to read social media ads for radio-advertised products.
• 66% are more likely to try a new product after radio exposure.
• 60% of lighter radio users and 75% of Black and Hispanic consumers are more likely to engage with social media posts from brands first heard on the radio, with consistent trends across political affiliations and regions.
• Radio’s influence also shapes purchasing behavior:44% of consumers are more likely to buy a grocery store product advertised on the radio.
• 49% are more likely to visit a fast-food restaurant after hearing its radio ad.

Fertick emphasized, “Radio helps brands stand out in today’s cluttered advertising landscape, keeping them top-of-mind not just during the ad but later in stores, digital ads, or on the road. Radio’s high-attention environment primes consumers to respond to brands in crowded settings, reinforcing audio’s role in enhancing other media’s performance and connecting communities.”