More than 6 out of 10 locally-produced radio commercials fail to meet effectiveness standards, with automotive and legal ads performing worst, according to a six-month analysis of 5,693 spots across 108 markets including the top ten.
The study, conducted by yaman.AI and led by radio creative veteran and yaman.AI founder Yaman Coskun, found that only 39% of local spots scored 8 or above on a 10-point effectiveness scale measuring factors including emotional resonance, brand recall, and call-to-action clarity.
"As radio stations nationwide grapple with AI adoption in creative departments, we're seeing a troubling trend in commercial quality," said Coskun, founder of yaman.AI and former creative director with over two decades in radio creative.
Automotive, Legal Spots Score Lowest
The February-July 2025 analysis, which examined spots across U.S. radio markets, including the top ten, revealed significant performance gaps by industry category:
- Automotive – average score: 5.0
- Legal – average score: 4.0
- Home Improvement – average score: 6.0
- Healthcare – average score: 7.0
- Retail – average score: 5.0
AI Replacing Humans Cited as Primary Factor
The study identifies the culprit as the new alarming trend of radio leadership handing creative AI tools directly to sales staff, bypassing human radio creative professionals in cost-cutting efforts.
"Radio's emotional power is built by humans for humans," said Coskun. "The low-hanging fruit is enhancing creative by equipping human talent with AI, not replacing them. AI is not an excuse to fire people—it's a revolution to empower them."
Free Analysis Tool Offered to Audio Industry
To address the creativity crisis, yaman.AI is offering its Local Spot Analyzer free to radio professionals at www.yaman.AI. The tool provides real-time effectiveness scoring for any commercial upload.
"We want to arm radio professionals with data to make better creative decisions," Coskun said. "The stakes are too high for ineffective advertising. Especially when the industry is reporting a chronically challenged spot revenue.”
For more information or to get the free Local Spot Analyzer tool from yaman.AI, contact Yaman Coskun, Founder, yaman.AI, at yaman@yamanmediagroup.com or at 240.723.6688.