Drawing on data-based insights can support stations' strategies for building growth and momentum, positioning them effectively for future success. That's according to Anina Maree, Co-founder and Director at Ground Control Research, a leading pan-African digital media and consumer research company that has helped the continent's most successful radio stations expand their listenership and boost their advertising income by talking to independent audiences.

Findings of a recent Ground Control Research poll revealed that 11% of radio stations surveyed across Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria turn to external, independent research agencies to gain insights about their audiences and to help them strategise for future growth, while the vast majority trust an in-house team to do audience research.

Nearly a third of radio stations don't set up formal conversations with their audiences — they have off-air conversations with listeners who call in for competitions. While this may make listeners feel trusted and important to the station, it only draws on existing fans' opinions and doesn't benefit from the fresh insights that could be gained from audiences yet to be won. 

Independent researchers have spent years honing their skills, building focus groups and designing questions to get the most helpful insights from diverse participants. An inclusive approach to audience testing helps radio stations crystallise their identity, guiding them to make better informed decisions about their choices of programming, presenters and content. 

Having meaningful insights about what their existing and potential listeners hope to hear also helps stations better understand switching behaviour — what causes their listeners to seek content elsewhere and what would win new listeners in their target market over.

These insights could be as granular as revealing listeners' likes and dislikes about presenters, including their perceived integrity, at a time when celebrities often embrace their potential as social media brand influencers, either within or beyond the context of their station commitments. 

"Being able to gather these kinds of insights for our clients has meant that we've been able to offer solutions that balance presenters' evolving roles in society with their station's profile and content," says Maree. "For example, some hosts build greater engagement with their audiences if they're paired with another personality, or even if they're part of a presenting team, while others are better suited to solo presenting. Drawing on research findings and our years of experience in the industry has seen Ground Control Research support radio stations in redesigning their talent profiles, with great success."

With 75% of radio stations surveyed across the three countries not having allocated any budget for external research, independent researchers complement and add value to internally designed and funded research projects, adding deeper insights and broader experience. 

Whether a station is doing call-out music research, market and audience research, music mapping, or wanting to assess current or future talent prospects, independent researchers have their fingers on the pulse of the constantly evolving media industry. Radio stations that know who their audiences are and what they want are the stations most sought after by advertisers, who expect specific and concise feedback about who their advertising spend will reach.

Ground Control Research surveyed radio stations across three countries to gain insights into stations' approaches to audience research and strategies for growth.

For more information, visit www.groundcontrolresearch.co.za. You can also follow Ground Control Research on Facebook, LinkedIn, or on Instagram. 

*Image courtesy of Instagram