Alan Burns: Does AC Radio Really Understand Women?

More Results From Study

More data released from the ALAN BURNS AND ASSOCIATES "Insights into Women, Radio, and New Media," suggest that AC stations may be able to forge deeper connections to female listeners.

"Four of the top-five priorities for the women in this study involve other people," says CEO ALAN BURNS. "Women are all about relationships. But since radio is still a male-dominated business, we tend to focus on some of the more superficial, easier-to-recognize behaviors of women. But if we take the time to look deeper, we can connect on a more profound level.

"The reflexive male view of women’s interests tends to come up with things like fashion, shopping and celebrity gossip," continues BURNS. "Those are all fun and good for escapist entertainment. But there’s another level there that’s deeper -- the need to connect with others, to understand them, and to help them. If you can serve them on both levels, you have a station that’s fun to listen to, not serious, and which women feel really gets them."

Other notes from the "AC Deep Dive" webinar include:

* There are significant differences among women over and under 40 years of age in music preferences and usage of new media.

* Top artists with female Hot AC listeners are (in order) BLACK-EYED PEAS, NICKELBACK, LADY GAGA, PINK and GREEN DAY.

* Top artists with female Mainstream AC listeners are THE EAGLES, ELTON JOHN, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, BILLY JOEL, and THE BEATLES.

* AC listeners’ number-one want in morning drive is "a lot of music." Information and humor are tied for second place.

* Cash is king with women; $1,000 in cash is as desirable as a new car.

* Appointment listening boosts participation in promotions.

* Women say that they are six times more likely to tune out a "long" commercial break as a "short" break.

Results of the BURNS AND ASSOCIATES study of over 2,000 female listeners to AC and Top 40 radio are being unveiled in a series of free webinars presented by DMR. The series concludes next THURSDAY at 2p (ET) with a detailed look at both workplace listening and online/direct marketing.

To register for the final presentation or to view data from the first three presentations, visit www.burnsradio.com.

For more information, contact ALAN BURNS at (251) 980-7070.

Exclusive Commentary For All Access

* There are significant differences among women over and under 40 years of age in music preferences and usage of new media.

BURNS: With artists, the break at 40 is very clear: 35-39s are into newer artists like PINK and LADY GAGA; with 40-44 year-olds it jumps over to the more traditional EAGLES, ELTON, etc. In other words, 35-44 isn’t a very useful demo for framing targets. Think over/under 40.

* Top artists with female Hot AC listeners are (in order) BLACK-EYED PEAS, NICKELBACK, LADY GAGA, PINK, and GREEN DAY. Top artists with female Mainstream AC listeners are THE EAGLES, ELTON JOHN, CARRIE UNDERWOOD, BILLY JOEL, and THE BEATLES.

BURNS: You see a reflection of this in style/era montage scores, too. The polarizers are 70s, which work for Mainstream, and Top 40 Pop, which works for Hot, but not Mainstream. The styles that cross the divide best are '80s, Soft Pop, and the DAUGHTRY/ROB THOMAS types of pop-rock.

* AC listeners’ number-one want in morning drive is "a lot of music." Information and humor are tied for second place.

BURNS: There’s a small difference between Hot AC and Mainstream here. Both name "lot of music," as number one; however, information is a clear number two with Mainstream P1s. With Hot AC P1s, humor and information are neck and neck behind a lot of music.

* Cash is king with women; $1,000 in cash is as desirable as a new car.

BURNS: And $100 is more desirable than an iPAD. You can never go wrong giving away cash if you can, but it seems in TODAY’s economic and employment environment cash is even more desirable. Here’s a chain: An iPOD beats a pair of designer shoes (generally speaking); an iPAD beats an iPOD; and $100 beats all of them.

* Appointment listening boosts participation in promotions.

BURNS: Just over half of all AC cumers say they have tuned in at an "appointment" time to try to win something from a radio station. That number increases with age, with employment, and with the listener’s level of commitment to AC. With heaviest Hot AC listeners, it’s almost 70%.

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