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Targeting the PPM People: How Are They Different? (Part 2: Age and Psychographics)
April 16, 2012
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. To succeed today, stations must maximize their appeal to those who control that success: those who wear a PPM. NuVoodoo's national study of 1000 adults 18-49 shows that there are several key differences between radio users who will agree to take the PPM and those who will not. This is the second article in our series discussing those differences and how they can help stations win and change the future.
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To succeed today, stations must maximize their appeal to those who control that success: those who wear a PPM. NuVoodoo’s national study of 1000 adults 18-49 shows that there are several key differences between radio users who will agree to take the PPM and those who will not. This is the second article in our series discussing those differences and how they can help stations win and change the future.
First, please bear in mind that 100% of our sample are research-receptive people: people who at least agreed to answer a few questions. Experience tells us that only about 30% of the population will participate in any research.  Therefore, any information we share about “Arbitron-friendlies” should be considered in this context. We also know respondents are always quicker to agree to a theoretical question than to commit to the actual behavior.  So the percentages who say they will are always greater than the percentages who will in fact do so.
25-34's Are More Willing than Others to Take a PPM
73% of research-friendly Men 25-34, and 63% of their female counterparts, say they would agree to commit their households to PPM’s, vs. much lower rates among both younger and older respondents.  This is logical: that demographic bracket has both greater digital-device-friendliness and more increasing expenses with lower incomes than do older folks. At the same time, they have greater responsibilities, more of a sense of commitment, and less stubborn independence than do younger “Millennials.” It isn’t their age, per se, that is motivating this choice, so much as it is their lifestyles, behaviors, values, maturity, needs, and psychographics.
“So what,” you say, “that doesn’t really matter, because Arbitron will always produce a demographically-correct weighted sample.” Sure. But if we think about this further, the implications, while not as obvious, are nonetheless potentially very helpful to us in our targeting.  Let’s say you are trying to win 18-34, and you need to perform well both 25-34 and 18-24. And you know that “18-24” is anything but one monolithic group. Some of them, in their lifestyles, maturity, behaviors, needs, and psychographics, more closely resemble 25-34’s, than do others in that same 18-24 cell. The same applies if you are trying to win 25-44. Some of your 35-44’s, in their lifestyles, maturity, behaviors, needs, and psychographics, more closely resemble 25-34’s, than do others in that same 18-24 cell.
What this means to you
What these data strongly suggest is that the 18-24’s and 35-44’s whose lifestyles, behaviors, values, maturity, needs, and psychographics (not necessarily opinions or tastes) more closely resemble those of 25-34’s will be more likely to accept a PPM than those who do not. This “Resembling 25-34” part of your 18-24, or your 35-44, audience will thus have a disproportionately greater influence on your ratings and revenue success.  Make sure you bear this in mind in your research, your advertising content, your media selection, your playlist and rotations, your talent content, your promotions, and in fact your overall stationality.Â
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