You might remember the local used car dealer’s radio jingle until the day you die, but these days, Chester’s Toyota just wants to know how many people heard the ad they paid for.
For too long, radio has been trapped in that sweet limbo – it’s still on, it’s still ubiquitous, but it hasn’t changed in 100 years. While local reach is strong and audio is a powerful medium to create a connection with consumers, most radio stations simply don’t have much more to offer their advertising except for estimated monthly listeners.
Any smart station owner knows this model is unsustainable: one where the bulk part of their advertisers can simply spend the same amount of money (or a lot less) on other platforms like Facebook and Google, and receive a wealth of data, direct traffic and contact from their audiences, and a clear sense of ROI.
Enter Station99, the service that helps make radio measurable.
A new startup named Station99 aims to change things and put more power into radio station owners’ hands, tying together the world of radio and the benefits of the digital era.
At its essence, the platform is an app that connects radio stations to people’s mobile devices. For years, the car tuner dial has been getting dust on it in favor of phone listening, so Station99 unshackles the stations from just the AM or FM bands, and pulls them into the universe of the cloud, while at the same time, giving access to all the analytics and results tracking that affords them.
According to their website, Station99 uses AI and machine-learning to serve advertisers’ spots to the right audiences at the right time, based on listener patterns. Beyond simply hearing an ad, S99 takes full advantage of the mobile device, letting listeners take direct action on an ad that interests them, with options such as:
- Direct phone calls to businesses
- Clickthrough to website and email
- Customer surveys and quizzes
- Coupon downloads
It certainly sounds a bit better than a listener trying to jot down the 1-800 number to that hot insurance deal while they drive.
The platform, launched out of Seattle, has a few case studies under its belt already, including XYZ, and has its sights set to make a big push in the Canadian marketplace this summer.
Check out this video for a useful little primer on the service, and what it can do.
More info at Station99ai.com
