Public radio sponsorship connects your brand with a devoted audience more likely to support organizations that sponsor their favorite stations.
The public radio audience is highly educated, well-traveled, and are informed decision-makers. Stations understand that local immersion is vital for serving their regions and residents. Below are the reasons how and why public media elevates brand messaging for corporate sponsors.
Public Radio is a Trusted Platform
While radio remains popular, public radio garners an unparalleled amount of listener trust. Its varied programming on the arts, entertainment, politics, education, travel, and more engages its audience. Its reputation for fair, honest, and unbiased reporting of global, national, and local stories makes it stand out as a credible, trustworthy source of information. Associating your brand with public radio transfers the same trust and confidence the audience has for the station to you.
Using public radio as a marketing tactic elevates your brand. Listeners view sponsor messages as informative, not intrusive. They feel connected to the sponsor because they appreciate the sponsor's support for their favorite station.
For example, a listener may be in the market for landscaping services. Statistics show that they are 70% more likely to purchase products or services from a public radio sponsor than competing brands. Therefore, the public radio listener is more likely to inquire with a local landscaping company that they heard about on their local station.
Listeners Welcome Sponsorship Messages
Unique public radio sponsorship messages inform audiences rather than sell to them, presenting messages at scheduled times that do not disrupt shows or segments. They serve to establish the brand as a supporter of a trusted entity rather than a disruptor asking listeners for money.
Public radio is an uncluttered platform that helps sponsor messages to stand out. Where the frequency on privately owned stations averages up to 18 minutes of commercials per hour, sponsor messaging is limited to only 2-5 minutes per hour, with limited inventory available at a time.
Listeners don't tune out public radio advertising or switch channels when sponsorship messages begin. The non-intrusive nature of sponsorship messages reminds the listener that the sponsor has made the programming possible. Loyal audiences welcome the opportunity to learn about the station’s patrons and appreciate the introduction to new or local businesses in their area.
Support Quality News with Public Radio
Public radio sponsorship supports quality journalism and reporting. In times of unrest, upheaval, and uncertainty, public radio is perceived as the calm voice of fact and reason. From world events to national, state, and municipal election coverage, listeners trust public radio to deliver the most up-to-date, substantiated, and unbiased information. Public radio sponsorship generates goodwill and connects with the local community
Public radio stations understand that they are there to serve the public. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting formed when the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 passed, which states that "a private corporation should be created to facilitate the development of public telecommunications and to afford maximum protection from extraneous interference and control."
Public radio stations know that the trust that audiences place in them is hard-earned and easily lost. They staunchly uphold their mission to inform the public and, in doing so, elevate sponsor messages through the Halo Effect. Sponsors perception is improved among listeners due to association with the local station.
Using Public Radio in Your Marketing is Beneficial for You and Your Audience
Public radio is a beloved and respected medium with a loyal listening audience across a range of demographics. When listeners want to be entertained, informed, or engaged in a topic of interest, they turn to public radio. Public radio creates 100,000 hours of original news and informative programming each year. By sponsoring public radio, audiences will appreciate your brand as a benefactor to the programming they love.
Public media sponsorship connects with audiences in a way that resonates with them. Your support of their favorite local public radio station establishes an instant connection with listeners by demonstrating that you care about what matters to them. Public media sponsorship is easier than you may think and is accessible to businesses and organizations of all sizes. Work with an experienced and respected media partner to discover how public radio sponsorship can elevate your brand in the eyes of listeners.
