If you want more customers without a massive ad budget, radio is worth a second look.
Cost is the first advantage. A joint 2026 study by the Radio Advertising Bureau and Kantar Millward Brown, tracking 1,200 brand campaigns across 18 categories, found radio-inclusive campaigns were 63% more likely to achieve top-of-mind brand awareness than campaigns that skipped radio entirely.
Radio also delivers strong return relative to other media. A WPP Media and Radiocentre analysis covering $2.2 billion in ad spend across 142 brands found broadcast radio’s ROI ran 22% above the all-media average over two years.
And it reaches people at the right moment: Nielsen’s 2026 Audio Today report shows radio reaches 93% of U.S. adults monthly, with an 84% share of ad-supported listening in cars — right as people are driving to run errands or make purchases.
For businesses with a clear, quick pitch and a way to track calls or promo codes, radio can turn everyday listeners into walk-in customers.
Sources: Radio Advertising Bureau & Kantar Millward Brown (2026); WPP Media & Radiocentre, Profit Ability 2; Nielsen 2026 Audio Today report
