February 11, 2025

Digital Advertises Are Finding Success in Radio

By Audacy Insights Team

Case Study: How One E-Commerce Brand Drove Conversions with Radio

Advertisers are discovering that the power of radio isn’t just for building brand awareness—it’s a powerful tool for driving sales and lower-funnel conversions. One experienced digital Audio advertiser recently tapped into the magic of AM/FM radio to boost engagement and skyrocket conversions. By partnering with Audacy and harnessing Claritas’ AI-powered attribution model, they were able to pinpoint exactly which radio stations were moving the needle. This innovative approach not only linked radio ads to tangible online actions but also provided deep audience insights that allowed the brand to fine-tune their strategy for maximum impact. In short, radio is proving to be a game-changer for advertisers ready to mix traditional reach with digital precision.

The Goal: Engage Local Listeners

The e-commerce brand wanted to improve engagement and conversions in Chicago and San Diego and turned to AM/FM radio with Audacy.

Integrating Claritas’ innovative attribution model into Audacy’s analytics systems allows advertisers to pinpoint exactly which audio channels are driving sales and conversions. For the first time, advertisers can fully understand and measure the success of their radio campaigns just like they do with digital.

How the Claritas Attribution Model Works
By embedding tracking pixels on an advertiser’s website, the system analyzes radio spot logs and maps audience exposure to specific ads. It then combines spot data with pixel activity to see who is engaging with the brand and converting through the radio campaign.

➡️ Learn more about Claritas’ broadcast measurement capabilities.

The Strategy: Data-driven Optimizations

One of the benefits of Audcy’s new measurement capabilities is to provide actionable data, such as insights into customer segments and target audiences. This information helps brands refine their campaigns for maximum impact.

Claritas’ AI analysis identified this e-commerce brand’s key customer segment as “elite innovators.” They discovered that their target audience was:

Affluent with disposable income
Executives or leaders in their fields
Tech-savvy, early adopters
Avid online shoppers

In addition to audience insights, Claritas’ data highlighted the best performing stations, days, and creative, such as:

Station: The brand’s high-conversion audiences had a penchant for talk and information formats like news and sports.
Timing: Mondays and Tuesdays were the prime time for conversions.
Creative: The brand isolated the creative spot that resonated most with this target audience.

The Results: Listeners Become Shoppers

The radio campaigns resonated with listeners as they moved from the airwaves to the brand’s website. The brand experienced a staggering 22,684 attributed conversions from radio.

This initial campaign provides a roadmap for expansion. Now, the brand can confidently take its radio success to new markets, targeting the same high-conversion audiences with laser-like precision, and hone in on the messages that work the hardest.

Key Takeaways: Supercharge Your Digital Campaigns with Radio

This success story highlights a few key takeaways for digital advertisers who are looking to expand their brand’s reach and receive measurable insights:

1

Shatter the Attribution Myth
If you’re skeptical about measuring radio’s impact, think again. Audacy and Claritas are rewriting the rulebook on radio attribution. You can now track radio’s influence on sales similar to how you do with digital channels, proving its ROI and validating every dollar spent.

2

Optimize Your Radio Strategy
Don’t just buy airtime—strategically invest in it. Use the actionable insights to refine your campaigns in real time. Discover which stations, dayparts, audiences, and creative approaches resonate best with your target audience and fine-tune your strategy to make the most of your media budget.

3

Capitalize on Radio’s Undisputed Reach and Power to Convert
Radio continues to dominate ad-supported Audio in terms of reach and conversions. So for media buyers accustomed to digital Audio, they may be surprised to learn of the powerful punch you get with the Digital Audio + Radio combo. The research shows time and time again that your ad budget will work harder and go farther with OTA radio and digital audio working together in a Total Audio approach. How big of a difference can this make for your brand?

Cross-platform listeners are twice as likely to make a purchase after hearing audio ads.