Working from home creates new radio audience

Nearly half of working adults in the UK are currently working from home [WFH], and 56% of those people listen to commercial radio. This ‘new’ audience of radio listeners is an exciting prospect for advertisers.

A listener survey conducted by Radiocentre in April 2020, found that 45% of commercial radio listeners who were working from home were listening to more radio than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. This has now increased to 50% of people.

In 2020, there was a strong shift towards increased radio listening as we changed the ways we consume our media, and these new radio listening habits have become entrenched.

Commercial radio listening is up by 38% (94 minutes per day more listening) since the start of the pandemic, according to DRG the research agency commissioned by Radiocentre “Staying Connected During the Covid-19 Crisis) to look into changing listener attitudes.

So why are people listening to more radio?

The main reason people give for listening to radio during lockdown is for company [84%], it is also a trusted source of news, and makes people feel happy [77%].

All about the Working from Home ‘WFH’ audience

This new WFH audience is affluent, with 84% being ABC1, and 63% owning or part-owning their own home.

• 52% of commercial radio listeners who work full time say they would research a product if they heard it advertised on the radio.
• The WFH audience have disposable income to spend due to out-of-home outlets being closed. Over 40% are regularly getting takeaway food delivered.
• The WFH group was the group most likely to be spending more money in their local areas than they were before lockdown, perhaps unsurprisingly given the extra time they were spending at home/in their local areas.

What about the future of the WFH audience?

Will we all return to the office five days a week once the pandemic is over? Our research suggests not.

Radiocentre’s research suggests that working from home is likely to become much more commonplace amongst this comparatively well-off group of workers. Indeed, 61% will seek to work from home more than once a week, and so we could see the continuation of this new audience well into the future.

Interested in reaching this new audience or how radio advertising could work for your brand? Get in touch with our friendly team today.