How compatible are listeners of podcasts with those of broadcast radio?

Not very, according to this latest update of a bi-annual Bridge Ratings study which explores compatibility of audio consumers across a variety of platforms and lifestyle clusters.

While there are a few consumer lifestyle clusters that have a higher degree of podcast acceptance, overall proclivity of broadcast radio consumers to seek out, download and listen to weekly or monthly podcasts is low - only 30%.

Compare this with the compatibility rating of broadcast radio with social networking.

The compatibility score of 60% reflects how well these two technologies work together to enhance the user experience of each. A much higher percentage of lifestyle clusters is likely to utilize both, simultaneously in many cases. And the more of these lifestyle community clusters the more likely the combined technologies will generate synergies which expand reach and engagement.

Media businesses with an eye on marketing expansion among multi-faceted consumer segments would be best served to pay close attention to the consumer affinities of various technologies. 

Let's take a look at broadcast radio's marketing compatibility with internet radio.

A score above 50% indicates the best platforms for combined compatibility. At 40% internet radio simulcasts of AM/FM and pure-play radio streams (Pandora, etc) don't offer significant marketing benefits for broadcast radio.

However, when internet radio stations offer personalization and custom versions of broadcast brands as analyzed in a recent Bridge Ratings field study, compatibility improves significantly.

In fact, in our study, cross platform marketing for broadcast radio through personalized branded internet radio stations is only out performed by Television/video marketing.

Eight out of ten of the lifestyle clusters we examined comparing broadcast radio with video or television had a close relationship in terms of complementary usage with a tendency to use regularly.

We are finding that where media pair usage tends to be complementary with high compatibility indexes, important behaviors like recall, trial and continuing and frequent usage are elevated because of the way the two media are used in everyday life.

In this fractured world of media consumption, the pathway to marketing compatibility can be complicated and counterproductive if the appeal of the media involved do not align.

These are but a few of the relationships we've studied at Bridge Ratings. Additional insight will be published later this summer.