Connecting the Data Dots

Radio is not about how many people are listening, but why they tune in, what they find in the experience and the role a station plays in their lives. Yet, for much of the industry’s history, the conversation about audiences has too often started and ended with ratings.Ratings matter. So do reach and frequency matter as advertisers need reliable evidence that their investment is reaching the right people. But as Melissa Mc Nally , Head of Research and Analytics at Kagiso Connect, argues, these numbers tell only part of the story.

“We spent a really long time treating data as a synonym for our ratings,” she says. “They’re telling us who is listening and how many, perhaps. But it doesn’t tell us what listening means. It doesn’t tell us much about the human underneath the data.”

Distinction
That distinction is becoming increasingly important as radio expands beyond traditional broadcasting into streaming, podcasts, social media and other digital touchpoints. Audiences do not necessarily separate these experiences into neat media categories. They move through their days, using audio to meet different needs at different moments.

The listener on the school run may be looking for information, companionship or help navigating a busy morning. The same person driving home on a Friday afternoon may want entertainment, a string of sing-along tunes or simply a familiar voice. Demographically, that listener has not changed. But their circumstances, mood and relationship with the content have.

For Mc Nally , the challenge is to understand these differences rather than reduce audiences to age, gender and income brackets. Combining audience measurement with listening behaviour, emotional connection, cultural context and digital interactions builds a more complete picture of the people behind the numbers.

Genuine connections
This is not an argument for abandoning measurement in favour of instinct but makes the case for bringing the two together. Programming experience and editorial judgement remain important, but research can test assumptions, reveal unexpected audience needs and help stations understand whether their content is genuinely connecting.

The same applies to advertising. Delivering a schedule of spots is not the same as demonstrating that a campaign has made a difference. Did the creative attract attention? Was the brand remembered? Did the message resonate? Did the campaign contribute to a meaningful business outcome?

Mc Nally believes radio needs to become more confident in answering these questions. Attribution, search behaviour, website visits, response patterns and campaign outcomes can all contribute to the picture, provided they are interpreted carefully. A rise in website traffic after an advert airs may be interesting, but as she points out, it does not, on its own, prove that the advert caused the increase. Mc Nally stresses that better methodologies and sensible controls are essential if the industry is to make credible claims about effectiveness.

BRC RAMS
This is also where the return of the BRC’s RAMS survey becomes significant. The absence of a trusted, current industry currency has consequences beyond research departments. Mc Nally says Kagiso Connect’s own sales survey found that the lack of relevant, trustworthy audience data had affected spending patterns among some clients. Others continued to use historical information, while many relied on media owners’ internal research to support their campaigns.

As she says, that is not a sustainable basis for an industry needing to demonstrate its value to advertisers. Independent, robust audience measurement gives buyers and sellers a common reference point. It supports conversations about reach and frequency, helps advertisers make informed decisions and provides a shared foundation for assessing radio’s place in the wider media mix.

Mc Nally is positive about RAMS returning, describing the methodology as robust and expressing confidence in the research organisation GfK. But she is equally clear that the survey cannot be expected to answer every question about audiences. “That’s only one part of the puzzle,” she says.

Where the opportunity lies
The opportunity lies in combining industry-wide measurement with other sources of insight: first-party research, campaign analysis, qualitative work and the interactions that already take place between stations and their listeners. WhatsApp messages, phone-ins, SMS responses, event participation and audience feedback all offer potential insight into what people value and how they experience a station.

The challenge is to use these sources responsibly and intelligently. More data does not automatically mean better understanding. Nor does a dashboard full of numbers necessarily lead to better decisions.

For smaller and community stations, this need not mean investing in expensive research platforms. Mc Nally suggests starting with simple surveys, consistent questions and small focus groups. Community broadcasters may have an advantage that larger commercial stations would envy: close relationships with the people they serve. But that closeness must be accompanied by curiosity and a willingness to hear answers that challenge existing assumptions.

It must also be accompanied by care. Audience trust is not an unlimited resource, and information shared with a station carries a responsibility. Mc Nally emphasises the importance of safe data collection, clear governance and transparency about how information will be used.

The role of AI
The growing availability of AI adds another dimension. Artificial intelligence will make it easier to process large volumes of information, identify patterns and generate predictions. These capabilities could help stations make better use of data they already collect. But the ability to analyse information at scale is not the same as understanding what it means.

As Mc Nally points out, AI will not automatically supply judgement, cultural understanding or meaningful relationships with audiences. Those require people, expertise and the willingness to ask better questions. Research must remain an interpretive discipline, not simply a technical exercise.

This is particularly relevant in South Africa, where audience understanding cannot be separated from culture, language, lived experience and the social contexts in which people listen. Two listeners who look identical in a demographic table may have very different relationships with a station, its presenters and its content. Culture is not simply a convenient marketing label; it helps explain relevance, belonging and the reasons audiences connect with particular voices.

Connected experiences
Mc Nally argues that social sciences and disciplines such as anthropology have a greater role to play in radio and audio research. Her own background in psychology and research psychology has informed her approach to commercial media, giving her a perspective that puts human behaviour at the centre of the analysis.

She also raises an important distinction between individual and collective experience. In South Africa, she believes, the role of radio in bringing people together deserves closer attention. Radio can be more than a personal choice or a channel for consuming content. It can sustain shared experiences, connect communities and reinforce a sense of belonging.

That emotional and cultural value is difficult to capture in a reach figure alone. Yet it is central to understanding what makes radio a valuable choice for audiences and advertisers.

Melissa Mc Nally is Head of Research and Analytics at Kagiso Connect, where she works across Jacaranda FM, East Coast Radio, Vouch and Time Out, and heads up Sound Insights in close collaboration with Media Mark. With over 20 years of experience, she leads brand research, first-party research and data research, and develops data-driven solutions and strategies for every business unit. Her academic background began in psychology and law and led to a master’s degree in research psychology, with a specialisation in gender-based violence and race relations, before she moved into market research and then media. She champions a human-centred approach to audience research, focused on understanding the people, culture and context behind the numbers.