Year: 2021

According to the latest Nielsen Radio Survey, Mediacorp is the top audio network in Singapore, with an increased dominance on the airwaves following a significant jump of 8.8% (280,000) in listenership from the last survey to reach 3.7 million people1 weekly. This represents 88% of total adults, with close to 13 hours of engagement recorded weekly. Its free-to-air radio stations also command 85% of the radio market share2, an increase of 5.1% compared to 20203, further improving its lead over its competitors.Mediacorp’s digital radio stations are also leading the pack with more listeners tuning in digitally – a testimony to its efforts to stay ahead of consumer preferences and market needs with a customer-centric, digital-led, multiple platform strategy. Compared to the last survey, the company registered an overall 50% jump in digital listenership, bringing the total to more than 1.5 million listeners, or nine in ten digital listeners1 weekly. The increase in engagement (+ one hour) to nine hours five minutes weekly clearly signals Mediacorp’s ability to attract listeners with the enhanced offerings on its revamped digital service meLISTEN.The findings are based on the latest Nielsen Radio Survey conducted from August to October 2021, which tracked radio listenership via diary recordings by 2028 adults aged 15 and above, with the results weighted by age, sex and race to be representative of the Singapore population.

As the leading radio network, Mediacorp has continued to cement its leading edge by recording improvements in both its reach and share, while taking the majority (eight) of the top 10 spots in the ranking of stations, with the top six being Mediacorp stations. The strength of its network is further supplemented by the fact that the top choice for key audience segments4 is a Mediacorp radio station, and that out of the 14 hours and 14 minutes that listeners spend their time tuning in to Singapore’s radio stations weekly, 12 hours and 48 minutes (90%) were on Mediacorp’s radio stations.Coming in first is LOVE 972 with a record 1,007,000 listeners (24% of weekly listenership), after gaining a survey-high of 158,000 additional listeners. As the number one Chinese radio station in Singapore, it is the first choice for various audience segments, including women aged 15+, as well as Chinese aged 15+, and listeners tuned in for eight hours 54 minutes weekly.Chinese station YES 933 takes a close second with 934,000 listeners (22.3% of weekly listenership), with an increase of 28,000 listeners from the previous survey. The station also recorded the highest jump in audience engagement (+ almost two hours) among all stations surveyed, with listeners tuning in for eight hours and 42 minutes weekly5. It also has the highest reach among the following audience segments: millennials aged between 25 and 34, and PMEBs (professionals, managers, executives and businessmen).CLASS 95 is the reigning top English station in Singapore with 718,000 listeners (17.1% of weekly listenership), who spent an average time of four hours and 39 minutes listening weekly. It is also the prime choice for the premier audience segment.CAPITAL 958, which is fourth with 675,000 listeners (16.1% of weekly listenership) has demonstrated boosts in its performance, having recorded an improvement in audience share (+1.9%), and is the Chinese station with the highest engagement rate, with listeners tuning in for 13 hours 22 minutes weekly5.Top Malay radio station Warna 942 leaps to the fifth spot this year from its previous eighth position, with a noteworthy increase of 35,000 listeners to reach 505,000 listeners (12% of weekly listenership). The station is the favourite station for Malays aged 15+ and topped the chart for its ability to engage its fans who tuned in for 14 hours 55 minutes weekly5, representing an increase of one hour 14 minutes from the last survey2.Coming in sixth is GOLD 905 which noted an increase of 21,000 listeners to hit 494,000 listeners (11.8% of weekly listenership), and an engagement rate of six hours and 10 minutes.The remaining Mediacorp radio stations in the top 10 are: 987, the top station for tertiary students aged 15 to 24, in eighth place with 384,000 listeners (9.2% of weekly listenership), and listeners spending four hours and 26 minutes checking out the latest hits; and Oli 968 in ninth place, clocking in the second-highest increase of 106,000 listeners to reach 330,000 listeners (7.9% of weekly listenership). Oli 968 is also the top choice for Indians aged 15+.Classical music station Symphony 924 has seen an increase of 84,000 listeners (+63%) to 217,000, the third-highest growth, according to this year’s findings. English news station CNA938 too, has increased its reach by 41,000 listeners (+18.9%) to reach 258,000 listeners (6.1% of weekly listenership).On the digital front, Mediacorp’s digital radio network reported a huge 50% jump in listenership year-on-year, bringing the total to more than 1.5 million listeners. This translates to a reach of nine in ten digital listeners, with more than nine hours of weekly engagement. This is a result of the suite of digital offerings Mediacorp has rolled out, such as enhancements to its meLISTEN platform, and ramping up the variety of digital audio content, including podcasts. More recently, Mediacorp also launched indiego, a new digital station featuring the latest indie hits and more homegrown music from local talents, to add to the variety of audio content on meLISTEN.These results corresponds with the uptick in performance for Mediacorp’s digital audio service meLISTEN, which saw a growth of 11% this year in monthly average unique visitors6 to reach 621,900 listeners. In terms of podcast content, downloads spiked 106% to reach a total of 729,100 average downloads monthly7, coupled with a growth of 102,000 monthly average listeners to reach 269,000 listeners as compared to last year7.Mediacorp’s Chief Executive Officer, Tham Loke Kheng said: “Once again, the findings from the latest Nielsen survey reflect our commitment and dedication to engaging our consumers with quality content that they love – both in news and entertainment. We are honoured to be the top radio network in Singapore, with even more listeners tuning in to us on the airwaves and digitally, and heartened to know that we are the top audio choice for all major demographic segments in Singapore, which shows our diversity and ability to connect with different audiences. The strong growth in our digital listenership is also buoyed by our revamped meLISTEN which showcases a stronger lineup of locally-produced audio content and a more enjoyable and user-friendly experience. We hope our fans continue to enjoy these, and support indiego, our newly launched digital station offering the latest indie music.”1The number of listeners aged 15+ in Singapore is estimated at 4.195 million2Market share is measured by the quantity of 15-minutes spots listened across Singapore’s radio stations3Nielsen Radio Diary Wave 2, 2020 (Mon-Sun-Whole Day)4Audience segments include: Male aged 15+, Female aged 15+, Tertiaries aged 15 to 24, Millennials aged 25 to 34, Silvers aged 55+, PMEBS, Premiers with Household Income over $7000, Chinese aged 15+, Malays aged 15+, Indians aged 15+, Parent with Kids (0 to 9 years) 5Time Spent Listening (TSL) is defined as the average amount of time a listener spends listening to a radio station in a weekSource for footnotes 1 – 5 above: Nielsen Radio Survey 2021 (Mon-Sun-Whole Day). In 2021, Mediacorp digital radio stations are calibrated with Triton census-level data. Please use the data with caution when comparing with non-Mediacorp digital radio stations6Apr 2020 to Mar 2021, and Apr 2021 to Dec 2021 (Source: Adobe Analytics)7Apr 2020 to Mar 2021 and Apr 2021 to Dec 2021 (Source: Omnystudio) […]

Content from BPREvery promotional initiative a station decides to employ must fulfil a need or serve to assist in the realisation of a specific aim. Unless this can be clearly defined you must question why you intend doing the promotion. The intended goal or outcome of the promotional activity is the benchmark by which you will judge the success of the promotion. A promotional activity you cannot measure in some way is likely a waste of time and resources.Radio stations often approach a promotional activity, particularly a contest; as a stand-alone event, sometimes completely disconnected to everything around it. The contest will appear out of no-where annoying those listeners not into contests and then disappear following the contest pay-off potentially annoying those listeners who enjoyed listening to or participating in the contest.

When planning a major promotional activity like a contest endeavour to build a narrative that engages the listener and creates some theatre. Promotional activity is generally expensive, so the gaol is to achieve maximum bang-for-buck.  Here are ten dimensions to consider that will assist in maximising the ROI of your promotional activities:
SET UP
The best promotions are those that involve the audience in their creation. Consider ways to involve or create the perception that listeners had an influence in the promotions theme, cause, prizing, rules, twists, or even final judging.
TEASE
Do not reveal everything at once. Have a plan to progressively release more detail and new ideas in the lead up to the promotions launch. Also, one of radio’s great strengths is its ability to stimulate the imagination through “theatre of the mind” take every opportunity to use sound to achieve this.
UNVEIL
Spare no effort in making a big noise and gaining as much exposure as possible for the launch of a promotion. Even a simple cash contest can have an event supporting its launch such as a publicity shoot of a bank manager and guards escorting the money to the radio station. When thinking of launching a promotion consider using famous people, places, and dates.
EXPLAIN
Keep it simple. Sometimes promos with complex production values can be loud and confusing to the average listener. What a listener cannot understand quickly becomes wallpaper or a turn off. A good tip is to produce your promotional announcements then play them to a random group of people in the street. Do not wear station logos. Ask them four questions after you have played them the promos:
What can you win?
What do you have to do to enter or participate?
When is it on or when do you have to listen?
What is the name of the radio station involved and its frequency?
If all the people cannot answer the four questions, go back, and simplify the promos until they can. Never under-estimate the number of listeners who just do not get the message.
POLISH
Introduce some unexpected twists through a promotion to spike awareness. This will renew interest in the promotion and freshen the sound of it on-air.
IMPACT
The culmination of a promotion should be designed for maximum impact. Too many promotions “fizzle” rather than “sizzle” at their conclusion. This is often because the staff at the station has become tired of the work involved in executing it and cannot wait for the promotion to finish. To ensure this does not happen plan a spectacular finale. Think about holding a staff meeting the night before the promotion finale to wind up staff energy and enthusiasm.
OWNERSHIP
A promotion worth doing should be a promotion worth owning. Make the name and every element of the promotion as proprietary to the station as possible. Things to consider include:
Register the promotion’s name and any possible trademarks.
Secure exclusive contracts with any key suppliers or partners.
Place the station brand in all marketing materials and at every point of contact with the public.
Devote a special section on your app/website/socials to the promotion and any winners.
Run promos highlighting the winners and/or whatever the result of the promotion was.
Run promos thanking the stations listeners for their participation and/or support.
Remember that you only have one opportunity to make a first impression.

EXTENSION
Having gone to all the effort and commitment involved in setting up and running a major promotion, consider what opportunities exist to keep the awareness momentum going in the form of a spin-off promotion or new benchmark.
SPREAD THE LOVE.
The trouble with a promotion that has a single winner is that you also create a lot of losers. Look at every opportunity to recognise, reward and thank everyone who participates or attends.
MEASURE, LEARN, REFRESH.
Every promotional activity should be an opportunity to add to what you know about stimulating and engaging with your listeners. Research it, identify where it moved the needle and fold-in the new insight to make your next promotional activity more successful.And finally, never forget about the listeners who may not be interested in your promotional activity or prize. Generally, this will be the majority of your cume.  What-ever you do, make it entertaining to the casual listener and not just about a prize.By Wayne Clouten, BPR […]