Moneyball: Likely Ratings Participants Who Prefer Hip Hop and Urban AC
• Thanks again to NuVoodoo EVP Marketing Strategy, Mike O’Connor, for his help with the massive lift of this week’s Moneyball for Radio.
Listeners who fit our model as likely ratings participants in both Hip Hop and Urban AC formats remain contest-active, with Hip Hop listeners demonstrating a particularly strong affinity for radio sweepstakes.
It’s remarkable that roughly 4 in 10 respondents in both formats report having participated in a radio contest within the past week. And when we expand the timeframe to the past month, those numbers become even more compelling: a substantial two-thirds of Hip Hop ratings prospects and half of Urban AC ratings prospects have recently participated in a contest.
We asked study participants to imagine a contest on a website or a radio station they use every day. We instructed them to indicate the smallest cash prize that would motivate them to play. There’s an optimal cost-benefit for both Hip Hop and Urban AC formats, to consider for maximum impact.
Hip Hop:
> $250: A solid foundation, capturing the interest of 57% of potential ratings prospects. This prize level offers a good balance of reach and affordability.
> $500: A significant jump to 71%.
> $1000: Reaching 83% is tempting, but that additional 12% comes at a steep price at double the cost. Stations should weigh the value of reaching that extra incremental audience against the increased expense.
> More than $1000: While capturing nearly all potential prospects (97%) seems ideal, the cost might outweigh the benefit for most stations.
Urban AC:
> $250: A respectable 54% would participate in a cash contest, similar to Hip Hop at this prize level. This offers a good starting point for engaging potential ratings participants.
> $500: A 10-point increase to 64% shows a positive response, but less dramatic than with Hip Hop.
> $1000: Reaching 71% with a 7-point increase raises questions about cost-effectiveness. Doubling the prize from $500 yields a relatively small gain.
> More than $1000: Climbing to 88% is notable, but consider if those resources could be better allocated to other engagement strategies.
Of course, we know that ratings-driven radio station sweepstakes aren’t conducted in a bubble, and past studies have revealed the extent to which likely ratings participants shop around. One prominent and proven way to stretch limited contest budgets while offering the promise of large, frequent payouts is through the mechanism of national contesting. But how does the concept of radio stations participating in multi-city contests where stations across the country offer a prize that listeners in all the cities are competing to winland with Hip Hop and Urban AC ratings prospects?
National contests are a powerful tool for engaging Urban listeners, especially those likely to participate in ratings surveys. A solid majority of these listeners are aware of national contests (71% for Hip Hop, 62% for Urban AC), and most view them favorably (89% “good” for Hip Hop, 79% for Urban AC). But when we square off $500 local prizes offered less frequently vs $1,000 national prizes offered more frequently, the results are more mixed. While 55% of Hip Hop listeners favor local contests with smaller prizes but higher odds of winning, Urban AC listeners buck this trend, with 57% preferring national contests with larger prizes.
While national contests are generally viewed positively by Urban listeners, concerns about local and national contest integrity exist, particularly among Hip Hop fans. Nearly half (47%) of Hip Hop listeners agree that contests are rigged, compared to 33% of Urban AC listeners. Building trust by clearly communicating contest rules and showcasing winners can help mitigate these concerns and maintain listener confidence.
Station sweepstakes are more than just fun and games for Urban listeners – just as the stipend for ratings participation counts more for why radio listeners agree to carry a meter for fill out a diary. They’re a perceived lifeline in challenging economic times. Our data paints a clear picture of financial strain among these listeners, with a majority of Hip Hop listeners (55%) and nearly two-thirds (63%) of Urban AC listeners reporting higher credit card balances. Many are cutting back on non-essential spending (80% Hip Hop, 70% Urban AC).
This economic reality underscores the need for contests that offer genuine relief. Prizes that alleviate financial burdens, such as paying off credit cards, covering mortgage or student loan payments, or providing groceries and gas, are likely to resonate deeply with these listeners. By offering tangible assistance, stations can demonstrate empathy and strengthen their connection with their audience.
Several advertising powerhouses stand out when it comes to capturing the attention of Urban music fans who are most likely to participate in ratings:
> Video-sharing apps like YouTube, Daily Motion, Vimeo, etc.: These platforms — especially YouTube — command regular attention from 72% of Hip Hop and 74% of Urban AC ratings prospects. This is drastically higher than the 33% we see in our total sample and even the solid 48% ad engagement in our total format-agnostic RPS Yes segment.
> Smartphone apps: With 64% of Hip Hop and 70% of Urban AC ratings prospects paying attention to ads on smartphone apps, in-app advertising offers a direct line to a highly engaged mobile audience.
> Text messages sent to your phone: Despite the potential for intrusiveness, text message advertising captures the frequent attention of 67% of Hip Hop and 66% of Urban AC ratings prospects.
> Facebook: This social media giant captures the attention of 69% of Hip Hop ratings prospects. TikTok and Instagram are especially potent with younger segments of Urban radio ratings prospects.
> Digital audio apps (YouTube Music, Spotify, SiriusXM, etc.): These platforms command the attention of 66% of Urban AC ratings prospects. Radio stations won’t find easy access to Spotify or Pandora for ratings-driven campaigns because of restrictive ad policies there.
> Emails from companies: Email marketing remains relevant for Urban AC listeners, with 67% of ratings prospects paying attention to emails from companies.
> The Google ecosystem: This includes Search, Gmail, YouTube, and its vast display and video networks. 87% of Urban Adult and 69% of Hip Hop format RPS “Yes” listeners pay attention to advertising served by Google.
One channel that’s absolutely exploding in the advertising landscape is ad-supported streaming TV and movies on platforms like Hulu, Prime Video, and Peacock. In 2023 alone, U.S. adults spent almost an hour every day with ad-supported OTT video services.
A whopping 68% of Hip Hop and 67% of Urban AC “Yes” respondents are paying attention to ads on these platforms, compared to just 28% of the total sample. Even better, 58% of Hip Hop “Yes” respondents and 52% of Urban AC “Yes” respondents are spending four or more hours each week watching this way. For Hip Hop, total reach is even more impressive – 87% of “Yes” respondents are watching for at least an hour every week.
Unlike other formats where viewers mostly watch on their connected TVs, Urban music fans are split almost 50/50 between mobile devices and connected TVs. This is great news for advertisers because mobile OTT impressions are much cheaper.
YouTube stands out as a universal ad platform, drawing users from the broadest demographics of any channel tested. Its widespread appeal makes it a strong contender for reaching a diverse audience. Google, with its multifaceted presence in users’ digital lives, includes YouTube (along with its vast network of mobile and traditional sites and apps, and G-Mail) in its universal reach potential and offers a multitude of advertising opportunities.
YouTube’s effectiveness extends far beyond its impressive reach and frequency numbers. This platform offers a unique blend of features that make it an ideal channel for engaging our Urban music fans and maximizing marketing impact.
Key Advantages:
> Pay-for-Performance Model: YouTube’s advertising model allows us to pay only when our target audience engages with our ads, ensuring cost-efficiency and maximizing our return on investment.
> Contextual Targeting: We can strategically place our ads alongside videos from core Urban format artists, ensuring our message reaches a highly receptive and engaged audience.
> Creative Flexibility: YouTube allows us to leverage a mix of video and other creative assets in AI-optimized P-Max campaigns, delivering dynamic and engaging experiences that resonate with our target audience.
> Custom Affinity Audiences: We can create custom affinity audiences based on digital traffic modeling, ensuring your message reaches those most likely to participate in ratings surveys. It’s important to note, however, this type of data modeling is not a shortcut to reaching and influencing actual panelists or diary keepers, but simply those who exude similar behavioral characteristics or share in-common household attributes.
> Customer Match & Lookalikes: YouTube allows us to leverage first-party customer data (like email lists and website visitors) to create highly targeted campaigns. We can also generate lookalike audiences based on this data, expanding our reach to new listeners who share similar characteristics to our most valuable customers
> Brand Building and Direct Response: YouTube seamlessly blends brand building and direct response capabilities, allowing us to cultivate brand awareness while simultaneously driving specific actions, such as contest entries or website visits.
> Cost Effective Connected TV Exposure: YouTube’s presence extends far beyond the confines of smartphones and computers. With the rise of OTT apps and the ability to Chromecast from mobile devices, YouTube content is increasingly making its way onto the big screen in living rooms. This expanded reach further amplifies YouTube’s potential as an advertising powerhouse, allowing us to connect with our Urban music fans in a more immersive and impactful way.
NuVoodoo doesn’t just provide data; we provide solutions. We combine our primary research with vast media trading experience to activate the most effective advertising channels, including YouTube, and connect with those elusive Urban music fans who drive ratings. With Nielsen’s 2025 shift in quarter-hour measurement standards, generating new Time Spent Listening occasions is more critical than ever. Let us help you turn this data into action and maximize your impact in the Urban market. Contact us at tellmemore@nuvoodoo.com to learn more.
