Media Mayhem: Lizzie Young – ‘We need to focus on longer-term solutions that enable local media to not just survive but thrive’
These are interesting times, and the challenges faced by Australian marketing and media are frequently diabolical. There is always opportunity in a crisis, but rarely a single solution that is easy to see. Many are worried, searching for answers, and seeking guidance from our best thinkers. At Mumbrella, we want to interview industry leaders to understand their insights and learn how they handle the challenges and structure for the future. We hope this can help inspire our industry to trade through the storms and deliver the best work on the global stage.
In this week’s Media Mayhem, we sit down with new Commercial Radio & Audio CEO, Lizzie Young.
How is the operating environment impacting your team? Your clients? Your partners?
As an industry, commercial radio and audio has much to be proud of. We have firmly made the leap into digital and are meeting consumers wherever they are from a distribution point of view, and from a content point of view, with both live and on-demand content covering all the essentials – news and information that is uniquely local and trusted, entertainment and long-form storytelling across an enormous spectrum of subjects and interests. There really is something for everyone.
The numbers prove radio’s unique position, with the latest GfK radio ratings survey showing commercial radio share is at its highest level since 2014. That’s 12.3 million weekly listeners, who are spending an average of 12 hours and 51 minutes listening to their favourite stations. In addition, on-demand podcasting audiences in Australia are on the rise, with average monthly listeners increasing by 8.7% compared to the same period last year.
We all know it’s a challenging advertising market, but the strength of that ongoing audience result is ensuring radio remains resilient. Radio has continually demonstrated its ability to deliver outcomes for clients that are efficient and effective. We see the power and versatility of the medium to deliver outcomes at both ends of the funnel, from building brand right through to the checkout.
