Jacaranda FM in South Africa has announced increased in its audience rating amid the COVID pandemic, when the station’s family values and innovations are being sought out by consumers.
Jacaranda FM’s managing director, Deirdre King made the pronouncement as the station shared the results of the latest Radio Audience Measurement survey conducted by the Broadcast Research Council (BRC) of South Africa.
The result according to the station shows that it has evolved from a locally-loved radio station into Mzansi’s preferred audio brand experience.
The station boasts a weekly audience of 1.4 million listeners, almost 700 000 daily and returning listeners, as well as a combined social footprint of over 1.5 million fans.
“It’s really energizing to see how much our audience has grown, especially during the pandemic, where Jacaranda FM’s family values and innovations are being sought out by consumers,” says King.
The station revealed that according to the latest rating, it is mainly listened to and streamed in Gauteng (57%), but the North West Province (16%), Mpumalanga (14%) and Limpopo (10%) share 40% of the station’s fanbase, respectively.
The rating also revealed that the station’s fanbase is diverse as neither black or white listeners form a majority. Men and women are also evenly split.
Thirty-two percent of the Jacaranda FM audience are between 35-49 years old, whilst 28% of their listeners belong to the 25-34-year market, according to the survey result. Not surprisingly, the station with heart appeals to young and old alike as 18% of listeners are younger than 24 years old and 23% are older than 50 years, according to the report.
“Where Jacaranda FM outpaces others is that we have a fiercely loyal and exclusive audience that have enjoyed our consistency and world-class talent for the past 35 years,” says Hennie Myburgh, program manager at Jacaranda FM.
The station highlights that, while focusing on consistency and innovation, Jacaranda FM retains the best pool of radio talent that highlight the diverse and meaningful South African voices in broadcast.
It noted, it has also invested heavily in innovative products. This includes South Africa’s first digital pop-up station Only Local, which is focused on local tunes during Heritage month, as well as launching South Africa’s first VR game to explore some of South Africa’s provinces during lockdown.
“Jacaranda FM’s consistency and authentic community engagement give marketers and brands the opportunity to reach potential consumers that are difficult to reach elsewhere,” concludes King.