The new Radio Audience Measurement Survey (RAMS) AMPLIFY™ of South Africa has underpinned the relevance and diversity of East Coast Radio, a KwaZulu-Natal based commercial station.
The new data and radio currency indicates that the station now reaches 1,256,000 people over a seven-day period. The Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRC) released the report on Friday, 29 October via a webinar.
According to the BRC, the latest release is based on five months’ worth of data, covering the period Q2 (+2 months) April to August with an achieved sample of just over 15 000 respondents.
The radio station says that the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic led to its reconsideration of its audience’s needs. The brand’s new audience numbers come after an investment in market research, ongoing music testing and several tweaks to the on-air product offering.
East Coast Radio’s managing director Boni Mchunu attributes the figures to an agile, innovative and well-run ship. “What is important to us is a high level of engagement and responsiveness from our audience. That is an indication that we connect with them and that, as a brand, East Coast Radio matters in their lives,” Mchunu said.
“Our programming is designed with our audience’s needs in mind. Because of the lockdown, we understood that their habits, movements and needs had changed. As such, we made changes to our programming to suit these behaviors,” he added. “All our teams tweaked their thinking and strategy to tailor-make campaigns and packages that put the listener first.”
“We are thrilled to see the fruits of our labor and endeavor to make sure our listeners continue to feel valued. Engaged audiences are a win for us, our stakeholders, and our beloved clients. We truly live and love KwaZulu-Natal, and these numbers are indicative that our listeners feel the same way,” Mchunu concludes.
East Coast Radio aims to provide world-class innovation and soon celebrates the second anniversary of East Coast Gold, an online station that airs classic hits from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
The award-winning digital radio station is accessible via the East Coast Radio app and on the station website.