Thursday, March 9, 2017

Burns/Strategic Solutions Research Study Profiles AC Music Tastes

Yesterday’s final presentation of data from the Burns/Strategic Solutions Research “What Women Want-2017” study included a close look at music preferences among Hot and Mainstream AC listeners. The two formats agree most on strong scores for soft contemporary hits (Adele’s “Hello” for example) and differ most on pop hits, which scored much higher at Hot AC than at Mainstream AC. Scores and sample songs include:

                                                                                      Hot AC                  Mainstream AC

Sia “Cheap Thrills,” Bieber “Love Yourself” etc.                     3.9                          3.6

21 Pilots “Heathens,” Pink “Just like Fire”                            4.0                          3.6

 

“Hot AC continues to be very contemporary,” noted Strategic EVP Hal Rood, “with two of the format’s top styles being very current. 80s gold actually tests with playable scores at Hot AC, but isn’t highly compatible with the format’s core styles. Mainstream AC tastes have moved slightly more contemporary over the last five years, but that format’s P1 listeners are still into older songs. 81% of Mainstream AC core listeners say that to some extent they are listening for today’s current hits, yet when they scored montages the top three styles are 80s, 90s, and 2000s gold – in that order.”

“You can see the difference between the two groups of listeners in their favorite artists as well,” said Burns EVP Jeff Johnson. “Adele is tops at both formats, but while Hot AC’s top five includes artists like 21 Pilots and Bruno Mars, 80s artists like Bon Jovi and Journey show up among Mainstream AC’s top artists.”

The data from “What Women Want-2017” was presented in a series of four webinars. Slide decks and recordings of the webinars are available for download free at www.burnsradio.com, www.strategicsolutionsresearch.com, or www.whatwomenwantstudy.com.  Alan Burns and Associates and Strategic Solutions Research partnered on the nationwide study which interviewed 2000 women between 15 and 54 who listened to any version of Top 40 or AC weekly.

Alan Burns and Associates has provided winning strategic and tactical advice to radio broadcasters and other media for over 30 years. Strategic Solutions Research provides strategic research, music testing, interactive focus groups and sales research to radio and TV brands in markets like New York and Los Angeles, as well as in 24 countries.

For more information contact:

Alan Burns (251) 243-1592

Hal Rood, Strategic Solutions Research (206) 347-2188, ext 702