89% of Aussie mums say they listen to the radio while their children are in the car. This report looks at the atmosphere, engagement and opportunities that are present when mums are in the car with their kids. The three KEY INSIGHTS from this report are: - The majority of mums agree that radio helps create a happy and fun atmosphere when in the car with their kids. - Mums are always on the ball to make sure music, content and ads are appropriate for young ears – making them even more highly engaged. - The car radio provides opportunities for relevant messages to cut through to time-poor, busy mums. For more information contact the scaresearchdepartment@sca.com.au

1. Radio as the bonding facilitator

2. The car is no longer a vehicle that purely allows us to travel from A to B- it presents the perfect environment to bond with family, friends and kids, particularly when the radio is on and up!
Having a fun and happy atmosphere creates the perfect opportunity for brands to penetrate and capitalise off this positive mood.
This presentation will explore when kids are in the car, what kids love about radio and the atmosphere created by radio.

3. &
Key insights around in car listenership with kids
10
20
30
40
RADIO
is a BONDING tool
In car radio listenership provides the perfect environment for parents to bond with their children. They share their love of music with each other, whether its kids showing the parents what’s hot or parents making the kids listen to songs they grew up with.
Parents are highly engaged with radio content and are always on to make sure content, music and ads are appropriate for little ears.
HIGHLY
ENGAGED
The car is a happy and fun atmosphere when the kids are in the car making it the perfect advertising environment- when people are in a good mood they may be more likely to be receptive to advertising messages.
HAPPY
FUN
V.S
KIDS
PARENTS
Triple M listeners own the radio dial and want to share their love of rock music.
Today listeners have less of a battle with their kids as they both love top 40 music.

4. 1
RADIO IS A
Listening to radio in the car is the perfect bonding session between parents and their children.
Parents of both networks mention how by listening to the radio in the car they get to share their favourite music, sing along with their kids and have a groove in their seats. Music is the way they connect with their children.

5. Whether it be singing and dancing or sharing their favourite songs with each other, radio in the car creates a happy and fun atmosphere which encourages bonding
“My 4 year old loves singing and dancing along to the songs that come on over the radio. With every song that comes on she always says "Is this your favourite song Mummy?" She says if you sing along it means it's your favourite song :)”
With the music turned up and the kids in the back, the radio provides entertainment for the drive and allows both the kids and parents to have a sing a long. They also poke fun at their parents singing ability.
“The music. We've taught them to love 'our rock music'. Great way for them to hear new songs (to them) and for them to talk to me about current music on the radio.”
This is particularly the case with Triple M- they love sharing their favourite songs with their kids as it allows them to both rock out to it. By also singing the same songs, it does create a bonding atmosphere through commonality.
Our listeners are having fun together with their kids in a happy and positive atmosphere. And radio is the main source of this positivity because it gives them something to laugh about.
“Singing together and laughing about not knowing the words making your own up or just how damn good they sound singing along lol”
Source: SCA Research In Car Study Sept 14. “How does having kids in the car influence what you listen to and why?”/” Can you please describe the atmosphere when you are in the car with your kids?” N= 978

6. HIGHLY
Parents are highly engaged with radio content and are always on to make sure content, music and ads are appropriate for little ears.
Whilst the attention level when listening to the radio in the car is already high, parents are even more in-tune with the radio when the kids are in the car. This means they may be more likely to recall ads as they are highly engaged.
2

7. The car is an important advertising environment as listeners are highly engaged
Source: Commercial Radio Australia, 2011
IN CAR LISTENING =
17
47
36
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
%
%
%
Attention level in car
83%
are paying high or medium attention to radio whilst they are in the car!
Radio is a foreground media as people are listening not only for entertainment, but also to hear important information and keep them on their toes.
This foreground listening environment makes ad impacts higher as people are tuned in and engaged with the content. Therefore, they are paying attention while they are tuned in.

8. Listen carefully to what is being discussed to ensure its suitable
I try to avoid bag language or afternoon shows where the content is inappropriate.
The talking needs to be kids friendly. Not like listening to K Sandilands. No smut or filth
How does having kids in the car influence what you listen to and why?
Source: SCA Research In Car Study Sept 14. “How does having kids in the car influence what you listen to and why?” N= 978
1 in 7
1 in 14
Are always listening into the radio for inappropriate music, content and ads when the kids are in the car. Meaning they are…
with radio content! This highly tuned ear means that parents are more likely to notice – and therefore recall – ads that they hear on the radio.

9. &
HAPPY
FUN
The car is a happy and fun atmosphere when the kids are in the car making it the perfect advertising environment.
When people are in a good mood they may be more likely to be receptive to advertising messages. But did you know?- It’s radio that creates this positive atmosphere. It provides the opportunity for parents to bond with their children over a shared love of music in a positive environment.
This positive atmosphere combined with the nag ability of children after school, creates the perfect advertising environment for brands looking to target parents.
3

10. Source: SCA Research In Car Study Sept 14. “Now we want to know whether you agree or disagree with the following statements in regards to those little ones whispering in your ear...” N= 978
71
%
OF PARENTS SAY THAT
WHEN THEY ARE IN THE CAR WITH THE KIDS
Being a happy and fun environment, radio listening in the car creates the perfect bonding session between parents and kids. This positive atmosphere as a result of radio creates the perfect advertising environment for brands to capitalise off.
Source: RAB UK (2011) Radio: The Emotional Multiplier.

11. The car provides the perfect advertising environment for brands looking to target parents or kids- it is happy and fun, parents are enjoying spending time with their kids
Q- Can you please describe the atmosphere when you are in the car with your kids?
TRIPLE M
TODAY
For both Triple M and Today parents, the atmosphere when the kids are in the car is ‘happy’ and ‘fun’. In fact for Today parents, 1 in 3 describe it as being ‘happy’. It provides the opportunity for parents to bond with their children over a shared love of music in a positive environment.
“Crazy and fun. The love music and I love them listening to them sing and dance in their car seats. they love Foo fighters and ACDC and Rage Against the Machine. My 4 yr old daughter listens in on ads and asks questions which is fine. Sometimes they talk tome too much when I want to listen lol.”
Source: SCA Research In Car Study Sept 14. “Can you please describe the atmosphere when you are in the car with your kids?” N= 978

12. Kids play a huge role in the purchasing habits of parents, particularly after school.
Source: SCA Research In Car Study Sept 14. “Now we want to know whether you agree or disagree with the following statements in regards to those little ones whispering in your ear...” N= 978
“I find myself purchasing food in the afternoon for the kids to enjoy”
“The kids will nag me to buy them food when I pick them up from school”
“The kids will nag me for products they have heard advertised on the radio”
Kids have considerable purchasing power with their parents- they will nag to hopefully get what they want.
After school proves to be the perfect time to target parents and kids with radio- they have the radio on to create a happy and fun atmosphere and it’s when kids are most likely to nag for food and products.
By advertising in this time period, you will not only have the purchaser listening but also the influencer.
1 in 3
1 in 4
1 in 7

13. KIDS VERSUS
It’s kids versus parents in the car when it comes to the radio with the parents usually winning!
For Triple M listeners, there is no coming between them and their rock music. They listen to what they want and want to share it with their kids.
Being younger and female, Today listeners have less of a battle with their kids as they both love top 40 music. The battle comes to content, the kids want music all the time but parents want to be kept up to date with news, traffic and have a laugh.
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14. 27
%
Of Triple M parents say when the kids are in the car…
Triple M listeners own the radio dial and it’s staying on Triple M! They want to share their love of rock music with their kids.
However, they agree that kids only want music and want to channel surf to find it. 26% say having kids in the car influences the music they listen to.
They are also engaged with content to determine the level of appropriateness for when the kids are there.
“It doesn't!! I listen to what I want to listen to, simple. All triple m plays ROCKS and keeps my son vibrant and HAPPY!!!! You bring a great "feel good" vibe to the airwaves. The way i see it is, I was here first and they have to go with my flow!!”
Source: SCA Research In Car Study Sept 14. “How does having kids in the car influence what you listen to and why?” N= 978

15. 30
%
Of Today parents say the kids influence the…
Being younger and female, Today listeners have less of a battle with their kids as they both love top 40 music. Whilst 16% say they only listen to what they want, 30% are influenced by their kids music tastes.
The battle comes to content, the kids want music all the time but parents want to be kept up to date with news, traffic and have a laugh.
They are also HIGHLY engaged with content to determine the level of appropriateness for little ears.
“We listen to B105 as it has all the great new songs that they love and we all sing along and laugh”
Source: SCA Research In Car Study Sept 14. “How does having kids in the car influence what you listen to and why?” N= 978

16. Research shows that when activity related advertisements are positioned during a relevant activity, overall recall is on average 52% higher and brand recall 65% higher.
Advertisers can consider what types of activities parents are doing when they’re in the car – and capitalise off the positive atmosphere and receptiveness created.
And radio advertising does get through to both kids and adults. As one SCA listener told us, “I was driving with my 5 year old and she said ‘it’s great that it’s Summer now mum, it means we can get frozen cokes from Hungry Jacks for just $1. I couldn’t believe she’d remembered an ad that had been on the radio the day before!’.

17. Appendix

18. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
I am by myself
I have the kids in the car
I am with another adult/s
During the WEEKDAY, the kids are in the car on the way to and from school but they are also in the car well into the evening.
Source: SCA Research In Car Study Sept 14. “in car with who?” N= 978

19. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
I have the kids in the car
I am with another adult/s
I am by myself
Aside from early mornings, WEEKENDS have more than one person in the car.
Source: SCA Research In Car Study Sept 14. “in car with who?” N= 978

20. The results of this survey are “INDICATIVE” ONLY.
The survey was conducted by Southern Cross Austereo using its online panel nationally.
The panel is obtained from our radio networks database under the labels of ‘VIP’ on the TODAY Network and ‘Music Jury’ on the MMM Network. All members of these databases would be considered listeners to these stations.
The database contains about 260,000 members.
The is split between the Today VIP database and the Triple M database. Members of both databases were invited to take the survey, and almost 1000 did. This was filtered by people with kids 0-17 years.
Further filters have been placed over the data at various times.
Certain questions asked for an ‘essay’ or ‘verbatim’ type of response OR brands/words that first came to mind.
A keyword search was used to sort and rank the responses to these questions.
The results are an un-weighted sample, but are reflective of the Southern Cross Austereo Austereo audience. SCA brands reach approximately 40% of the 10+ population and approximately 46% of the 25-54 population in the five metropolitan markets in Australia, suggesting it would be reasonable to consider these results to be a fair if not fully balanced representation of the opinions in these marketplaces.
Furthermore, as it is an online survey, the respondents would also be skewed towards being ‘early adopters’ for technology, ‘trend setters’ in general and likely to be a good early indication of brand leaders, trend setters and early adopters in general.
These research surveys conducted by Austereo are done so to provide a general understanding of the opinions, interests and attitudes of the metropolitan marketplaces only.
How the research was conducted
Jasmine Beech
Sales Insights Analyst
Jasmine.Beech@sca.com.au
Ph: 07 3837 1265
Ext. 7265