Radio Works.
Here's the Proof.

Radio reaches about 225 million American adults every week — the broadest weekly reach of any medium Nielsen measures — yet advertisers consistently undervalue it. This playbook lays out a bold industry strategy to close the gap between radio's proven ROI and its perception problem, chapter by chapter.

Every generation has had a directory — and something to drive people to it. From yellow pages to Google, radio has always been the engine behind consumer search behavior. Research-backed analysis shows radio's role in the path to purchase is as essential in 2026 as it was in 1956.

Nielsen sales-effect studies have documented radio returns of $10–$12 per dollar spent. With almost 40% of local newspapers gone since 2005 and news deserts expanding, this fully sourced report compares reach, frequency, trust, and recall — and makes the case for audio as the foundation of a local plan.

Facebook's median ROAS is $2.24 — a fraction of radio's best-documented returns. Drawing on 1,200 IPA campaigns and data from Nielsen, Katz, and Dentsu/Lumen, this practitioner's report shows why 67% of consumers say they tune out display ads — and why radio's trust advantage is so hard to replicate.