Today’s session “Radio’s Untapped Resource: The Rural Lifestyler,” 1–2 p.m. will look at new sales opportunities for radio broadcasters in the rural community market. Mike Parry, National Association of Farm Broadcasting (NAFB), will lead the discussion.
“The whole focus of the session is on the 70 million rural lifestylers that we’ve identified, that are leaving the urban areas and moving out to live on the land that is not in a town or a city. They are buying this property, what we are calling their ‘piece of paradise,’” Parry said.
Rural lifestylers are an untapped $32 billion market in America today. Parry said he would outline who these rural lifestylers are, their demographics, their income, what they are buying, what they currently have, and how to sell directly to them.
“What’s important to understand is this rural lifestyler purchased a piece of paradise that they worked long and hard to get,” Parry said. “I believe what we are seeing is that they are adding that extra investment into that piece of paradise. That’s what they wanted and they worked hard to get it. If the sales person can understand that, then the sales person can take that information back to their client.”
The session will present research data on the buying habits and lifestyles of radio listeners in rural communities who have a large amount of spendable income. According to Parry, the study was conducted in 2006 by AMR Inc. in Sioux Falls, S.D. About 2,000 rural lifestylers across the United States were contacted via telephone and interviewed.
©NAB
