Unlocking Hyperlocal Advertising Success with Geotargeted AM/FM Radio
Westwood One explores how new technologies are revolutionizing AM/FM Radio with geotargeted advertising. The article highlights the transformative impact of geotargeting technologies that bring AM/FM radio advertising closer to the precision of digital platforms.
Key points of the article include:
1. Geotargeting Adoption Is Surging - with 90% of national advertisers now using it (up from 70% in 2020), and small to mid-sized businesses calling it their most effective advertising strategy.
2. ZoneCasting Enables Hyperlocal Radio Ads - FCC-approved ZoneCasting technology lets FM stations air different ads in specific neighborhoods for up to 3 minutes per hour, with advertiser interest growing, 39% now say it would increase their AM/FM radio spending, up from 13% in 2020.
3. DTS AutoStage Maps Listener Locations - In-car technology installed in 7 million vehicles provides real-time data on where listeners tune in, using heat maps and retail proximity information to help align ad delivery with audience behavior.
4. Nielsen Shows Hyperlocal Behavior - Listening habits vary even within a metro area. For example, nearby cities may have different commercial preferences, highlighting the need for granular, community-specific messaging.
5. Blending Channels Boosts ROI - Combining broad-reach radio with geotargeted digital ads leads to stronger results, with research from Tracksuit and TikTok showing brand awareness can boost conversion rates by up to 2.86x.
6. AM/FM Radio Becomes Performance-Driven - Geotargeting and listener mapping are helping traditional radio compete with digital platforms by offering data-driven, localized ad strategies.
Details from the article include:
As of 2025, 90% of national advertisers are now using geotargeting, up from 70% in 2020, and small to mid-size businesses also cite it as their most effective marketing tactic. A key innovation driving this shift is ZoneCasting, a technology created by GeoBroadcasting Solutions, approved by the FCC, that allows FM stations to run different over-the-air ads in specific geographic zones for up to three minutes per hour. Awareness and interest in ZoneCasting are growing rapidly; by 2024, 39% of advertisers said it would lead them to increase their AM/FM ad spend, up from only 13% in 2020.
In parallel, in-car data platforms like DTS AutoStage, now available in 7 million U.S. vehicles, are providing detailed dashboards that show exactly where listeners are tuning in, along with heat maps and proximity to retail locations. This data empowers advertisers to tailor messages not only by region but also by real-world driving and listening patterns. Nielsen’s data reinforces the value of hyperlocal targeting by showing that listening preferences can vary even within a single metro area, such as car shoppers in Burlington, Vermont, preferring one dealer, while nearby Plattsburgh, New York listeners favor another.
The article also emphasizes that combining the wide reach of AM/FM radio with the targeting capabilities of digital media produces the strongest return on investment. Citing research from Tracksuit and TikTok, the piece notes that brands with high awareness can see up to a 2.86x increase in conversion rates. Overall, the article positions geotargeted radio as a powerful, data-informed solution that blends traditional reach with digital-style performance metrics, making broadcast radio a more competitive and accountable option for modern advertisers.
Learn more about the key findings in this video or read the full article here.
To review the full study, you can explore the findings here.
Image from: Westwood One. “As More Advertisers Geotarget, New Technology Allows AM/FM Radio to Run Different Over-the-Air Ads in Different Geographies and Map the Location of In-Car Listeners.” Westwood One Blog, July 21, 2025. https://www.westwoodone.com/blog/2025/07/21/as-more-advertisers-geotarget-new-technology-allows-am-fm-radio-to-run-different-over-the-air-ads-in-different-geographies-and-map-the-location-of-in-car-listeners/.