Agencies have to constantly update their methods of reporting in order to properly consider and include these listeners, who in some cases are people that are nowhere near the market that generated the content. The proliferation of streaming and digital devices has brought new listeners to stations that in the past were accessible only by terrestrial signals. By effectively pitching stations that “ring” the metro area of a DMA, you can successfully get your message into the metro market and include it in your results. Radio stations that are in large markets are often saturated with pitches, so they can be more difficult to penetrate than medium and small markets. The DMA has a very important role in localized campaigns as well.
Having access to the Nielsen DMA rankings 2020 is important because it will help PR professionals more accurately target regional campaigns across multiple markets. This is because that city is usually the most populated area of the region, making it important in terms of media buys and PR campaigns. However, the DMAs themselves consist of whole or split counties that do not overlap, covering the entire continental US, Hawaii and portions of Alaska usually focused on the specific region containing the largest city and branching out from there. For instance, some people in Milwaukee may be able to pick up the same radio stations as residents of Chicago. Sometimes, listenership may overlap in selected areas. Nielsen’s DMA rankings are based on the population of each surveyed market region. The 2020 Nielsen DMA rankings provide the most accurate and up-to-date portrayal of current radio and television markets.
The route to optimal placement goes through Nielsen DMA rankings more often than not, as DMAs gives the PR pro an inside look at the population of an area. To maximize the use of these radio tools, targeting the proper media outlets is a vital component of PR campaigns. Radio Media Tours (RMTs), Audio News Releases (ANRs) and Public Service Announcements (PSAs) are just a few of the tools which are critical to the success of many campaigns. The modern PR pro uses social media, broadcast and print to disseminate messages. One of the primary goals of public relations is to distribute a targeted, controlled message to its widest possible audience without losing cost efficiency or diluting the message. Learning the particulars, especially the basics of Nielsen DMA rankings, is an essential tool for helping clients achieve maximum exposure and ROI.