By Maury Tobin

The popular narrative that older technologies are destined to die is being turned on its head in the case of at least one type of media — radio.

While reaching consumers on their smartphones continues to be a top priority for PR professionals and other marketers, data from a recent Nielsen report shows why the radio in your car should remain a target for savvy communicators. According to Nielsen, 93% of Americans listen to radio on a weekly basis. TV came in second place and smartphones came in third.

The data in Nielsen’s report makes sense when you consider the amount of time we spend in our cars during our daily commutes to work. There just isn’t that much you can do while driving (other than texting, which is illegal). The question for PR pros is whether they are seizing the opportunity to reach these consumers with their messages and campaigns. I suspect many are not.

LISTEN to a soundbite from our recent interview with Kevin Geddings of radio station WSOS in St. Augustine, Florida, who discusses the staying power of radio.

Learn more about Radio Media Tours.

Maury Tobin is the president of Tobin Communications, Inc., a firm he founded in 1996 that provides integrated campaign and digital services. Tobin earned both a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master’s Degree in Public Communication at American University.