Satellite radio hopefuls have much work in marketing their services: Decima survey

Despite a high profile CRTC licensing hearing and extensive media coverage, a small percentage of adult Canadians are aware that domestic satellite radio services may be made available in this country, according to a new survey by Decima Research Inc. This suggests the Canadian groups vying to offer satellite radio services across the country will have their work cut out for them in marketing and selling their services – at least initially. Given the strong growth in subscriptions to satellite radio south of the border, however, the Canadian market could unfold in much the same way once Canadians learn more about the service and its benefits and features. Earlier this month, Decima asked more than 1,000 Canadians over the age of 18 questions to gauge their awareness of satellite radio, their interest in subscribing to such a service, and whether they currently subscribe to a U.S.-based satellite radio service. When asked if they had seen or heard anything about Canadian satellite radio services possibly being made available in Canada, only 20% said yes. More than three-quarters, or 77%, said they had not seen or heard anything, and 3% did not know or were not sure. Men were more likely than women to say they had seen or heard something about Canadian satellite radio services possibly being made available in this country (28% vs. 13%). In addition, Anglophones were slightly more likely to say they had seen or heard something than Francophones. Decima also tested general awareness of satellite radio. Asked whether they were aware of a service called satellite radio, about four in ten, or 44%, respondents said yes, 54% said no, and 1% said they did not know or were not sure. Men were more likely than women to say they were aware of satellite radio (55% vs. 34%), as were younger Canadians (those between the ages of 18 and 44) compared to older Canadians. Interestingly, Francophones were slightly more likely to be aware of satellite radio than Anglophones – the opposite result of the question noted above regarding seeing or hearing anything about satellite radio services possibly being made available in Canada. After being read a description of satellite radio and some of its features and benefits, one-third of adult Canadians expressed an interest in subscribing to satellite radio for use in their home, car, or at work, including 8% who said they are "very interested" in subscribing. Another 3% said their interest in subscribing would depend on the service or price. The target market sub-segments for satellite radio operators would appear to be younger Canadians (those between the ages of 25 and 34) and Anglophones, according to Decima’s research. In Decima’s survey, less than 2% of adult Canadians reported that they subscribe to Sirius Satellite Radio or XM Satellite Radio. The survey was conducted between November 3 and 7 through the Decima teleVox, a national omnibus telephone survey conducted weekly. Results of the survey are based on a sample of 1,015 adult Canadians and are accurate to within +/- 3.1%, 19 times out of 20. Mario Mota is VP Broadcast/Media Research at Decima Research. For details about the satellite radio survey, contact Mario at (613) 751-5089 or at mmota@decima.com.

Satellite radio hopefuls have much work in marketing their services: Decima survey

News | 12/06/2004 5:00 am EST

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