San Diego Overview

San Diego Radio: Your Best Media Buy


A fabulous climate, outdoor recreation and a healthy business environment… what do these factors have to do with Radio?  They’re the perfect combination to keep San Diego residents and tourists out and about, active and thriving all year long, and relying on Radio as their number one source for entertainment and information.

Climate and Lifestyle
San Diego enjoys a year-round temperate climate attracting thousands of new residents and tourists annually.  Holiday Magazine describes San Diego as “the only area in the United States with perfect weather,” with an average temperature of 70-degrees, and resulting in a very outdoor-oriented, on-the-go population. Radio is the only medium that is as mobile as its listening audience.

Economy
Although it’s the physical beauty that initially attracts most people here, San Diego’s economy is all-important in providing jobs and enabling people to make San Diego their home.  Forbes Magazine calls San Diego “a Cinderella story of the U.S. economy,” referring to research by the Milken Instutitue, revealing that San Diego has one of the broadest arrays of technology clusters in the country.  (Significant studies underway at San Diego’s world-class universities and institutes, and a steady supply of graduating scientists and engineers, have helped fuel the region’s reputation for aggressive, diverse, and innovative research in a variety of fields. )

  • With 1,100 communications technology companies, San Diego deserves its nickname of “wireless capital of the world.” Some of the standout wireless companies include QUALCOMM, Motorola Mobility, LG, Nokia and Cricket.
  • San Diego is home to almost 6,000 technology companies employing almost 140,000 people. They represent six percent of the region’s employers and pay 90 percent more than the average salary.
  • The strength of the county’s defense industry has been renowned for generations.  The region hosts the largest naval fleet in the world and is home to several major military facilities and the largest concentration of military personnel in the country.  With a budget of $4.6-billion, the Space and Naval Warfare systems Center (SPAWAR) contributes huge amounts of money to San Diego’s economy each year. 
  • Over 600 life science companies are located in San Diego. One of the country’s most important biotech communities, the area is known for its innovative and profound medical advancements.
  • San Diego is ranked fourth on a list of top 10 U.S. cities conducive to starting or growing a business according to Entrepreneur magazine.
  • The University of California at San Diego houses one of the country’s only two Supercomputer Centers, giving even more credence to the area’s role as a leader in the software and computer services industry. 
  • The computer and electronics manufacturing industry plays a key role in the area’s economy in its production of essential components for other industries. The availability of skilled workers here ensures that San Diego will remain on the cutting edge of computer technology for some time to come.
  • San Diego is home to over 600 sport innovation companies
  • 50 research institutes based in San Diego
  • Ranked as the 20th largest agriculture producer in the nation, San Diego County enjoys a special niche in crops such as avocados, exotic flowers and decorative plants. Nursery and flower crops, whose beauty draws tourists and residents each year, account for two-thirds of the production value.
  • San Diego’s tourist industry is a key sector of the local economy. U.S. News & World Report ranked San Diego as the third most popular vacation spot in the U.S and described it as the “most well-rounded” destination on the list. The region is also ranked in the top ten most popular destinations in the continental United States for international visitors and is considered one of the most desirable year-round vacation spots in the travel industry.

 


Assets
San Diego is also home to world-renowned destinations and popular sites that are favorites among the locals.  They include:

.  Balboa Park
.  Gaslamp District (downtown)
.  Legoland
.  Little Italy
.  Mission Bay
.  Old Town
.  Palomar Observatory
.  Point Loma Lighthouse
.  Safari Park
.  San Diego Missions
.  San Diego Zoo
.  Sea World
 
Additionally, the area enjoys myriad cultural events and sports activities throughout the year:

Escondido Cultural Arts Center
La Jolla Playhouse
Old Globe Theatre
San Diego Repertory Theatre
San Diego Symphony


Sporting Events
Sports enthusiasts will enjoy San Diego Charger football games at Qualcomm Stadium, or the San Diego Padres, who now host baseball games in the city’s downtown ballpark, Petco Park. The new ballpark joins enticing restaurants, nightclubs, theatres, shops and new condominiums in a revitalized and constantly growing downtown. 

Head south and you will find the ARCO Olympic Training Center in the city of Chula Vista, one of only three such facilities in the country. Not only do the nation’s best athletes take advantage of the county’s temperate climate, adults and children can engage in recreational and competitive sports every month of the year.

Torrey Pines is the host golf course for the annual Farmers Insurance Open and one of 90 courses in San Diego County open all year long.
 
Education
Advertisers who seek intelligent clients will be pleased with their San Diego audience.  The area is home to:

.  University of California at San Diego in La Jolla
.  San Diego State University
.  Cal State San Marcos

These public institutions offer some of the finest educational opportunities in the country. 

Small. private colleges and universities include:

.  Cal Western School of Law
.  Point Loma Nazarene
.  Thomas Jefferson School of Law
.  University of San Diego
.  University of San Diego School of Law

The area is also home to five community college districts. 

According to Newsweek magazine, 14 of the top 500 public schools in the country are located in San Diego. More than 75 public charter schools operate in the county; the best known is High Tech High which has received $17 million from Bill Gates since 2000.

People
One of San Diego’s finest assets is its culturally diverse population.  An influx of people from nearly every corner of the globe makes this a most interesting and cosmopolitan region.  With historical roots in Mexico, the county enjoys a decidedly Hispanic influence.  Consider:

  • Mexican and Spanish architecture, food and fashion are in plentiful supply. San Diego’s proximity to Mexico and the ever-increasing population of      
    Tijuana (1.5 million+) make its economic market significantly larger than   
    what is reflected by the resident population. 
  • Advertisers can be successful here in two languages, and businesses can 
    take advantage of trade opportunities associated with the passage of 
    NAFTA (North American Trade Agreement.)

 

Transportation
Tremendous increases in private vehicle use and vehicle availability have occurred around the country and San Diego is no exception. The 2009 American Community Survey revealed that 35.2% of San Diego households have 3+ cars, with 41.5% having 2 per household.

Approximately 86% of all San Diegans commute to work in a car and it’s taking them longer to get there.  While San Diego has spent millions of dollars improving and expanding its mass transportation systems, including the San Diego Trolley and the high speed rail “Coaster”, there are still many more miles that San Diegans must navigate each day in their cars.

According to a study published by the Texas Transportation Institute, San Diegans have had the sixth largest increase in hours of traffic delay among all cities in the country over the last twenty years. 

Growth in non-work travel has changed the landscape of peak traffic periods, a trend that is expected to continue. A burgeoning population relying on cars for work, entertainment and daily errands, combined with diminishing highway funds, translates to congested freeways during morning and evening commutes, and heavy traffic all day long on most major arteries.

And while “waiting in traffic” can be considered a frustration for motorists, it makes Radio advertising the most reliable way to reach San Diegans.  That’s where advertisers can find “captive” consumers who tune in for music, news, sports, and a connection with their favorite on-air personalities.

Living the Good Life
San Diego’s climate invites residents and visitors alike to jump on their bicycles, grab their surf boards, strap on their roller blades and “drive with the top down” twelve months a year. It makes for an active, healthy and mobile population, and it creates the perfect environment for Radio…a natural companion for San Diegans on the go.

Sources: San Diego Regional EDC, Connect, 2009 American Community Survey, SANDAG

Industry News
Research
Results
Broadcast Radio Listening Increases Reach to 243 Million Listeners Per Week Digital Listening Incremental to Broadcast; Accounts For 7.6% Of All Listening
The claim that listeners are highly engaged with radio is reinforced loud and clear in a new cross-media engagement study conducted by Nielsen. Radio tied for second across an aggregate of 11 different metrics of engagement in the study, commissioned by the Newspaper Association Of America.
U.S. digital TV users are climbing faster than expected. The number of U.S. digital TV users -- those who view at least one TV show per month via the Internet -- will climb 37% in four years to 145 million in 2017, from 106 million in 2012.
BIA Kelsey sees online ad revenues for platforms associated with broadcast radio stations and groups increasing from $491 million in 2012 to around $600 million in 2013, for an annual growth rate of approximately 22%.
A new study says about a third (36%) of all worldwide recorded TV content is never watched. In the U.S. that number is higher -- 41%, per Motorola Mobility's annual media survey.
Like so many Sir Galahads on the quest for the Holy Grail, businesspeople continue to search with near-religious ardor for "the perfect ad campaign." And many, when they have found it, learn that it's not enough. One of the greatest myths in marketing is the belief that advertising, by itself, is able to drive steady traffic into a business. This perception is supremely evident when a businessperson looks at an ad professional and says, "My only problem is traffic. If I had more traffic I'd sell more customers. Traffic is your department. Bring me customers. Now." What makes good ads fail?
The length of the "ramping up period" an ad campaign will require before you begin to see results is determined by the following factors, listed in descending order of their importance: 1. Product Purchase Cycle 2. Share of Voice 3. Impact Quotient of message 4. Media delivery vehicle...