NPR Audience Segmentation & Growth Opportunities

1. NPR Audience Segmentation & Growth Opportunities NPR & SmithGeiger Research Friday, November 5th, 2010 Lori Kaplan / lkaplan@npr.org / Tel: 202.513.2811

2. Research Process Online Survey March/April 2010 Online Message Board Forums April/May 2010 In-home Interviews June 2010 • Values • Lifestyle • Media Behaviors & Opinions • n=3,710 • 3-day moderated discussion • Media, NPR & digital • Groups: core, digital, lookalikes, people of color, conservative/Republican • Interviews with 3 segments • 13 in San Francisco, Dallas, Atlanta & Philadelphia

3. Who Participated? Survey Screening Criteria • Ages 18 to 64 • 50 – 50 Male / Female • Either: • Casual or core NPR consumers • News/information consumers • Non-consumers of NPR open to public radio & interest in at least one NPR topical category • If no 4-year college degree, place importance on community leadership, education, and/or lifelong learning

4. Myths and Mania “Those who cherish NPR as one of radio’s rare dreck-free zones may shudder at a new study that implies it’s limiting its reach by being too “intelligent” and “serious”. The Bay Area Observer “[This] study ..says a key to the future radio audience growth is an issue of style over substance”. John Sutton “I don’t see that there is really much potential [from a donation standpoint] in the [Dutiful] Aggregators.” George Bailey

5. The Big Question Is there growth potential? Yes! And it represents a sizeable opportunity. Perhaps more than double existing audience (keeping consistent with our mission). . . . But who are they?

6. Awareness News/Information Consumers’ Familiarity with NPR

7. Cross-Platform Usage & Awareness 22% of NPR.org visitors listened to NPR programming in the past 7 days Source: multiple internal and external survey sources

8. Our Current and Future Audience Team Captains Dutiful Aggregators Voracious Voyagers Strugglers Traditionalists

9. Our Current and Future Audience Dutiful Aggregators(19% of sample) • 45% Age 18-34 • 40% non-white • Even political split • Avid media consumers • Overwhelmed – too much to know and do • 39% top news source – local TV • “Education is important to me” • “It’s important to learn about and understand the world around me” • “I don’t believe in absolutes” • Opportunity: simplifying their chaotic media life Dutiful Aggregators 39% weekly NPR Listeners Motivation: Obligation to be informed

10. Dutiful Aggregators VALUE MOTTO: “I check a variety of news sources. Everybody should be informed.”

11. Our Current and Future Audience Team Captains(21% of Sample) • 45% age 45-64 • 37% non-white • 41% conservative • Optimistic, self-confident, enthusiastic • Strong opinions • 52% top news – local TV • “I want to be informed so that I can share information with others.” • “I believe there’s something out there that is bigger than all of us” • “Spending time with my family is important to me” • Opportunity: balance and headlines Team Captains 30% weekly NPR Listeners Motivation: Leadership

12. Team Captains • Business oriented • Have enthusiasm for life • Sense of optimism • Seen as leaders • Self-confident VALUE MOTTO: “Life is good!” and “cut to the chase” “I’m leading my ideal life”

13. Our Current and Future Audience Voracious Voyagers(21% of Sample) • 50% age 18-34 • 25% non-white • Liberal and science-minded • Prone to dive deep • Technology, culture • 54% top news – web portal • Public radio evangelists • “I have a passion for learning and discovering” • “There are so many things I still have left to do in life” • Opportunity: love depth; increase listening occasions Voracious Voyagers 27% weekly NPR Listeners Motivation: Curiosity

14. Voracious Voyagers VALUE MOTTO: “I want to experience that”, “Go hard or go home!” “I’m curious about the world around me.”

15. News & Info Affinity and Potential

16. Universal Life Attitudes Top 10 News Audience Attitudes - % Strongly Agree

17. Life Attitudes by Market Top 10 News Audience Attitudes - % Strongly Agree

18. Life Attitudes by Market Top 10 News Audience Attitudes - % Strongly Agree

19. Universals’ Connection to Life Satisfaction Peterson, C. and Seligman, M.E.P. – Traits Central to Human Thriving • WISDOM • Creativity • Curiosity • Open-mindedness • Love of learning • Perspective • HUMANITY • Kindness • Love • Social intelligence • JUSTICE • Fairness • Leadership • Teamwork • TRANSCENDENCE • Appreciation of beauty and excellence • Gratitude • Hope • Humor • Religiousness • TEMPERANCE • Forgiveness • Modesty • Prudence • Self-regulation • COURAGE • Authenticity • Bravery • Persistence • Zest

20. More questions answered How do we grow the audience, while continuing to serve our core? In two words… Increased Accessibility

21. The Accessibility Prism Physical Can target listeners access us? Content Content Are we delivering what they’re looking for? Brand Do they know about us? What do they know? Are we telling potential audiences that NPR is for them?

22. Brand Accessibility “I hesitated for years [to become] a regular listener. I believed that its programming outlook was very exclusive, highbrow and catered to Ivy League dispositions….. What I found at NPR was well spoken, intelligent and welcoming hosts who instantly made me feel that I was in the right place to learn. My opinion of exclusion, however, is generally shared when I bring up NPR.” – Current NPR Listener

23. Accessibility Perception of Who NPR is For “NPR I feel is mostly foreducated adults from middle class and up. That ismy impression.” -Male, age 25-34, Hispanic/Latino,Emerging Platform User “ ” “If a robot were a radio it would be NPR.”-Male, age 35-44,White/Caucasian,Lookalike “ ” Chart based to those familiar with NPR

24. Who is NPR for, by Market Dallas Houston L.A. Charts based to those familiar with NPR

25. Who is NPR for, by Market Phoenix San Francisco Charts based to those familiar with NPR

26. Brand Accessibility Top Positive Perceptions of NPR Most Cited Negative Perceptions of NPR Based to those familiar with NPR

27. Which Personalities Speak to Consumer Values? “Below are a number of different personalities you might know from TV, radio, print publications, and the web. Please indicate how much each of the following personalities is for you.” Top 10 Most Relevant Personalities (% Saying “Completely for you”)

28. Personality Relevance by Market Top 3 Most Relevant Personalities by Market (% Saying “Completely for you”)

29. The Messenger Does Matter Top Personalities that are “Completely for You”, By Ethnicity

30. Favored News Personalities Which of the following personalities is for you? (of the news personalities) Dutiful Aggregators Team Captains Voracious Voyagers Anderson Cooper 23% Brian Williams 19% Matt Lauer 17% Soledad O’Brien 15% Anderson Cooper 22% Brian Williams 21% Matt Lauer 20% Soledad O’Brien 13% Anderson Cooper 22% Brian Williams 14% Rachel Maddow 13% Soledad O’Brien 12%

31. Brand Mass-tige – Not Prestige If NPR could reflect the qualities of any of these different names below, which would you chose for it to reflect? Dutiful Aggregators Dutiful Aggregators Team Captains Voracious Voyagers 59% 50% Independent Booksellers 40% • 49% • 49% • 48% 60% 52% 50%

32. Get in Front of the Brand

33. Content Accessibility “This type of story could be interesting, but the reporter's voice and intonation is soooo affected, upper class, wasp, PhD student-like, it detracts from the story. She speaks like she is writing a novel, too overly descriptive.” – NPR Non-Listener

34. What is Elite? From Washington Post Outlook Section, “Are You Part of the New Elite?” Sunday October 24, 2010 2Can you identify military ranks by uniform insignias? 3Do you know what MMA and UFC stand for? 4What is Branson, MO famous for? 5Have you ever attended a Kiwanis or Rotary club? 1Who is Jimmie Johnson? 6Who replaced Bob Barker as this show’s host? 7Have you ever lived in a town with < 25,000 people (college doesn’t count) 8Who are the authors of the “Left Behind” series? 9Do you live in an area where most people lack college degrees? 10Can you identify a field of soybeans?

35. Conversational Tone Impact of Potential NPR Personality Traits (% More interested)

36. Breaking News % “Very” Interested in Type of Media Programming and Coverage

37. Content & Topic Interest Dutiful Aggregators Dutiful Aggregators Team Captains Voracious Voyagers Content Interest Breaking News 53% News from your city 48% Quick news updates 46% Topic Interest Current events 41% Entertainment 38% Health and wellness 37% Content Interest Breaking News 78% National News 68% News from your city 66% Topic Interest Technology/gadgets 57% Current events 57% Health and wellness 51% Content Interest Breaking News 69% Quick news updates 58% National news 57% Topic Interest Current events 53% Technology/gadgets 48% Science 45%

38. Content Accessibility - Topics % Saying “Very Interested” Among Ethnicity

39. Breadth of Perspective & Balance Top 5 Strongly Agree Media Statements 47% of Team Captains strongly agree “Hearing both sides of the story is veryimportant.” -Prospective Listener “ ”

40. Physical Accessibility “The only thing really holding me back is time in the day. I try very hard to get everything I need to get done completed and really don't have much time for anything else. I think NPR would be a good fit for me, but I have too many other things to do to find time to listen.” – NPR Non-Listener

41. One in four core listeners say that NPR is “difficult to fit into their day”. Physical Accessibility

42. Internet Replaces TV News Primary News Source by Age

43. Tune-In Intent by Platform Consumers already seek access through multiple platforms “My commute is less than 5 minutes, which is less than the time of a lot of NPR news stories. I don't have a radio in my house, and I don't have internet on my phone. I guess I've never thought to go to their website - maybe that is something I would do in the future.” – NPR Non-Listener

44. Physical Accessibility Top 10 Web Destinations (% A few times/week or more)

45. Why Does This All Matter? NPR Tune-In Hurdles (% Major Reason) Don’t Go! Based to NPR casuals and prospects

46. What’s Been/Being Done • Findings Shared & Socialized • At conferences: PRPD, ERPM, WSPR (now) • NPR AReps Meeting & Summary Distributed • NPR Senior Leadership • Host Conversations & Executive Producers • Executive Retreat Discussion Programming Marketing Station Engagement

47. Programming Action • Activities Underway • New (more diverse and younger) voices on air • Pacing of the shows • Length of the pieces • More conversational host interplay • Innovation pilot • More strategic about host travel • Faster on the new and newsier • Facilitating content everywhere the listener may want to listen • Tell Me More research – creating relevance by reflecting a wider swath of society • Team: Ellen Weiss, Ellen McDonnell, Dick Meyer, Eric Nuzum, MPS, Margaret Low Smith, Lori Kaplan. Keith Woods will play a consulting role

48. Marketing Action • Create personas based on the 3 segments as the basis for marketing – share their language, their activities more deeply • Invite leading marketers in to share their expertise • Take full advantage of social media with specific goals in place for what we want to accomplish • Consider how our events strategy (First Festival/cinema) feeds into our overall strategy • Team: Dana Davis Rehm, Eric Nuzum, Andy Carvin, Kate Myers, Amy Blaszyk, Micah Greenberg, Margaret Low Smith, Lori Kaplan. Keith Woods playing a consulting role

49. Station Engagement • Share all research from Audience Opportunity study – digital, fundraising and marketing dives available later this Fall • Continue tools to support strong local journalism (Morning Edition Grad School) • Impact of Government – first of many collaborations • Continue investment in Public Media Platform • Collaborate with stations to execute local marketing efforts and activate listeners to tell the NPR & public radio stories • Work with DEI to form fundraising scripts utilizing language from the key segments • Team: Joyce MacDonald, Dana Davis Rehm, Eric Nuzum, Mark Stencel, Joel Sucherman, Ellen McDonnell, MPS staff, Margaret Low Smith, Lori Kaplan. Keith Woods in a consulting role.

50. Lori Kaplan, NPR Director Audience Insight & Research lkaplan@npr.org September 2010