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During my Digital Transformation program at Hyper Island, Viaplay Group presented us with a challenge: to develop a solution that reimagines the radio and elevates the overall radio experience. Additionally, the solution aimed to entice advertisers to utilize radio as a medium.
How might we use digital tools to make Lugna Favoriter an overall better experience and more desirable for advertisers?
Radio is quite limited in its capabilities, which restricts the range of possible solutions. It was crucial for us to grasp the world of radio, its challenges today, and how the public perceives it.
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To initiate the project, we delved into a comprehensive analysis of Lugna Favoriter. In order to gain a more profound comprehension of their identity, we examined the content played on the radio channel, explored the personalities involved, and investigated their activities beyond the radio channel.
Lugna Favoriter maintains a highly inclusive, relaxed, and family-friendly presence on social media. They actively remind their audience of significant dates, such as Swedish National Day, Mother's Day, or Easter, which hold importance for their target audience. Additionally, they frequently promote interactive quizzes focusing on artists from the ballad era, aiming to enhance engagement and interactivity on their social media platforms.
While studying Lugna Favoriter, we realized that we had gathered plenty of information about the radio station itself, but we lacked knowledge about their specific audience. Understanding the target audience was vital for devising effective solutions. As a result, our next research steps focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the audience.
To gather a broad understanding of the radio, we chose to conduct a survey and distribute it to a large number of people. The main goal of this survey is to learn about people's overall thoughts and opinions on the radio.
We received 128 responses, exceeding our goal of reaching at least a hundred participants. This larger number of responses strengthens the reliability and validity of the opinions collected. The survey was conducted in Swedish since the target audience primarily consists of Swedish speakers.
These questions gave us a clear understanding of how people perceive the radio and their experience with it. We also gained insights into their listening habits, preferred devices, and whether they follow any specific radio channels.
Based on the survey, most people seem happy with the radio experience, and they tend to listen to audio while on the go using their phones as the main device. These findings shows that there is an opportunity to create new solutions specifically for people who listen to audio while on the go, as they make up a significant portion of the audience.
In conclusion, the survey results suggest that the overall radio experience is perceived positively. This provides an opportunity to explore innovative offerings that can appeal to a broader audience and meet their preferences.
To better understand the importance of radio for listeners, we interviewed five individuals who are enthusiastic about radio. Through these interviews, we aimed to learn about their personal experiences and what radio means to them in their everyday lives.
These questions provided us with valuable insights into people's listening patterns, behaviors, and interactions with radio. They helped us gain a clear understanding of how radio fits into their lives and the specific needs it fulfills for them.
How would you describe the radio if it were a person?
"A person who cares about how you feel. An empathetic person who spreads good energy by creating an environment in which you can easily relax, create joy for others and, above all, a person who wants to create calm where there are not so many surprises, someone who wants to create a safe environment where you just can be and feel safe with who you are with."
In terms of comfort and accessibility, how does the radio compare to other forms of media?
"Quite nice that it is mixed with passive and active listening."
Do you have a favorite radio segment that you consistently tune in to, and if so, what makes it so compelling that you keep coming back to it?
"What I appreciate most about Lugna Favoriter is that there is not so much talk, but that there is a lot of music that creates a calm and nice atmosphere. I think it is good that there is not so much talk, as in the other channels. If I want programs with talk, I switch to that type of channel."
From the interviews, we can gather important insights about the radio's significance for listeners. This includes understanding the needs it fulfills, identifying common pain points, and exploring why people enjoy it. What they all had in common is that they see the radio as a friendly companion in the background, providing a comforting noise when they need it and serving as a source of comfort.
Creating user personas based on the interview findings to better understand the target audience and their preferences, needs, and pain points. These personas will serve as a reference during the solution development process.
In this project, I had intended to conduct a user experience mapping exercise to trace the entire user journey of radio usage. However, due to the lack of a defined start and finish point in radio usage, conducting this exercise proved to be challenging.
A user experience map would have been highly beneficial to understand the listeners' journey and the challenges they encounter while using the radio. It would have provided valuable insights into their usage patterns and highlighted areas of opportunity for further exploration during the ideation phase.
By analyzing the pain points expressed in both the survey and interviews, we have identified the most significant challenges that radio listeners encounter. These pain points highlight the key areas where improvements and solutions are needed.
Radio listening can be time-consuming.
Radio listening can be difficult to schedule.
External circumstances such as the family, the children, or dinner.
Ads have a negative impact on the atmosphere of the radio listening experience.
Something that distracts your attention from the radio.
When the radio plays music that you do not prefer, it can be a source of dissatisfaction or disappointment.
Having poor or unpleasant radio hosts can ruin the overall enjoyment of the listening experience.
Listeners have a desire to stay informed and up-to-date with the latest information.
The radio serves as a valuable platform for accessing the latest news and staying updated.
Enjoyment increases when the music matches personal preferences.
Talk shows and podcasts offer an enjoyable listening experience.
The radio fulfills the need for background noise.
It adds a sense of presence and prevents the space from feeling empty.
The pain points and needs identified through user experience research are valuable opportunities to develop solutions. They serve as important insights and can be considered as valuable resources when designing for improved user experiences.
The research revealed the potential opportunities when listeners are engaged in mobile activities. They desire a smooth and uninterrupted experience. Lugna Favoriter has already succeeded in entertaining its current audience, and our goal is to introduce something fresh to attract a wider range of listeners. By understanding the preferences and behaviors of the target audience, it becomes easier to design the concept effectively.
At the start of the project, we thought radio usage was declining, which influenced our perspective negatively. However, our research revealed that this assumption was incorrect. We discovered that radio usage was still popular among listeners, debunking our initial belief. This new understanding shaped our approach and helped us gain a more accurate view of the radio landscape.
+ Recognizing biases
+ Self-awareness
+ Respect opinions and feedback
+ Conducting research
+ Different research methods
+ Asking the right questions
+ Documentation
+ Presenting data
+ Data extraction
+ Deliverables