Springfield, Missouri Advertisers Understand What Madison Avenue Has Forgotten: Brands Need To Be Known Long Before They’re Needed
A brand awareness study conducted across a number of categories in Springfield, Missouri reveals long running AM/FM radio campaigns have built significant brands with strong awareness and purchase intent.
Since 84% of purchases are effectively decided before shopping begins, brands need to be known long before they’re needed
This key conclusion is from a major study called How Humans Decide from WPP Media, Saïd Business School, and Oxford University. The data is based on a decade of research of 1.2 million consumer journeys across over 200 categories in 47 countries.
Most consumers already know which brand they will buy before they begin shopping. As such, the major job of advertising is to “create future demand,” influencing people long before they come in the market.
Erwin Ephron, considered the father of U.S. modern media planning, famously said, “Most advertising usually works by reminding people about brands they know, when they happen to need that product. Ads work best when the consumer is ready to buy. Reminding a lot of consumers is better than lecturing a few.”
How advertising really works: Meet successful Springfield, Missouri businesses
Springfield, Missouri lies 1,167 miles to the west of New York City. Springfield has long been an excellent test market for national brands like Coke, McDonalds, Taco Bell, and AT&T.
Springfield is also home to successful local firms that understand the job of advertising is to “be known before you’re needed.”
Kitchenland USA: Over 20 years, AM/FM radio campaigns grew the business from $500,000 a year to $7 million
Thanks to its AM/FM radio campaign, Kitchenland USA grew from a cabinet shop doing $500,000 a year in 2002 to over $7 million a year in sales in 2023 when Brad sold his kitchen business to a large regional supply company.
A Quantilope brand study of 105 consumers in Springfield, Missouri conducted in August 2026 reveals strong levels of aided awareness (39%) and ad recall (11%).
AM/FM radio works: Kitchenland USA’s awareness among AM/FM radio listeners is +21% greater than in the total market
Those with the greatest exposure to Kitchenland USA’s advertising campaign, AM/FM radio listeners, are much more aware of the brand versus the overall market.
AM/FM radio makes A-1 Roofing famous
After twenty years of consistent AM/FM radio branding, A-1 Roofing has a significant 55% aided awareness, a 12% unaided awareness, and an impressive ad awareness of 27%. Most impressively, nearly one in five consumers say they would purchase from A-1 Roofing if they had the need.
Dave’s Discount Carpet’s 20-year AM/FM radio campaigns generate a 59% aided awareness
Dave’s Discount Carpet ads are highly creative ads featuring Dave always trying to save dollars for his customers with a logical and nagging spouse as the protagonist.
The long-term AM/FM radio branding campaign has paid dividends with 59% aided awareness, 25% ad recall, and an impressive 23% purchase intent.
Dave’s Discount Carpet’s AM/FM radio campaign has been a huge success. Aided awareness among AM/FM radio listeners (69%) is +17% greater than in the total market (59%).
Ozark Fence’s AM/FM radio campaign causes an awareness surge to tie a much older competitor
While 44% of Springfield consumers are unable to name a fencing company, Ozark Fence has a 15% unaided awareness and Carnahan-White has a 14%.
Since 2015, AM/FM radio has put Ozark Fence on the map with strong brand equity: 40% aided awareness, 13% ad recall, and 15% purchase intent.
Brands need to constantly advertise since new people are always moving to town who don’t know the local brands
A good rule of thumb is one-third of any local market has moved to the area in the last ten years. Those newly arrived are much less aware of local businesses and service providers.
In Springfield, Missouri, 31% of the population moved to town in the last ten years. All the major local brands in the study have much lower aided awareness among those who moved to the Springfield market in the last ten years.
That’s why you must continually advertise!