The sound of responsibility: evolution of the use of radio advertising as a corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication channel before and after Covid-19. A significant increase

Abstract

Radio is an audio communication medium that has always stood out for its credibility and close relationship to its audience, which makes it an appealing option for organizations that want to make their responsible behavior known. The Covid-19 pandemic has created a new landscape in which the strategic role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the company has been strengthened and in which advertising messages are proving to be an interesting way of disseminating organizations’ responsible actions. Based on the quantitative content analysis of 562 radio advertisements taken from the three principal mainstream Spanish radio broadcasters and collected 2 years apart (2019 and 2021), this study seeks to find out whether the Covid-19 health crisis has led to changes in the use of radio advertising as a vehicle for communicating organizations’ CSR. To this end, the variables analyzed were the presence of CSR elements, advertiser, economic sector, CSR dimensions, beneficiary stakeholders, and communication area. The results show, among other data, that the communication of CSR through radio advertising has experienced significant growth after overcoming the worst moments of the pandemic. This growth indicates that companies are increasingly sensitive to issues related to CSR and that radio advertising has provided them with a way to publicize their socially responsible actions. It seems that corporations understand that credibility, trust, and a not inconsiderable penetration rate encourage the circulation of their CSR campaigns through the medium of radio.