Using digital audio alongside broadcast radio

Research highlights how live radio and on-demand services play complementary roles for the listener – and they can also do so for advertisers. Using both in tandem can help optimise the effects of a media campaign.

Broadcast radio delivers mass reach with 35 million adults tuning in each week to a commercial station offering a range of conventional targeting opportunities. And, because it is delivered over connected devices, digital audio can use data to target a more precisely defined audience and influence the content of the commercial that the listener hears via dynamic creative.

So, from a brand-building perspective, adding on-demand audio services into the mix can help extend campaign reach, especially amongst younger audiences.

And in the context of driving short-term response, on-demand audio can enhance targeting efficiencies alongside the activation-at-scale provided by radio’s mass reach.  

Global’s DAX platform and Bauer’s In-Stream offering allow advertisers to access digital audio alongside their broadcast radio services.

Budgeting for digital audio

Live radio remains the dominant audio format but is now complemented by other on-demand services which help to increase the total commercial audio audience. To use both optimally consider increasing audio’s share of the total media budget rather than just cannibalising radio spend.

Allocating share of total audio budget between radio and digital audio will vary according to audience, budget and campaign objectives. Touchpoints Channel Planner or Telmar’s Audioplanner can provide data to assist in this decision.