Radio Bite: The long and short of it

Radio is a powerful and often underutilised platform for advertisers. During these unprecedented times, our Radio Bites series will give compelling reasons for brands to continue to be heard on the airwaves and why consumers will be listening.

As we explored in a previous Bite, moving money between media can help advertisers offset a reduction in budgets. It’s also worth remembering the need to balance the short term and the future.

Our Rescue Remedy report, which can be found on our coronavirus hub, explains that campaigns which balance both brand and activation achieve 60% more large business effects than those that focus purely on activation.

But how can advertisers do both if they feel pulled in different directions – balancing emotional advertising for brand building vs. rational behavioural prompts for activations?

Brand assets such as a recognisable voice or music – which radio ads can focus even more on as an audio-only medium – can be used consistently over time to underpin campaigns and promote different short-term activations.

Further analysis shows that adding radio to the mix boosts every kind of advertising effect, from short term activation to longer term brand equity; and from immediate sales volume to long term reductions in price sensitivity.