Radio advertising in the UK

Commercial audio advertising broadcast on radio stations or networks. Common forms include spot advertising, sponsorship and promotions subject to rules and branded content formats where permitted. Availability varies by market, supplier and campaign date.

Radio advertising can be considered when a brief needs reach, frequency, local or national coverage and audio-led brand building. It should still be compared against alternative channels rather than treated as an automatic choice.

Planning normally considers station or network mix, audience, geography, spot length, dayparts, campaign weight, creative and production. The appropriate mix depends on the objective, audience, geography, campaign period, budget and creative.

There is no single fixed price for radio advertising. Cost can change with geography, inventory quality, format, demand, campaign dates, duration, production, buying method and the scale of the schedule.

Targeting options depend on the medium and supplier. For radio advertising, planners should be explicit about whether targeting is geographic, contextual, audience-based, intent-based, behavioural or a combination, and what data supports it.

RAJAR is the official body measuring radio audiences in the UK. Planning metrics include weekly reach, listening hours and audience profile.

Before booking, confirm the campaign objective, target audience, geography, dates, creative format, budget, delivery basis, measurement method, production requirements and what would cause the recommendation to change.

PMA can assess whether radio advertising fits the brief, compare it with other media, investigate current inventory and buying conditions, build it into a wider schedule and coordinate the practical steps required to launch.