Fresh from Radiocentre’s TuningIn North event, like Auntie Pam’s beaten up car stereo, we’re buzzing to broadcast all the news – We’re also quite tired and struggle to work most days.
The initial figures made for saucy viewing early on with 89% of us now tuning in to radio every week, generating record revenues of over £700 million. Quite the figure, right? But looking further forward, the radio industry seems to be going from strength to strength after Ofcom’s deregulation of local broadcasting set to see the commercial radio industry rise even further on the national scale. In laymen’s terms, it’s gonna get saucier.
Elsewhere, it was lovely to be reminded of the scope and impact radio can have through the Heads Together campaign, The Mental Health Minute which ran for its second year running. Broadcast over 500 stations, the simulcast is estimated to have reached 20 million individuals. A wonderful reminder of radio’s incredible reach as well as its intimacy. Moreover, for this copywriter’s mental health, we discussed the regulation around lengthy Ts & Cs with a handy guidebook teased to be upcoming. I’m sure we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief there!
After an absolutely smashing sausage sandwich (Kieran’s One to Watch 2019) we discussed the year’s big study: Hear & Now. A research paper which examines the neuroscience behind successful audio advertising. It might have been the pork talking but boy did this go down a treat!
Context, it would seem is king – playing your advert at relevant times with relevant creative is the new plump, juicy, delicious thing to do. More than that though, the study found that us radio listeners are almost twice as happy when listening to the airwaves compared to any other media, a feature that makes us more amenable to advertising – precisely 23% more engaged! You can take a look at the full report here.
Whilst there was so much rich and relevant content the event provided, it was great to see the importance of brands’ sonic identities represented in fair measure. Both Global and Amplifi espoused the importance of having a holistic brand sound over multiple consumer touchpoints and with 50% of search next year predicted to be by voice, it’s easy to see why sound is being looked at with renewed importance.
To have more brands thinking about not only how they sound but where they’ll be heard opens up so many rich creative avenues which at Maple Street, we’re excited to explore! Talk to us about a brief or send me some sausages…
