Audio consumption in the UK is growing across all platforms, creating more opportunities for advertisers than ever before, according to a major new study published today by the Radio Advertising Bureau.
The research – conducted in association with research agency The Sound with data from the latest Rajar MIDASplus survey – found that radio remains the dominant audio channel, accounting for 70% of all time spent listening.
However, on-demand listening has increased the weekly reach of the total audio audience from 1.4 billion hours in autumn 2012 to almost 1.5 billion in spring 2014.
The study also identified how audio – whether ‘owned’ or ‘on-demand’ – plays a significant role in people’s lives, with mood and motivation affecting the type of audio people chose to consume. However, whilst different audio services were shown to play complementary roles, live radio was still the primary audio format people chose to meet particular ‘need states’.
On-demand listening – whether that’s via a streaming service, iTunes or YouTube – was found to account for a disproportionate share of young people’s commercial audio listening at 29% of their total listening hours each week, in contrast to 7% for those aged 25 and over.
In terms of advertising, analysis of the IPA Databank shows that audio can play an important role, not just in short-term ‘activation campaigns’, but also in longer-term ‘brand-building’ activity.
Emotional brand building was found to have much longer-term efficiency gains, rising base sales and reduced price sensitivity, compared with short-term cost effective campaigns that tend to generate an immediate sales response.
The research also shows that campaigns that include radio in the mix have a much greater effect on brand trust, which the report states may have something to do with the role that radio plays in people’s lives.
Overall, campaigns which use radio were found to outperform those that don’t feature the medium at all.
Commenting on the research, Les Binet, head of effectiveness at Adam & Eve DDB, said: “Audio can play an important role not just in ‘activation’ campaigns but also in longer-term brand-building activity, making it a highly valuable medium and something which advertisers should not undervalue.”
Mark Barber, planning director at the RAB, added: “The increased commercial reach offered by the new audio landscape offers new, potent, opportunities to advertisers. It’s heartening to see that in the face of evolving platforms and technology, radio retains its unique appeal for listeners.”
