RAJAR: industry reaction

90% of the UK listen to the radio every week – I’m sure that’s something that will surprise many people and grab the ‘headlines’, but what strikes me is that surely this is a remarkably fertile area for brand innovation.

To that point, 50% of the population are now tuning in via digital channels too, which only furthers the reasoning that digital is fundamentally changing the way we live and go about our lives to the point where there is no longer a distinction between digital and non-digital life. Something as traditional and analogue as radio is now in the domain of ‘digital’.

How can brands take advantage of these trends and evolving consumer behaviours? By seeking to ignore the instinct to define the channel before defining the engagement. If underpinned by rigorous insight, then the when, where and how will become quickly apparent.

True engagement is about utilising insight to connect companies and individuals through great creative ideas, and ensuring there’s a consistent experience across all channels. Radio is clearly a large aspect of the lives of a huge percentage of the population, and the smart brands will assimilate this rich insight into their future activity.

Naturally, the channels of communication that have been around the longest are the most likely to be scrutinised as new channels emerge. We regularly hear the question of whether radio is in decline debated, but figures continue to show the remarkable resilience of this medium – the fact 90% of the population still tune in regularly each week demonstrates this.

Yet commercial stations largely are struggling to arrest declines. Overall, 12 out of the top 17 London stations recorded a decline in weekly reach year on year, which makes for less positive reading. If the appetite for radio is there, why is this happening? The average listener tunes in for 21.9 hours of radio per week. If they’re choosing to spend the equivalent of almost an entire day consuming media in this fashion, surely there’s a high level of insight to be derived from this trend?

One of the most striking aspects of the latest report is how people are consuming radio, and how rapidly that’s changing. 20% of adults now listen to the radio through their phone; which tells us a great deal about how consumers are interacting and utilising their smartphones (convergence in action).

Digital listening has increased by 14% year on year, which may mean that people are browsing the web whilst listening – all opportunities with the potential to activate positive engagement with brands.

If not investing in radio, then brands can seek to influence purchase behaviour through other channels designed to complement the listening experience. Ultimately, marketers need to understand that consumer behaviour is in a constant state of evolution. Brands need to work hard to learn where and how they fit into their audience’s world, and create connections based on that knowledge as part of a seamless multichannel experience.

Highly impressive figures last week to see listeners are going to digital in record numbers. DAB sets continue to fly off the shelves and we’re not too far away from seeing over 50% of the UK own a DAB set. It seems a far cry now from the negativity that initially surrounded a potential digital radio switch-over.

However, the move towards that switch-over remains a marathon, not a sprint, and there’s lots that can be done to build upon the great foundations laid by the accomplished Digital Radio UK ATL campaign that’s been capturing the nation’s imagination for the past few months; one that’s already been shortlisted for an Arqiva Award.

Change is still a difficult thing to accomplish, but the success of the Digital TV switch-over should give plenty of cause for confidence and optimism that the public can embrace change if handled with sensitivity and correctly guided at a pace they’re comfortable.

A next step for Digital Radio UK would be to support the ATL investment with experiential activity in order to create a real seamless, multichannel experience to drive that educative and awareness-raising process.

Particularly with a summer devoid of the types of events we saw in 2012, there’s vast opportunity for brands to fill that void with exciting and engaging shopping centre activity to really surprise and delight consumers who may previously have viewed digital radio with trepidation.

By pairing up with the stations proving popular, such as the Absolute Radio Network’s burgeoning brands, a clear message of the great entertainment on offer can really be driven home.

With BMW also now fitting DAB as standard in their cars, we’re well on our way towards a fully digital future.

It’s great to see that listening figures have increased year-on-year yet again, showing that radio is still a buoyant and relevant medium.

Interestingly, there has been an 11 per cent rise in listening via digital platforms compared to the same period last year, and with 50 per cent of the population now consuming in this way, it is becoming increasingly vital to brands and media planners alike. This means that more than ever we have to understand the environment in which people are listening and make sure we are tailoring our advertising to these specific devices.

Without doubt, and especially when we consider the high viewing of digital amongst younger age groups, radio in the future will not be about the radio itself. This highlights the need for strong radio media brands across TV, online and mobile, with a robust strategy to withstand, and even capitalise on further changes in listening habits.

It is unfortunate for advertisers that the BBC share has nudged up again to 55.7%, but it just shows the importance of commercial stations investing to maximise their share of listening and benefit both themselves and the advertisers they are looking to attract.