Media Brokers Australia

radio, streaming & podcasting

RADIO, STREAMING AND PODCASTING

Radio reaches over 90% of Australians within the 5 metro capital cities each week. Radio is a strong and effective advertising channel for businesses – it is a broadcast medium that can be accessed anywhere, anytime. Radio can be engaging with its social nature and its powerful connection with its audience, making radio a great way to stimulate activity and build brand awareness.

Radio Advertising

There are different audio platforms we use for radio advertising:

  • Analogue Radio FM & AM
  • Digital Radio (DAB+)
  • Radio Streaming & Podcasts

The latest GfK Surveys are used to determine audiences that are listening to the radio stations. This information is important when planning radio campaigns to ensure your message reaches your key target audience. Radio as a media platform works very well alongside other media channels to prompt brand association. Research has shown this is because audio stimulates a different part of the brain to a visual prompt, so when used alongside a visual media such as OOH or TV, it can be very effective.

Radio advertising opportunities fall into pre-recorded spot plans, live reads and sponsorship. Live reads are delivered by the radio presenters who endorse the brand or products. Sponsorship can be for a programme or segment (i.e. traffic or weather). Radio planning and buying, whether national or regional, will draw on the below key factors:

  • Frequency the number of times each listener hears the commercial each week, which is termed OTH (opportunities to hear).
  • Number of impacts one impact equals one person listening to one spot
  • Time slots Breakfast, Morning, Afternoon, Drivetime, Evening, Overnight, Run of Station (ROS) and Best Time Available (BTA). BMAD timeslots are the most popular time slots in Australia.
  • Days of week indices

Typically, pre-recorded radio ads are 30 seconds. To write a script and produce up to 3 (to 5) standard radio ads with a voiceover through a radio network cost around $600.

DAB+ Digital Radio

Digital radio is broadcast free-to-air over the airwaves via DAB+ technology. DAB+ uses higher frequencies than analogue radio which gives it a better sound quality. DAB+ only stations often have a niche format, catering to a broad range of preferences, including 80’s, 90’s, jazz, chill, racing, news, talk, contemporary hits, country, rock, dance, and sport.

Radio Stations Audio Apps

The primary Radio Networks in Australia also use Audio Apps such as LiSTNR (SCA) and iHeartRadio (ARN) Nova Player (Nova) SEN App (SEN) so listeners can select from thousands of podcasts, catch up with radio shows and listen live to their favourite sport and music shows.

Radio Streaming

In Australia streaming radio is growing in popularity. Listeners tune-in via an App on the computer, mobile or voice service platform (eg Alexa) device. All the major networks stream their radio stations as a good way of extending the reach of their shows. Radio streaming is usually bought on an impressions CPM basis.

Podcasts

YouGov reports show that podcast listening is mainly concentrated among younger Australians aged 25-34, followed by those aged between 35-44. Listenership drops-off among older age groups with three in five (61%) of 55+ adults saying they do not listen to podcasts at all.

Podcasts are a form of entertainment and education, people might listen to a podcast to learn more about a topic, keep up with current events, or because they want to laugh. A podcast can also be a powerful marketing tool. Podcasting can be an opportunity to promote your business, broaden your reach, or market to your existing audience. Many podcasts build a community which in turn helps to build trust.

The two keyways to advertise on Podcasts are:

  • Airtime – 30 second adverts are inserted into the feed of a range of podcasts either in a pre-roll, a mid-roll, or a post-roll position. Podcasts can be grouped together either based on their topics or their core audiences, to create a range of networks which allow us to run a targeting airtime campaign which will reach a certain audience.
  • Sponsorships – take the form of a pre-recorded pre/mid/post roll which is usually voiced by the podcast’s presenters and based on key messages supplied by the client. The sponsorship audio runs for at least 30 seconds and many podcast presenters engage with the messages. The tone of the podcast is usually carried over into these sponsor rolls.