Radio Advertising

Q: How much is radio advertising?

To give a very rough perspective, a week-long campaign that uses a 30 second ad minus production costs could cost anything from £500 on a local station. £2500 on a regional station. Upwards from £10000 on a national station.

Some advertising people refer to radio advertising as the “Cinderella medium.” However, the cost of radio advertising makes it a cost-effective way to build a brand.

Targeting with Radio

Radio is a real comfort in these strange times. With over 320 independent, regional and national advertising radio stations in the UK targeting every range of audience demographic from educated urbanites through to struggling families, it is certainly a medium that deserves consideration. We’ve listed some radio advertising costs below, as you’ll see adding radio advertising to your marketing mix can provide a cost-effective boost.

Toast Radio Showreel

Last year Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR) announced 48.1 million adults or 87% of the adult (15+) UK population tuned in to their selected radio stations each week in the fourth quarter of 2019. Could ignoring radio as a medium be a mistake we’re all making?

People staying at home due to the coronavirus pandemic appear to be listening to more radio rather than music apps, figures suggest. Global, which owns Capital FM and talk station LBC, said online radio listening had risen by 15%.

The Advantage of Radio

The advantages of radio advertising are well known. According to Radiocentre.org, radio provides:
Reach, with nearly 36m listeners every week;
Resonance, as an emotional influencer with power to enhance brand perceptions at a subconscious level
Results, delivering an average ROI of £7.70 for every pound spent.

A huge benefit of radio advertising and what makes it so appealing to brands is that production and broadcast is so inexpensive.

Radio Advertising Costs – UK

Compared to other advertising mediums, making an ad for radio isn’t a huge burden on your budget and can start from £2000. However, there is a fine art to creating an advert that engages the listener.

Most adverts only need one voice over, maybe two and some background music and sound effects. If you want additional production bells and whistles, a celebrity voice, or to create a campaign with a variety of different advertising elements – including in multiple languages – this will all affect the price. The possibilities are endless, and the only way to really know how much your advertising campaign is going to cost is to get in touch with us for an airtime or creative quote.

Radio Advertising Media Costs

We’re asked a lot “how much is radio advertising” to give a very rough perspective, a week-long campaign that uses a 30 second ad (minus production costs) could cost anything from:

£500 on a local station
£2,500 on a regional station
Upwards from £10,000 on a national station
For more details on media cost of radio advertising, get in touch.

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The Secrets of Making a great Radio Advert

Use all the elements that make radio advertising extraordinary – voice, sound effects, music
Keep it fresh – do multiple variations as part of the campaign so that the messaging stays engaging
Using a consistent voice is particularly effective, especially when using radio as the primary broadcast medium (regardless of whether it is a celebrity voice)
Apply a consistent construct within your radio campaign, ideally employing recognisable audio cues, such as voice and music to draw the listener in.
Know your spot length. Before you start, be very clear on how much time you have to play with, including any ‘legal’ copy you may be required to include.
Keep it simple. Be single-minded. Don’t expect your listener to remember complex details
How does your brand speak? Are there any distinctive words, phrases or a distinctive way of speaking synonymous with the brand? If so, you should use them or write in a way that compliments them.
Don’t overwrite your ad. With radio, you can communicate powerfully with very few words. Silence and a few carefully chosen words can create real impact and make your message easier to recall. That said, a more complex script can reward repeat listening if it’s well-written and well-judged – provided the commercial message remains clear.
Finally avoid the clichés. Radio can be a test-bed of tired creative conventions. (‘This is the sound of….’, the presenter spoof, ‘The blah-blah sale is NOW ON..’ etc.)
Make sure your spot is distinctive and avoid becoming audio wallpaper.

Work with Toast

If you’re looking to produce a radio advert we can help, do get in touch. If you need an idea of radio advertising costs we can provide a ball-park radion advertising media estimate.