“Ireland’s advertisers continue to under-estimate the power of radio advertising and are missing a trick when it comes to selling a product or message. The value of advertising on radio is two-fold, there is low ad avoidance and, when used in conjunction with other media drives greater recall among consumers. The failure of companies to understand these fundamentals means they are not spending advertising budgets effectively,” said Scott Williams, Chairman of the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland and CEO, Q102.
Addressing a meeting of the Association of Advertisers in Ireland in Dublin today, Mr. Williams said; “Ad avoidance is a growing problem for advertisers and challenges their ability to reach new customers. Research shows that over 30% of ads in traditional media such as TV, newspapers and magazines are ‘avoided’ by the intended target. On the internet, ad avoidance is a massive 65% on banner ads and 73% on pop-ups. At 18%, radio has the lowest avoidance of any media so it has the most effective reach.
“Irish people love their radio, with over two and a half million people tuning in to independent radio every day. The average listener will spend 4 hours listening to radio throughout the day. People rarely switch stations and are available to listen to any message that is relevant, creative and intriguing. It is a great opportunity to reach out to new customers and to existing customers. As a result, a brand which is big on radio can create a disproportionately large awareness among consumers”, he said.
Mr. Williams said that radio greatly enhanced the effectiveness of ad campaigns in other media such as TV, newspapers and on the internet. “Perhaps radio’s greatest value is the multiplier effect it provides to campaigns. When budget is diverted so that radio supports ad campaigns in other media there is a significant increase in unaided brand recall among consumers. At a time when budgets are tight and effectiveness of spend is all important, research proves that radio is critical to any campaign”.
Mr. Williams said the big opportunity for advertisers was the natural partnership between radio and the internet. “At any given time 1in 5 internet users are listening to the radio while they surf so at any point in time they are a click away from interacting with a brand. This, combined with Radio’s strong ‘call to action’ is particularly effective when targeting younger consumers and will continue to grow in importance with the dominance of smart phones and mobile devices”, he said.
“Everyone is listening to radio and if advertisers want to be truly effective in engaging with their audience and ultimately increasing their sales, they cannot ignore radio”, he added.
-Ends-
Editors Note 1:
Mr. Williams cited research conducted by RAEL (Radio Advertising Effectiveness Laboratory) which showed that when 50% of press ads are deployed to radio, there was an increase of 180% in unaided brand recall. This multiplier effect was even more significant in internet advertising, where unaided brand recall increased 350% when 50% of internet ads were deployed on radio. Even with TV, a medium considered most effective for brand awareness saw a 15% increased in prompted awareness when just 10% of the TV ads were deployed on radio.
About Independent Broadcasters of Ireland:
The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI) is the representative body for Ireland’s independent commercial radio broadcasters. The mission of the IBI is to champion the agenda of independent broadcasters in Ireland and to be a distinct and coherent national voice in the ongoing campaign for competitive equality across the sector.
The independent voice of Ireland, 67.1% of the population tune into independent radio on a daily basis. This translates into weekday figures of 2,442 million listeners. With more than 1500 people employed in the sector, independent broadcasters make a significant economic, social and cultural contribution to the Irish economy. The IBI represents 2 national radio stations, 1 multicity radio station, 4 regional radio stations and 27 local radio stations. For more information please visit: www.ibireland.ie.
For information:
Lisa Ni Choisdealbha, IBI, 087 2038956;
Laurie Mannix / Julie Dilger, MKC Communications, 01 7038620
