Radio just hit another record

The latest RAJAR figures are in, and they're a strong reminder that radio remains one of the UK's most effective channels for brands looking to scale. 51.2 million UK adults now listen to radio every week, equivalent to 87% of the adult population and a new record high. Commercial radio’s reach is now nearing 40 million people every week, increasing its lead over the BBC. 

In this week's edition of The Specialist View, Kate Brinkley, Managing Partner, Activation, explains why there's a more useful story buried beneath them. 

Here's what caught our attention:

The scale hasn't gone anywhere

In a media landscape where audiences are increasingly fragmented, radio continues to reach the overwhelming majority of UK adults every week. Commercial radio accounts for 55.7% of listening, while overall radio reach increased 2% year-on-year. Therefore, it remains one of the few channels capable of delivering broad reach and frequency efficiently.

Our Specialist View: For brands trying to grow beyond the customers who already know you, radio should be firmly on the consideration list. Its ability to reach mass audiences cost efficiently and connect with its listeners makes it a major amplifier of performance across your wider media plan. 

Radio listening is becoming increasingly digital

More than three-quarters (76.4%) of radio listening is now digital, with online listening via websites, apps and smart speakers accounting for almost a third (30.8%) of all listening. Commercial radio is slightly ahead, with 34.1% of its listening now taking place online

Our Specialist View: Modern radio is far more flexible than many advertisers realise. Brands can combine the trust and scale of broadcast radio with more targeted ways to reach audiences through digital audio.

Different audiences are finding different ways in

Radio’s scale doesn’t mean it’s one-size-fits-all. Capital leads among 15–24s and is the UK’s leading commercial radio brand among 15–34s, while KISS has grown its weekly reach by 29% year-on-year following its relaunch. After a summer packed with major sporting events, talkSPORT also grew its reach by 8.9% year-on-year.

And radio travels with its audience, from the morning commute to working from home and everyday routines, giving brands different ways into different audiences at moments throughout their day.

Our Specialist View: Radio can deliver mass reach without treating everyone the same. Different stations, audiences, cultural moments and listening occasions help brands make that reach more relevant.

As Entrepreneurial Brands look for more efficient routes to growth, the opportunity lies in using radio smarter to make it work harder as part of the wider media mix: building familiarity and generating demand at scale, while performance channels capture and convert that demand.

If you'd like to explore whether radio could help accelerate growth for your brand please feel free to get in touch and we'll happily dig into the opportunity.