There is a general feel-good factor with audio. It’s experiencing real momentum with record listeners and new brand launches, plus the addition of podcasts, but Tuning In was a chance for the audience to get up close with the talent and hear about best practice in radio advertising from a range of speakers.
It was also somewhat refreshing to hear just how much radio presenters enjoy interacting with brands. Jordan North, recently joining from the BBC and Global’s most high profile signing this year, made the surprising admission that being given more creative input with brands was one of the reasons he had been so intrigued by the job.
At this year’s Cannes Lions, Specsavers ‘Misheard’ campaign featuring Rick Astley swept the board for both Radio and PR bringing home Grand Prix's for the UK. Rob Fox from Specsavers delighted the audience with his perhaps surprisingly successful strategy of using audio, and most specifically radio, to reach those who don’t hear as well as they should.
Attendees also heard why the time was right for Global to launch 12 new stations in one day, how the audio industry can be a first mover in the AI space, and how radio can help advertisers reach Gen Z audiences.
Positive momentum
Radiocentre’s chief executive officer Matt Payton kicked off the morning when he talked of the accelerating pace of change in the industry, driven by developments in technology combined with uncertainty created by tumultuous political and economic changes.
But, he added, there were “positive signs amidst the gloom, with growing confidence in important sectors like advertising”.
Highlighting the strength of the commercial radio sector, Payton said a recent Radiocentre survey found 86% of its ad agency customers believed radio is the media channel most likely to be identified as having positive momentum.
Commercial radio has also delivered its highest ever share of listening - 55% compared to the BBC’s 42.6% - having reached 40 million weekly listeners. Payton further revealed that revenues for the first half of 2024 were up by 5% year-on-year.
Reaching Gen Z
In a discussion focused on how a partnership between KISS and VOXI Mobile helped the brand engage with youth audiences, Jamie Richter, media manager at VOXI Mobile, said the way to reconnect with Gen Z consumers after the pandemic had been through events. What began with headline sponsorship of KISS Ibiza three years ago has since grown into a multi-platform collaboration.
Rebecca Frank, content director at KISS, highlighted the importance of not being “just a linear audio brand”, and encouraged advertisers to overestimate younger audiences rather than “treating them like aliens”.
According to Rupert Beck, strategy partner at Carat, brand partnerships work particularly well with Gen Z. “There’s a lot said about this audience having short attention spans,” he said, “but they are willing to engage in content if there's an obvious value exchange.”
Music drives connections
Staying on the theme of youth, in his presentation, Rahmon Agbaje, co-founder of Loud Parade, highlighted the power of music and sound in ads targeting younger audiences. Agbaje noted that the majority of 15- to 34-year-olds view commercial radio as a trusted medium, and that 68% of Gen Zs remember a brand better when it uses a song they like in its advertising. He played examples of his work including music for Ben and Jerry’s.
“Music affects the part of your brain that is focused on memory and it also releases dopamine,” Agbaje said, adding that this allows brands to connect with audiences emotionally.
Specsavers and the big idea
Rob Fox, marketing strategist at Specsavers, discussed teaming up with Rick Astley on “The misheard version” ad to address the stigma of hearing loss.
Fox said all Specsavers campaigns start with a big idea. “The misheard version” was inspired by the fact that people had been mishearing the lyrics of Astley’s hit “Never gonna give you up” for years. A re-recorded version featuring the song’s most misheard lyrics became the UK’s first mass hearing test when it was released on radio without explanation. He explained how it was a long lead time from someone hearing the ad to people acting on it, and that was all considered with each campaign. He touched on other campaigns, also on radio and podcasts, building on his Cannes Lion success.
Creative collaborations
Capital Breakfast presenters Jordan North, Siân Welby and Chris Stark said they were embracing mainstream appeal, attracting audiences of all ages and they wanted to “own” in-car listening on the school run and commute. Jordan added that they adapted their content between certain hours of the show to be suitable for all ages.
In a session led by their executive producer (and North’s former university buddy) Calum Hider, the trio appeared to relish having a packed audience of brands and agencies using it as a chance to talk about the role their show can play with some of the UK's biggest brands.
They explained how they felt they were able to offer brands a unique experience by bringing fun ideas to life. Through a partnership with NatWest, the presenters interviewed all Team GB winners at the Olympics, and in April, North’s admission that he puts ketchup, brown sauce and mustard on his bacon roll led to the launch of “The Jordan” in collaboration with Greggs.
Now the trio is hungry for more. Welby said: “If you want us to bring it to life and make your brand sound like part of our real chat, we can do so much more with it.”
AI opportunities
Flora Williams, head of planning at Manning Gottlieb OMD, encouraged media agencies to experiment with synthetic data - information that is artificially generated rather than produced by real world events - to “revolutionise audio planning” and build a fuller picture of audio media consumption.
“Within audio, we're in the best place to be able to do this first,” she said. “It’s a small industry, in terms of what we're competing against. It's not like looking at the likes of TV, BVOD, SVOD, and online video, trying to collaborate all of that together. With audio it’s possible and that's a massive opportunity.”
Radio is having a moment
Following Global’s decision to launch 12 new radio stations on the same day, chief broadcasting and content officer James Rea told attendees: “radio is having a moment.”
“Digital listening is booming, smart speakers are rocketing, you've got Gen Z choosing radio over TV, and radio continues to be the most trusted medium for news. All of this is happening because of radio's ability to reinvigorate and to reinvent itself.”
The line-up of new stations is Capital Anthems, Classic FM Calm, Classic FM Movies, Heart 10s, Heart Love, Heart Musicals, Radio X Chilled, Radio X 90s, Radio X 00s, Smooth 70s, Smooth 80s and Smooth Soul. Joined on stage by Sally Ardis, Senior Managing Editor for Smooth and Heart, and Matt Deverson, Managing Editor for Radio X and Capital XTRA, Rea explained why he didn’t believe the new launched would cannibalise their audiences and that AI would never replace real presenters.
Rea said Global is also focusing on its podcast offering, and revealed that The News Agents, hosted by Emily Maitlis, Jon Sopel, and Lewis Goodall is set to go on a live tour.
And which radio presenter has the best stories?
In a final, fun-filled session celebrating the launch of Bauer Media’s streaming platform Rayo, presenters Martin Kemp, Fleur East and Jordan & Perri discussed their favourite radio memories with Bauer Media's Chief Creative Officer, Lucie Cave.
East recalled a disastrous interview she did with Chris Martin from Coldplay where she got the title of the band’s new single wrong, and how she redeemed herself in another interview months later and ended up performing with the band live on stage.
Meanwhile, Spandau Ballet bassist Martin Kemp said radio had always been part of his career. The now Greatest Hits Radio presenter reminisced about his time in one of the biggest bands in the world and said how “renewing” himself every few years has brought him to the role of radio presenter.
KISS breakfast show duo, Jordan & Perri, were a lively addition to the panel, explaining how although their interaction with brands can be somewhat unconventional, it was never dull.
To see all the presentations from Tuning In 2024, check out Radiocentre’s YouTube channel.
Radiocentre's Audio Ad of the Year in partnership with Campaign is back for 2024. If you think your audio ad has what it takes to be this year's winner, enter by 21st October 2024.