In Australia, millions of people listen to radio. The number of people listening to radio is also continuing to increase.

Radio research shows:

• Local radio reaches over 5 million Australians every week

• Listeners spend an average 14.5 hours listening to community radio each week

Sources: Infinite Dial Australia for Commercial Radio Association in 2022, Community Radio Listener Survey 2022, GfK Radio Ratings, SMBAP, Survey 1-8 2021, Total Radio Listeners, Cume %, Mon-Sun 12mn-12mn, All People 10+.

Radio allows messages to be tailored and localised to each audience. Sponsors can target their message to specific demographics and communities, geographic areas, and around events and genres in a market.

Radio is the medium that people spend the most time with throughout the day, providing ample opportunity for a message to reach its audience. People carry out a wide range of activities while simultaneously listening to the radio.

Given the radio’s portability, sponsors have the opportunity to reach people on the go, giving them an edge over competitors. The accessibility of radio enables listening to occur in places that other media may have difficulty reaching, for example, your target customers don’t read a newspaper or magazine whilst driving, nor do they watch tv whilst working in the garden. Today, radio even overlaps with digital media.

Radio is live and local so it reflects the community. People listen to the radio to find out what is happening now in their community such as special events, news, traffic updates, weather reports, sport and entertainment. It’s more local than global….the traffic is jammed or the bridge is closed. Radio has many of the characteristics that the new digital world has in the way it acts as your constant companion, with you wherever you are.

Sponsoring a segment, sampling your product on air, running a competition. Promotions like this can be hard to do with social media, print, or television, but radio can offer this sort of target customer involvement at an affordable price. And if it's done well, it can really personalize your product or service to your target customer.

Radio is the medium to build top-of-mind awareness - for example, careful time placement of your message can have a real impact on your call to action. In addition, a "live read" that offers a personal endorsement by a radio personality will add credibility to your product or service. Studies show that radio content influences people because they feel they are hearing it from a "friend" and referrals are always the best type of sales opportunity.

The cut through of a message works by repetition. Your target customer may well need to hear your message three or four times before they respond to your call to action. To reach this level of frequency, radio sponsorship is usually more cost-effective than other media. People choose to listen to the radio - they want to listen and be engaged.

Radio sponsorships can be created quickly without the production and delays of other media. Copy can be produced and revised at short notice. A radio campaign can be up and running within a week.

Radio sponsorships can be selectively scheduled by day-part and weekday, enabling messages to be delivered close to purchase.