Converged campaigns increase in popularity

According to Ian Drummond, Mediamark digital sales manager, radio and online complement each other's strengths in a manner that delivers exponential returns when they are used together. For that reason, marketers should reportedly be looking at media buys that allow them to jointly plan and strategize campaigns across broadcast and online channels.

"Though it makes sense to plan campaigns across a range of channels, our experience shows that radio and online have a particularly special relationship. They complement each other's reach and target audiences nicely and they are also mediums that many users consume at the same time," says Drummond.

Radio can influence how consumers behave when they are back online. "The awareness that radio drives can have a dramatic impact on an online campaign - from past campaigns we're seen that people who have been exposed to a radio activation are up to seven times more likely to click on a banner."

Peak usage times

Marketers should consider peak usage times for radio and online as they allocate budget - not only the times of the day when people are more likely to be listening to the radio, but also the time of the year.

For instance, general web browsing numbers experience some drop-off when people go on leave over school and public holidays, while radio numbers remain consistent. At the same time, certain web services experience peaks over holidays - for example, many people use Skype to speak to relatives overseas over the Christmas and New Year season.

He notes that another benefit of radio is that people can listen to a radio station while they browse the internet at work or on a mobile device.

Radio often gives you a captive audience - people listening in cars and offices - while online is an ideal platform for interacting with them. "Radio is a more passive medium, offering opportunities to send punchy call to action messages to users, while online is a channel where they can carry out the action such as requesting more information, filling in a form or making a purchase," says Drummond.

As an example, advertisers can use radio to activate online campaigns by steering customers to a website or social media presence, where they can access more information and act on an offer. With mobile channels such as mobisites and SMS, customers do not even need to wait to get back to their PCs to take action.

"The implication is that marketers need to think strategically about how to pair radio and the web to maximize their spending. They need to consider factors such as how radio and digital can reinforce brand messaging, when each channel reaches users, and what type of users each addresses," concludes Drummond.