Study: Programmatic Radio Advertising Set for Growth

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, September 6, 2017 | 12:46pm CT

The percentage of ad buyers that purchase radio and digital audio advertising with programmatic technology will nearly triple in the next 12 months, according to a new WideOrbit survey of radio industry and media professionals. Ad campaigns purchased with programmatic will also increase, with 100 percent of ad buyers saying that their programmatic spending on audio advertising will either increase or stay the same in the next 12 months.

These results are taken from a survey of nearly 9,000 radio industry professionals and media buyers that was fielded earlier this year by WideOrbit. The final report, "The Future of Programmatic Radio Advertising," discusses attitudes towards programmatic by radio and digital audio ad buyers and sellers. The respondents were media buyers and sales, traffic, IT and general business executives from radio stations and groups across the United States.

According to the report:

• The future of programmatic audio advertising is bright. Nearly two-thirds of radio industry respondents and almost 90 percent of ad buyers plan to transact with programmatic platforms within the next 12 months.
• Radio advertising buyers and sellers have different reasons for adopting programmatic. Radio stations and groups are looking to programmatic advertising for additional revenue, inventory protection and workflow automation, while ad buyers favor features that can make campaigns more efficient or effective.
• Ad buyers are moving faster than radio stations and groups to embrace cross-media campaigns. Most buyers no longer differentiate between traditional and digital audio campaigns, and nearly three-quarters think it's important to buy these formats together. A smaller proportion of ad sellers say it's important to package linear and digital audio together.

WideOrbit Chief Marketing Officer Mickey Wilson said, "Our survey showed that audio ad buyers want to make campaigns more efficient and simpler to manage across media. Programmatic advertising solves both of these problems, which explains why almost all buyers plan to make greater use of the programmatic sales channel in the near future."

He continued, "Based on this survey, we are optimistic that programmatic's importance will grow in radio and digital audio. As more audio inventory becomes available through programmatic platforms and digital and linear inventory are more commonly packaged together, we expect to see greater portions of ad budgets shift to radio because of its unmatched engagement and household penetration."

"The Future of Programmatic Radio Advertising" is available as a free download at http://www2.wideorbit.com/future-of-programmatic-radio.

Radio Trust Stands Out in AI-Driven Media Era Katz Radio Group As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the media landscape, a new challenge is emerging for both consumers and advertisers: trust. According to a new post from Katz Radio Group, the rapid rise of AI-generated content -- from articles and images to voices and ad campaigns -- More

Casey Carter Named PD of WQIK Jacksonville Casey Carter iHeartMedia Jacksonville has named Casey Carter Program Director of Country 99.1 WQIK, effective immediately, while also appointing Heath West as the station's new afternoon host. In her new role, Carter will oversee all programming for WQIK, including talent development, brand strategy and coordination More

Midwest Communications to Acquire NRG WI Stations Midwest Communications Midwest Communications Inc., through its affiliate WRIG, Inc., has reached an agreement to acquire a radio group in Wisconsin from NRG Media LLC. An application for the transfer of licenses is being filed with the FCC. Terms were not disclosed. The transaction includes stations More

Phantom Producer 2.0 Adds Multitrack Editing Phantom Producer Phantom Producer has launched version 2.0 of its platform, introducing a redesigned user interface and new multitrack editing capabilities aimed at radio producers and audio creators. At the core of the update is a new MultiTrack Editor designed to streamline production workflows. The feature allows More

Bob Kingsley Countdown Classics Launches on iHeart Bob Kingsley's Countdown Classics iHeartRadio has launched "Bob Kingsley's Countdown Classics," a new streaming station dedicated to the late country radio icon and his long-running countdown program. The station debuts on what would have been Kingsley's 86th birthday, honoring the National Radio Hall of Fame and More

WXPN's Kathy O'Connell to Retire, Ending Kids Corner Kathy O'Connell Kathy O'Connell, longtime host at WXPN/Philadelphia, has announced her retirement after more than four decades at the University of Pennsylvania AAA outlet, bringing an end to the Peabody Award-winning "Kids Corner." The program's final shows are scheduled to air in June. O'Connell shared the news More