Most industries have a national body providing marketing information to both its members and the industry’s customers. In the UK, that body is the RAB, the Radio Advertising Bureau. Funded entirely by individual radio stations and radio station groups from the commercial radio industry in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland who comprise its members, it aims to promote their interests, and act as an information centre for all aspects of radio and commercial radio in particular.
What Does the Radio Marketing Bureau Do?
Their main stated aim and the reason for the organisation’s existence is to:” to encourage advertisers and agencies to consider radio more often as part of their communications solutions, and to help them use the medium more effectively and creatively.”
Briefly the RAB focuses its efforts in a number of areas, namely:
- Ad Effectiveness
- Creativity
- Exploring ideas
- Training
- Organising Awards
- Research.
The service is free to advertisers and advertising agencies and as a marketing body, like any other similar body, undertakes to market radio to advertisers and potential advertisers in their market, in this case the whole of the United Kingdom.
The Radio Centre
The RAB is part of the Radio Centre and is based at their offices in Golden Square, London, UK. The Radio Centre itself was formed in 2006 as a result of a merger of two previously separate organisations, the Commercial Radio Companies Association (CRCA), and the RAB itself, to form one entity under one administration. Together it was envisaged and they have worked together under that plan since, to create a unified “vision and plan for shaping Commercial Radio’s future.”
Whilst the RAB is the marketing arm of the industry, the Radio Centre itself has a wider brief, speaking for the UK radio industry within the UK and further afield to:
- The British Government and Parliament
- The regulatory body – the Office of Communication (Ofcom)
- UK government departments like the Department for Culture, Media and Sport*, and the Department for Trade and Industry.
- The European Commission and Parliament
- And any and other organisation with an interest or dealing with radio eg: copyright bodies.
*note – culture and sport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are devolved to the respective Governments and in NI’s case, the NI Executive, but media legislation and regulation remains with the UK Government.
How Do They Do It?
The RAB provides information and advice through personal representation, presentations and meetings; mail outs and press releases; the maintenance of a comprehensive website; an available and maintained research database; and high profile public events.
They have identified certain areas where they believe they can be most useful in providing practical support to the industry and radio users.
Effectiveness: they will provide research, campaign planning, and case studies to assess the value and the results of individual campaigns, including a campaign measurement tool.
Creativity: Creativity on radio is considered by some to be one of the industry’s biggest challenges. The RAB have established a ‘creative consultation service’ including one-to-one sessions, workshops and a radio ads database.
Ideas: linked to creativity the RAB ‘Strategy Consultants’ offer a service to bring together different groups with expertise to find ideas.
Training: Training courses, conferences, and specific events are all part of the RAB’s offering to advertisers to help the promotion of radio.
Awards: the RAB organise quarterly awards called the ‘Ariel Awards’ and annual awards the ‘Radio Advertising Awards.’ Both over the last few years have increased their kudos within the advertising industry.
Research : with what they call ‘Radio Insight,’ the RAB spend a considerable amount of both time and money into efforts to increase the understanding of radio by commissioning research into radio listening, advertising effectiveness, case study examples and both qualitative and quantitative research .
Changes and the Future
Each new government that comes into power in the UK proffers changes in legislation, and changing economic conditions affects the whole commercial radio industry both as businesses and as an entertainment medium. The role of the RAB, some in the industry would argue, is even more crucial. Others see the influence of the big radio grouping too all pervasive at the expense of the voice of smaller stations. The radio industry in the UK, in common with many industries worldwide, is constantly changing and the RAB seeks to reflect those changes to the benefit of its members, the media, and those who utilise radio as an advertising medium.
Dan McCurdy - Dan McCurdy is a freelance writer producer creative and lecturer. Dan is one of the UK's most experienced radio writers and producers. ...
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