Bauer Media Radio

Cross Media

As a broadcaster and publisher Bauer Media’s challenge has been to anticipate consumer trends and work with technological developments to ensure our content is available whenever, where ever and however.

To embrace the world where consumers have as much to say about what’s going on as our editors and programme directors. Therefore, our brands position, their tone, and the innovation around platform development, is more about encouraging a conversation between brand and consumer, around content they are interested in. Its also down to us to provide access points to where our consumers are and give them value back when they get there. They, in essence then become our marketers are advocates in the way they recommend that content, whether it’s sharing with friends or family, or adding something to it and expose across other social media.

Ultimately consumers spend time with any media brands because they see them as a trusted guides and they offer a personal recommendation and tell them what they need to know. How media brands evolve and reflect the transient consumer is the tricky bit. As the supply chain of content continually changes the consumer’s expectations have risen and a 2 way conversation is demanded more than the old push/pull mode. One could argue perhaps that the opportunity for radio brands has never been better. Radio brands have always offered their listeners a 2 way conversation from phone ins, requests and competitions. The essence of radio as a companion is a given. And like a companion it has a trusted 2 way dialogue already.Whilst lots has changed the essence of radio remains the same.

What have we learnt about radio’s strength in a multi platform environment?

• Firstly – Radio is the perfect medium to create a close touch points and an ongoing relationship with a demanding audience.  As a medium it benefits from being able to be spontaneous and ubiquitous and has a 2 way trusted relationship as a given.
• Secondly – To take advantage of the medium’s strength you really need to know the audience and the unique benefit the brand can offer. At Bauer Media, radio is core but we are platform agonistic.  

We believe the future for radio is to continue to provide a multiplatform consumer experience. We aim to deliver excellent content to our audiences whenever and however they wish: over AM; FM; DAB: on line; via Freeview; or Sky. Digital platforms offer a new level of flexibility that deepen the relationship between audience and advertisers with ad-funded programming or delivering quality targeted listeners bonded by a lifestyle or mood. It’s great to see other mediums and brands recognise the power of a 2-way relationship with your audience.Radio has evolved over time alongside technological development- it has happened seamlessly.We must never take the inherent strengths of radio for granted but instead as the market and consumer demands more radio brands are in a strong place and we should shout it from the rooftops.

Our Brand Solutions team have a complete 360 degree view across all of our brands, across all platforms, and are passionate about developing customer partnerships through high calibre creative ideas that take advantage of our brands' consumer engagement. Our portfolio delivers huge scale, yet individual brands have unrivalled intimate relationships with consumers, achieving high levels of loyalty, which we are able to penetrate with advertising activity. We can match a deep and rich insight into our consumers’ behaviour and their needs and desires, with a clear business strategy, and provide fully integrated bespoke media solutions that will connect with audiences. Demand for media activity to be innovative, memorable and distinctive has inspired our team to consider much broader solutions, expanding it from a page in a magazine and activity on radio, TV and online, to include in-store promotion, mobile and video-on-demand executions and utilisation of our considerable consumer databases which span our entire portfolio.

Potent brands stimulate unique content for consumers, which we leverage for advertisers in a way that positions them as ‘part of the content’, rather than a corporate intruder in a consumer's media space. Consumer feedback has proven that making the media solution relevant, well targeted and original increases the performance of campaigns significantly. Matching this with activity that touches consumers on multiple platforms creates deeper and fuller integrated campaigns, and harnesses high value partnerships with Advertisers.

To contact the Brand Solutions team please email Becky Tilney on becky.tilney@bauermedia.co.uk.