Netherlands: Digital Radio Advertising Led Spend Growth

Radio Advies Bureau (RAB), the marketing body for national, regional, public and commercial radio stations in the Netherlands, has released the net radio advertising revenue for Q1 2021.

It announced that the total net spend increased by 2.3% to €36 million. Digital radio advertising spending was €1.5 million in the first quarter. This was the first time RAB detailed digital spend. Previously, the digital radio advertising sales data was part of the total spot sales. 

RAB notes that radio consumers consume radio in a hybrid way, switching between IP, FM, DAB+ and digital cable. Advertisers are using hybrid advertising more and more, and are using specific internet radio channels for their messaging. Digital radio advertising has the advantage that it can be targeted more specifically, so the growth of radio advertising is has mainly been on the radio side, said RAB.  

Citing the NLO Streaming Audio Standard data, RAB points out that 30 million listening hours per week are spent on live radio via IP. 

The top three sectors in pandemic time are telecom ICT, media and business services. The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport was the largest radio advertiser in Q1. Telecom providers KPN and T-Mobile follow at a distance, then AS Watson and ANWB. The political parties also frequently used radio in their campaigns to reach the voters, with D66 being the largest radio advertiser in this category, according to Nielsen.