Radio ad effectiveness tool gets Irish launch

The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI) and RTÉ Radio came together today for the joint launch in Ireland of a tool to measure the effectiveness of radio advertising.

The two organisations said they had invested over €100,000 in launching RadioGauge in Ireland. They said the tool would enable advertisers and media buyers to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and the impact of creativity on a campaign’s success for the first time.

RadioGauge, which was commissioned by the UK’s Radio Advertising Bureau in 2006, was piloted by RTÉ Radio and the IBI with a number of advertising agencies during 2011.

“This is probably the most significant collaboration between Independent Broadcasters and RTÉ Radio,” said IBI chairman, Scott Williams. “Our investment in this project is testament to the confidence we have in the effectiveness of radio as an advertising medium.

RadioGauge will not only help advertisers measure the effectiveness of existing campaigns it will also help advertisers understand the factors that contribute to effective radio creativity, thus improving the results of future advertising campaigns.”

“We can now measure the performance of radio campaigns for those who use our medium as an integral part of their marketing activity,” said Antony Whittall, commercial director for RTÉ Radio. “In addition RadioGauge measures the strength of that radio campaign’s creative execution and can give feedback to all those brands that take part.

“We believe the accountability provided by RadioGauge will be welcomed by advertisers and media buyers who are under pressure to demonstrate value for every euro spent on advertising.”

The tool has been operating in the UK for the last five years and in 2010 was credited by the Radio Advertising Bureau with increasing radio advertising spend there for the first time in four years. It is also used in South Africa, Germany and Canada and is being piloted in Finland.