Radio advertising: cheap doesn’t mean value for money

Radio advertising in the UAE offers the best value for money compared to other parts of the world, says the Arabian Radio Network. Well, they would, wouldn’t they? Emirates Business, owned by the Arab Media Group, says a radio spot on ARN, also owned by Arab Media Group, is as low as Dh275 to Dh500.

Unfortunately there is a difference between cheap and value for money. As radio in the UAE has no way of knowing how people are listening, Dh275 for one spot could be expensive. If there is only one listener it would be better value for money for the advertiser to drive round to his house, knock on his door and explain the product face to face.

There is no doubt radio is great media. It can create immediate, engaging content on a daily basis. It can involve the listener, and the spoken word encourages listener imagination in a way that billboards or magazine ads can’t match. But without solid listenership figures, running a radio station in the UAE is a hobby, not a business. Advertisers will pay what they can get away with. If radio stations really believed in the value of their listener, they’d price their ads higher than Dh275.