How much does a radio spot cost?

Contrary to what one may think, broadcasting a radio spot, whether nationally or locally, is affordable and can have a significant impact on many targets. Advantages that an SME should not let pass. We explain why and (bonus) we also give you an idea of the prices for broadcasting a radio ad.

Article Summary: How much does a radio spot cost?

1. The advantages of radio advertising
2. How is the cost of a radio ad determined?
3. How to estimate your budget for a radio advert?
4. Prices in effect in French radio stations
5. Conditions of sale and tariffs 

Radio advertising is one of the most suitable traditional media for proximity communication that allows reaching a large number of people in a short amount of time. It is ideal for promoting and meeting a wide range of corporate objectives: awareness actions, product launches, special offers, trade shows, etc.

Radio also allows you to adapt your message according to the geographical area of broadcasting thanks to its different transmitters. It is thus possible to broadcast an announcement on a national scale and to add a special mention at the end of the announcement according to the broadcasting region, such as the address of the nearest retailer.

There is a large variety of radio stations (thematic, local, association radio...), which allows you to reach a very wide range of the population or on the opposite to find your niche target.

As you can see, radio advertising has many advantages. But the main argument, and not the least, when we talk about radio spots is its very affordable cost. The production as well as the diffusion of a radio spot does not require an exorbitant budget. In short, it is the ideal medium for small and medium-sized businesses that want to get the word out.

The price of a radio ad is determined by the length of the spot and especially by the time slot. The impact on the different targets of the audio media is also a major factor in the establishment of radio advertising rates on a national scale. Moreover, the cost of an advert broadcast on national radio will be quite different from that broadcast on local radio.

Pricing of a national radio ad

For national radios, the prices are thought according to the GRP targets. 

• The GRP or Gross Rating Point is an indicator that measures the average number of advertising contacts obtained on 100 individuals of the target you wish to reach (this is called advertising pressure). It is obtained by multiplying the coverage rate on a chosen target (in %) by the number of repetitions of a campaign. For example, if a message achieves 39% coverage for the 25-50 age demographic, and is repeated 10 times, the GRP will be 390.

Each radio program attracts different audiences in different proportions. Each program performs best on a specific target. It is important to remember that there are many targets and sub-targets. The most common ones are the following:

• 15+ years old
• 15 - 34 years old
• 15 - 49 years old
• 50+ years old
• Women under 50, responsible for the household purchases 
• CSP+.

Thus, the more the time slot is performing on one of the GRP profiles, the higher the rate will be. A radio ad broadcasted at noon will not have the same price as an ad broadcasted at 6 pm on the air.

It is possible to choose between two modes of radio spot broadcasting:

• slot: the advertiser chooses the time slots for broadcasting
• floating: the control room decides on the broadcasting times.

The floating is more flexible than the choice of well-determined time slots and thus is less expensive. Time to let your ad float and embrace the wave.

Price of a local radio ad

On local radios, the calculation of the cost of advertising is much simpler than on national radio. Since GRP measurement is not established for local stations, the price per ad spot is fixed over time. Whether the ad is aired at noon or 6 p.m., it will cost the same. This is an advantage that should not be overlooked.

>>>At Adintime, we have carried out an in-depth study of the cost of an advertising campaign. To find out more, click here.

Before determining the budget for a radio spot, it is necessary to be clear about your objectives, what the ad should bring to your company, as well as the target you need to reach. The ideal is to make a complete media plan that will allow you to clarify the grey areas of your project. You will then be able to establish a realistic budget in line with your ambitions: promotion of a product, notoriety...

Then you will be able to choose the radio station (local or national), the advertising format (classic advertising or traffic or weather report sponsorship), and especially the length of your campaign. The goal is to identify the radio that covers the target and the geographical area you want to reach. Although radio advertising is affordable, it is still quite expensive when you want to communicate through a major radio station. 

At Adintime, we recommend broadcasting a 20-second radio spot, 7 times a day for 10 days to have an impactful campaign.

The average cost per radio spot is somewhere between 5 and 47 €. 

Thus, for an advertising campaign with a radio spot broadcast 7 times a day over 10 days, the average budget required is between 350 and 3.290 €.

To learn more about the tariffs applied by the radio stations, it is interesting to have a look at the GSC (general conditions of sale) containing the details on the purchase of advertising space.

Note that the advertising control rooms have their own websites, independent of those of the radio stations (even the names can be different).