Tuning In Scotland drew a full house in Edinburgh last week, with an energetic audience hearing from brands, broadcasters and creative experts on the power of radio and audio, alongside the latest developments in the Scottish market.
Radiocentre’s CEO Matt Payton opened with a market update highlighting just how dramatically the audio landscape has shifted. Commercial radio now accounts for 55% of all UK listening, while in Scotland that lead is even stronger, with a 63% share compared to the BBC’s 35%.
Scotland also continues to punch above its weight in contributing to the industry’s record revenues. Citing Ofcom data, Matt noted that while UK radio generates ad revenues of £6.22 per head, Scotland is ahead of this average at £6.45 per head. He also emphasised implementation of the new Media Act and proper debate around the BBC’s funding and regulation as being crucial for the future success of radio and audio in the UK.
Radiocentre’s Head of Insight Donna Burns then shared findings from the award-winning Performance Multiplier study, showing why audio shouldn’t be overlooked in performance marketing. She revealed radio’s real impact, particularly in driving web traffic, when correctly measured. With AI summaries disrupting search behaviour, she also highlighted radio’s ability to drive people direct to websites, which could be a valuable tool for marketers facing this challenge.
Donna was joined by Elaine Gilmour, Media Lead at Tesco Insurance and Money Services, to discuss how audio fits into their strategy and ambition for growth. Elaine explained how radio has offered them a cost-effective way of expanding their reach, and also noted that secondary metrics have shown that “even beyond awareness, radio is delivering for us”.
Bauer Media Audio’s Digital Director Charlie Brookes told the audience how audioXi is enabling Bauer to evolve their radio brands into full audio ecosystems that combine quality environments, scale and data-led insight. To bring the platform to life for the Scottish audience, he shared some examples of insights that could help brands, including that Scottish listeners are 3 x more engaged on mobile devices on Friday (a statistic that might be useful for a mobile network, he noted).
After a coffee break, the second half focused on some exciting developments in Scotland’s audio landscape, with plenty of laughs along the way.
John Paul Hughes, Executive Creative Director at MindField and Communicorp UK, challenged the room with 10 provocations to sharpen creative thinking, supported by standout audio examples. He highlighted the importance of a good brief, how sound and music are routed to our brain, and cited Kantar research that found that 91% of consumers prefer brands to use humour in their advertising.
STV Radio’s Ewen Cameron and Danielle Kelly were joined by James McLernon from renewable energy supplier LIME to discuss the value of collaborative partnerships. With LIME sponsoring the STV Radio Football Show, they spoke about the importance of being part of cultural moments, especially this year as Scotland heads to the World Cup. James explained that LIME’s strategy was “to not advertise in isolation and to get to the forefront of people’s minds”. He added that radio “is about trust. We trust you with our brand, and you trust us with your listeners… we are getting consistency, with real people in their real lives…listeners trust their favourite station and their presenters”.
The morning finished with a session from Heart Scotland. Following last summer’s refresh of the breakfast show, Global introduced a new team, a new sound and a bold new energy to mornings across Scotland. Andy Everett, Managing Editor for Scotland and Wales, and presenters Des Clarke, Adele and Grado shared some stories from their first seven months on-air and discussed what it takes to build loyal audiences in today’s competitive market. Grado also spoke about his epic Granite to Glasgow handcycling challenge for Make Some Noise, which raised over £60,000.
Overall, Tuning In Scotland underlined the strength of radio and audio in one of the UK’s most dynamic and competitive markets, showcasing its ability to deliver scale and creativity, and amplify impact for advertisers in a trusted environment.