Before you run radio advertising competitor research, check these seven points

What to take away

Set the comparison window first

Pick the weeks you will compare before you open any station data. A four-week window that avoids school holidays and major sport gives a cleaner read than a rolling quarter. Write the dates down and keep them for every competitor you assess.

Without a fixed window, teams end up comparing one brand's Christmas burst with another's summer test. That tells you nothing about share of voice.

Map dayparts against RAJAR

Breakfast, mid-morning, afternoon and drive behave differently for every category. Pull the RAJAR quarter-hour breakdown data and note where your rivals' categories already cluster.

If three competitors all buy drive, the cost per thousand there will reflect that demand. A quieter daypart may suit a smaller test budget.

Check station licences and formats

Ofcom holds the licence record and format for every UK commercial station. Use the Ofcom organisation pages to confirm who operates a station and what its format allows.

This matters when a competitor looks like it has moved station. Often the operator changed, not the format.

Log spots you can actually hear

Listen to the stations on your shortlist and note the advertiser, the daypart and the rough length of each spot. Two weeks of notes beats a single afternoon.

Record only what you hear. Do not estimate a rival's spend from spot counts, because rate cards rarely match what agencies pay.

Read the agency approach properly

If you plan to contact a competitor's media agency for context, the ICO's business-to-business marketing guidance sets out the rules on corporate subscribers and consent.

Keep the approach factual and short. Ask about category trends, not their client's budget.

Build the comparison table

Use one row per competitor and one column per daypart. Add columns for station, spot length and the week you observed. Keep the table to stations you can actually hear in your target area.

This is the point where many teams discover their own buying has drifted. If that happens, work through the radio advertising audience research guide for England before you change anything.

Worked example on a modest budget

Suppose your brand spends £12,000 a quarter on radio in one English city. Two competitors appear in the same dayparts.

Competitor A runs 30 spots a week on two stations, mostly breakfast. Competitor B runs 12 spots a week on one station, spread across afternoon and drive.

Your own plan buys 20 spots a week, all in drive. The table shows you are the only brand concentrated in a single daypart, which is a finding worth acting on. The figures are illustrative, not measured spend.

Fix the measurement before you conclude

Decide how you will judge whether a change worked. Common choices are response rate by daypart, branded search volume in the weeks after a burst, or a short listener survey.

Write the measure down before the next burst starts. If your target audience definition is still loose, settle it using the guidance on radio advertising target audience in England so the results can be compared like for like.

Common questions

How many competitors should the checklist cover?

Three to five is usually enough for a single English market. More than that and the daypart table becomes hard to read.

Can I rely on rate cards for comparison?

No. Published rates are a starting point, but actual prices depend on volume, daypart and agency deals. Compare activity, not price.

How often should I repeat the research?

Once a quarter aligns with RAJAR reporting periods. Repeat more often only if a rival makes a visible change.

Do I need Ofcom data if I already know the stations?

Yes, because licence records confirm the operator and format. Stations change hands, and the format can restrict what a rival is able to buy.