Shock Middle East, the UAE radio network behind Dance FM, Heart 1FM and Radio Hala, announced today its latest ‘shock’ for audiences and clients.
In what is a radio first for the UAE, Shock Middle East (SME), is providing listeners a clutter-free radio experience as the network introduces an “Only Two Ads in A Row” USP with the promise of airing no more than two ads per commercial break before returning to music and content.
This initiative was formulated by SME in partnership with Ipsos after concluding a behavioural research survey of radio listenership in the UAE. The key findings included:
- 76% of respondents listen to radio in the car.
- 96% of respondents do not want to hear more than 5 ads in one commercial break.
- 71% of the respondents switched from one station to another because of long commercial breaks.
SME has shared more of this data with Campaign, and we will be delving deeper in our upcoming print edition.
Furthermore, the research concluded that long commercial breaks are considered the primary reason listeners to switch from one radio station to another. But with SME’s new format, audiences can now enjoy an enhanced radio experience across the network’s three stations: Radio Hala 95.6 FM, Dance 97.8 FM ; Heart 107.1 FM as of the 31st of January 2019.
Cameron Plant, group managing director, said: “We really care about our listeners and what they want to hear – which is why we conducted this research in the first place. Better still, the initiative is designed to help our clients – and ultimately, here at SME we’re offering a clutter-free environment, which very few networks can do. Our promise is simple: give listeners what they want, less ads, more music, more content and provide clients with an environment where they receive maximum brand recall and exposure. We can’t wait to see the response from audiences & clients across the UAE.
Raed Zidan, owner of Shock Middle East, added: “two ads in row provides a unique proposition for our listeners and business partners and I congratulate the leadership team on this great initiative.”
Shock Middle East’s two ads in a row launches today, 31st January 2019. For more information visit www.shock-me.com