The programmatic infrastructure now covers wide areas of the advertising landscape and can also be used with the audio channel. However, programmatic campaigns on live radio are still uncharted territory. With the support of audio marketer RMS, sports equipment company Decathlon has now become the first provider to implement a programmatic audio campaign on German live radio. Adtech providers Virtual Minds and Aireal were also used.

The Decathlon test campaign, a programmatic guaranteed deal, was broadcast from October 16 to 21 and reached a total of four million contacts between the ages of 14 and 49. The 15-second spot was broadcast nationally by radio station BigFM. The implementation of the programmatic radio case was made possible by technologies from RMS and audio-tech provider Aireal, among others. Decathlon also received support with the campaign design from the agency Pilot.

RMS is a major advertising marketer in the German audio market and was in charge of the campaign. The company has a technology platform with which it provides advertisers with opportunities to address target groups and audio media with monetization opportunities. RMS serves linear radio as well as online audio and podcasts. Meanwhile, Aireal's software solutions ensured "that terrestrial inventory information, data and broadcast confirmations could also be transmitted fully automatically and in real time between sell-side and demand-side," says Markus Adomeit, founding Managing Director of Aireal. "Only real-time access to linear radio reach offers the optimization possibilities in campaign management that the market is accustomed to from digital media planning," adds Matthias Schenk, Head of Partner Management at RMS." This puts us one step ahead of other linear genres."

Programmatic should make the marketing of linear broadcast media more efficient

On the tech side, the FM campaign also saw the first use of the new Media Manager from Virtual Minds in linear radio as an SSP. The media solution makes classic, linear advertising media such as radio bookable, manageable and optimizable according to programmatic decision-making logic. The new platform combines functions for the buy-side, such as media buying and delivery, with those for the sell-side, such as media scheduling and revenue maximization. On the buy side, the Active Agent DSP from Virtual Minds was used to book and control the spot on the linear inventory.

"With the Media Manager, we are opening up the great potential and efficiency benefits of programmatic marketing to traditional linear broadcast media and thus strengthening them in competition with digital players. After cinema, TV and print, radio also increases its attractiveness as an advertising medium with programmatic radio in terms of planning experience and control options, innovative media products and high-quality budget and yield optimization," says Dirk von Borstel, Managing Director of Virtual Minds.

Campaign details

  • Advertiser: Decathlon
  • Technology: RMS, Virtual Minds and Aireal
  • Agency: Pilot