WDR mediagroup has realized the first programmatic radio case in public broadcasting. With the help of audio tech provider aireal, the Cologne-based company delivered a linear radio campaign digitally and programmatically on WDR 2 for its client Ruhr Tourismus. The test impressively demonstrates how innovative technologies and traditional media can work together to achieve optimal results for advertisers.

In this project, WDR mediagroup also used aireal's advanced and user-friendly "Booking Wizard" instead of conventional demand-side platforms. This tool allows advertisers and agencies to plan, book and evaluate their audio campaigns easily and efficiently.The test campaign was broadcast on WDR 2 for six working days and reached a total of 4.5 million contacts aged between 20 and 59.

"The move towards a fully automated booking process marks significant progress in the optimization of our advertising offerings. We want to enable our customers to reach complex target groups without additional effort and significantly increase the efficiency of their advertising. I would like to thank the marketing team and our order and management service, especially our Senior Product Manager Carsten Achterfeld, for his initiative and contribution to this successful implementation," explains Tobias Lammert, Head of Marketing & Sales at WDR mediagroup and member of the management board of the national marketing subsidiary ARD MEDIA.

Ludger Lausberg, Managing Director of ARD MEDIA: "I am very pleased that the WDR mediagroup has successfully realized the programmatic booking with a specific customer in the NRW test area. This marks an important step towards more effective and targeted radio advertising. It also represents a blueprint for the programmatic purchasing of ARD MEDIA's entire portfolio."

"We are delighted that we were once again able to demonstrate the innovative power of radio with this radio case together with WDR mediagroup. The interplay between the aireal platform and WDR mediagroup's technology impressively demonstrates how innovative programmatic bookings can be used. It was a great pleasure to accompany the teams during the implementation," says Markus Adomeit, Managing Director of aireal GmbH.

The WDR mediagroup sees the need for programmatic integration of linear radio. The programmatic radio case demonstrates that radio can be fully automated and optimized through data-supported targeting. Real-time access to radio reach enables optimization in campaign management, comparable to digital media planning.