Radio and TV advertising, planned around results.
Radio and TV advertising means buying airtime on commercial radio stations and television channels — linear, on-demand or addressable — and VCM plans and buys both in-house, from regional test campaigns costing a few thousand pounds to national bursts running into six figures. Radio and TV remain the fastest way to build awareness at scale. Done properly, they also deliver direct response. We make sure they do both.
Radio
National commercial radio
Heart, Capital, Magic, Smooth, Classic FM, talkSPORT and the rest. National coverage, audience-targeted spot patterns, sharp commercial terms.
Regional and local radio
Geographically-targeted reach for regional brands and local businesses. Often the most cost-effective ear of the market in a specific area.
DAX and digital audio
Spotify, Acast, podcast networks, smart-speaker advertising. Targeted audio advertising in increasingly precise environments.
Television
Linear TV
Channel 4, ITV, Sky and the wider commercial network. Standard 30-second slot patterns through to airtime sponsorships.
BVOD (Broadcaster Video On Demand)
ITVX, All 4, Sky, Discovery+. The same broadcaster content with addressable, audience-targeted advertising. Addressable and BVOD campaigns increasingly overlap with programmatic buying — if you're weighing CTV against paid social or display, our digital advertising service covers that ground too.
Addressable TV
Household-level targeting on connected and smart TVs. The granularity of digital with the impact of TV.
How we plan broadcast media
Three principles drive every plan we build:
- Reach the right audience, not the biggest one
- Build frequency without wasting it
- Measure response, not just impressions
What a broadcast campaign actually costs
TV and radio are more accessible than their reputation suggests. Regional TV spots on ITV can start from a few hundred pounds per spot in lower-demand airtime. National airtime on commercial radio (Absolute, talkSPORT, Heart, Classic FM) is scalable from around £5,000 for a two-week burst. As a late-space buyer we regularly access unsold airtime in the weeks before transmission at 40–70% off rate card — which means formats that were previously out of reach for a mid-sized advertiser become viable.
TV production doesn't have to be expensive either. Animated lower-thirds, presenter-delivered idents and repurposed video assets can qualify for airtime under broadcasters' production guidelines. We can advise on the most cost-effective route before you commit to production spend.
Connected TV is forecast to grow 13.8% in 2026, so budgets that flex into CTV and BVOD now will buy more attention before rates catch up — see our full 2026 UK media forecast for the wider picture.
Planning radio and TV together
Radio and TV work well in combination. TV builds awareness and creates the mental availability that makes radio spots land harder — listeners who've seen your ad on screen recognise the brand voice faster. We plan both channels from the same brief, buying TV for reach and frequency in peak weeks and using radio to maintain presence between bursts. Both are direct-response capable: short-form copy with a URL or phone number, tracked against enquiry and sale data.
Connected TV and where it fits
Connected TV (CTV) — BVOD and addressable advertising delivered over an internet connection rather than a broadcast signal — is forecast to keep growing fast through 2026, and it's usually the easiest, lowest-risk entry point into television for a brand that's never advertised on TV before. Because it's bought with similar targeting logic to digital, it lets a first-time TV advertiser test the format without committing to a national linear buy.
Where CTV differs from linear is addressability: with linear, every household watching a programme sees the same ad; with addressable TV, households watching identical content can be served different ads based on demographics, location or purchasing data. That's a meaningfully different proposition to the TV advertising of even five years ago, and it's why we point most first-time TV advertisers toward CTV before linear.
A worked example of planning both together
A typical combined plan runs TV in peak weeks to build reach and frequency, then uses radio to maintain presence in the gaps between bursts — listeners who've seen the ad on screen recognise the brand voice on radio faster, so the two channels reinforce each other rather than compete for the same budget. Both are direct-response capable when the creative carries a clear call to action, so the same campaign can build awareness and drive measurable enquiries at once.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a TV advertising campaign cost?
Costs vary widely by region, time of day and channel. Regional spots on ITV can start from a few hundred pounds; national campaigns typically require £20,000–£50,000 for a meaningful burst. As a late-space buyer VCM regularly accesses airtime at 40–70% below rate card, which makes broadcast viable for mid-sized advertisers.
Can small businesses advertise on TV?
Yes. Regional and daytime airtime, combined with late-space buying, has brought TV into reach for businesses spending from around £10,000. The key is matching format and region to your audience rather than buying national peak.
What's the difference between spot advertising and sponsorship on radio?
A spot is a standalone 30- or 60-second ad in the commercial break. A sponsorship wraps your brand around a named programme or feature — typically a weather or travel bulletin — and runs as a short ident every time it airs. Spots generate direct response; sponsorships build association and frequency.
Do you handle TV and radio production as well as buying?
We can advise on production requirements and connect you with proven producers, but our core expertise is the media buy. We'll brief the production and review the final assets before they go to air.
What's the difference between linear TV and connected TV (CTV)?
Linear TV is broadcast to everyone watching a channel at a given time, so every household sees the same ad. CTV is delivered over an internet connection — through BVOD platforms or addressable TV — and can serve different households different ads based on data, making it far more targeted and easier to test on a smaller budget.
Want to be on air?
We'll plan a campaign that fits your audience and your budget — and tell you straight if broadcast isn't the right channel for the brief.
Further reading: a step-by-step guide to your first TV advertising campaign.