Advertising on the Costa del Sol is a strange puzzle. Your customers might be Spanish, British, Irish, Scandinavian or Dutch. Some have lived here for twenty years, some own a flat they visit twice a year, and some arrived on a plane last Tuesday. Reaching all of them online means paying for clicks from people who will never come near your door.
Radio solves a big part of that puzzle, and it’s why so many local businesses still use it. Here’s why radio advertising works so well on the coast.
English is the coast’s common language
Walk along the promenade in Marbella or Fuengirola and you’ll hear a dozen languages. The one most of them share is English. An English-speaking station reaches British and Irish residents, but also the Swedes, Germans, Belgians and many Spanish people who are happy to listen in English.
Chilli FM has more than 150,000 listeners across the Costa del Sol, from Gibraltar to Nerja. For a business that serves this international crowd, that’s a lot of the right people in one place.
People listen when they’re doing something else
Most adverts compete for your eyes, and your eyes are busy. Radio goes in through your ears while you’re doing something else: driving the A7, cooking, working, walking the dog.
That’s why it works. Nobody scrolls past a radio ad. People who listen to a music station tend to keep it on for hours, so they hear your ad again and again during the week, without feeling chased around the internet.
It’s local by nature
A radio signal only reaches the area it’s broadcast in, so you’re not paying to reach someone in Manchester who will never visit your restaurant. Your ad is heard by people who live here, or who are here right now, and who could be at your door this afternoon.
Chilli FM is also on the app, smart speakers, smart TVs and in the car with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Your ad goes wherever our listeners take us.
A familiar voice builds trust
On the coast, a lot of business still runs on recommendation. Who’s a good plumber? Where do you get your car fixed? Which estate agent won’t mess you about? People go with names they feel they know.
Hearing a business on the station you listen to every day builds that feeling. After a few weeks you’re not a stranger any more, you’re “the one I keep hearing on Chilli”. That familiarity is hard to buy any other way.
It fits a small business
Radio advertising isn’t just for big brands. Campaigns can be short or long, with more or fewer plays, so they can be shaped around what a small business can spend. If you’re wondering what that means for you, read what decides the cost of radio advertising and how to plan a campaign on a small budget.
What it won’t do
To be fair to radio, it isn’t magic. One ad played once won’t change your year. Radio works through repetition and time, so it suits businesses that can give a campaign a few weeks at least. And it works best when the ad is clear and the business behind it is good. Radio makes people try you. What happens next is up to you.
Thinking about it?
If you want to see what radio could do for your business, have a look at the types of radio advertising we offer, or go straight to our advertising page. Tell us about your business and we’ll come back with ideas and a quote.
