Absolute Radio Comes Out Batting For iAds

The UK’s Absolute Radio network, which became a Europe launch partner for Apple’s iOS advertising system by creating an ad for its soccer coverage, has shared metrics it says show iAds is a boon for brands..

— Users spent an average 88 seconds in the ad – above what Absolute says is the “current iAd benchmark of 60 seconds”.

Tap-through rate averaged 1.19 percent, from the small-version ad to the full iAd.

— Campaign reached “millions” of iPhone and iPod touch users.

— Unprompted awareness of Absolute is up 10 percent, amongst users of the apps in which the iAd was placed, since the campaign launched in December.

Absolute is likely puffing up Apple’s system publicly as a thanks for its early iAds involvement.

Ever since it was Virgin Radio, the first European station to broadcast online, Absolute has been keener than many broadcasters on digital and online distribution, which has broadened its audience greatly.

Mobile is the latest example. Smartphone listening peaked in February 2011 at 378,248 hours of live streaming – up 60 percent from the prior month and 137 percent from the prior year.

Whilst much of this is down to its use alone of the new distribution channels, it’s also likely Absolute’s Premier League football rights have boosted audiences – for example, men on the move who want to check latest scores. The iAd for its Rock ‘n Roll Football show included two games, video and info about its Live Scores app.

Its Live Scores app has been downloaded 22,942 times. It has 6,100 active users per week. Average time spent using the application is 39 minutes.