Listeners trust radio ads, and that’s a fact.

Here at Radiocentre we highly value the trust our listeners place in commercial radio. We know that broadcasters have a great responsibility to ensure that their messaging is open, honest and truthful.

This means it’s particularly interesting to follow the press coverage of Meta’s recent decision to abandon independent fact checking in favour of X-style community notes. It’s got the world talking about how much we can trust the content served to us online. The Guardian went so far as to say “Meta’s platforms will become a wasteland of fake news and misinformation”.

It’s clear that trust in the media is a highly prized commodity and any movement away from the reassurance of independent, third party fact checking could be perceived as a threat in the battle against misinformation.

We know that there is a direct correlation between regulation of different types of media and the audience’s trust in them. For example, our research shows that trust in radio news is more than double the level for social media. Our listeners consider radio the most trusted medium in a fierce market for consumers’ attention where “fake news” is almost expected as the norm.

It’ll therefore be reassuring for advertisers and their agencies to know that ASA research shows trust in advertising is 50% higher amongst those who trust in the advertising regulators. In fact the Advertising Association’s research shows that trust in advertising is on the increase and is now “the second strongest driver of brand profitability and effectiveness”.

So, how do commercial radio audiences know they can trust the ads they hear? You could say it is down to us, Radiocentre’s Clearance service. We ensure advertising messages on commercial radio stations comply with the content rules and standards laid out in the BCAP and CAP Codes of Broadcast Advertising as well as the Ofcom Broadcasting Code.

Between us, the Clearance team have decades of experience in helping advertisers get strong claims on air that listeners can believe in. We work with regulators to make sure our decisions reflect up to date regulatory policy and we keep a beady eye on trends in both brand innovation and public opinion. Ultimately, and perhaps most importantly, we’re all consumers and listeners too, so our advice is founded not just on the basis of what the rules say, but also on how, in our experience, listeners are likely to interpret the messages we give them. Listeners can and do trust the ads they hear on commercial radio and earning this trust is the foundation of everything we do.

Want to know more about how the Clearance team can get your ads on air? Contact us at clearance@radiocentre.org.

Katherine Borrett has 25 years’ experience in copy clearance at Radiocentre.