Radio networks across Australia have successfully come together to use radio to promote radio, Julie Warner from industry body Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) told attendees at RadioAsia 2014 on Friday.

The sector ran several ‘all of industry’ brand campaigns which saw commercials aired nationwide highlighting the benefits of radio advertising.

The campaign reached an estimated 90 percent of the population, who tune in to radio each week, without booking advertising on any other media.

In a session called “Innovative Strategies for Radio”, one of the commercials was played to delegates gathered for the annual ABU-organised conference in Colombo, Sri Lanka

One delegate told Asia Radio Today that many Asian countries still lack an industry association and that competition remains intense between radio players.  But the opportunity is there for industry to put differences aside and come together to promote radio as a medium, he said.

Research conducted by CRA showed a direct link between online activity and radio, with listeners six times more like to visit a website after hearing about in on radio.

Figures suggested that 78 percent of fans took so-called “digital action” within 24 hours of hearing radio commercials.

For another panelist,  the media landscape was now a “shopping malls of brands screaming out for attention.”

Indushekha Sinha from the BBC told the audience that radio isn’t just radio any more.  “It’s radio plus, plus or Super Radio”. describing the variety of platforms and tools available to radio broadcasters.