Powering deeper connections: Radio's role in the digital age

Campaign ME

07-07-2025

In an age defined by digital disruption, radio's remain a powerful and intimate medium. Its unique blend of immediacy, intimacy and cultural resonance continues to captivate audiences and offer brands a distinct platform for connection.
From hyper-localised advertising strategies to the seamless integration of emerging technologies and content formats, Fouad Debouk, Audio Growth Senior Manager at MBC Media Solutions (MMS) explores how radio is not just keeping pace with change – it's helping shape the future of media engagement in a digital-first era.
With a network spanning multiple stations and cities, how would you describe your overall listener base across Saudi Arabia? What key audience segments do you reach?
MBC Group's listener base is exceptionally diverse, both demographically and geographically, reflecting the multifaceted nature of Saudi society. MBC FM primarily serves Saudi nationals across all age groups and from every province, truly representing the cultural and social fabric of the Kingdom. Panorama FM, meanwhile, connects strongly with the broader Arabic-speaking community, including audiences from the Levant, Egypt and North Africa. MBC Group's latest addition, LOUD FM, has quickly gained traction among English-speaking audiences, particularly resonating with Saudi youth – underscoring its commitment to innovation and evolving listener preferences.
How do you work with agencies and planners to ensure that radio spots are culturally and contextually relevant – especially in markets such as KSA where nuance matters?
We take pride in offering end-to-end creative production for all our radio clients – an approach that allows us to collaborate closely with agencies and planners from the earliest stages of ideation. Our in-house copywriting and production teams are deeply attuned to local culture, dialects and evolving audience expectations, ensuring every radio spot lands with authenticity and precision.
In a market such as Saudi Arabia, where cultural awareness isn't just appreciated but expected, we focus on creating contextually rich storytelling that reflects regional values, humour and behavioural trends. We also leverage data-driven insights to inform everything from tone and timing to platform selection, aligning creatives with listener habits and daily media rhythms.
Additionally, we stay ahead of shifting media trends by integrating formats such as interactive radio spots, real-time triggers and geo-personalised messaging – ensuring relevance in both content and context. This holistic, insight-led approach helps us deliver culturally aligned radio campaigns that not only support brand narratives but also foster deeper, more meaningful audience engagement.
With the media mix shifting toward digital and on-demand platforms, how is radio repositioning itself within the broader advertising and content landscape?
Radio is evolving into a dynamic, integrated content platform. We're actively bridging the gap between linear radio and digital engagement by investing in hybrid formats, interactive segments and on-demand content. This transformation enables us to remain top-of-mind for both listeners and advertisers, providing real-time reach with measurable impact – something few mediums can deliver with such immediacy and intimacy.
How are you changing your approach to audience measurement, given the increasing need for granular, data-driven insights to attract advertisers?
We are enhancing our audience analytics by incorporating more sophisticated data tools and third-party measurement solutions. Our goal is to provide advertisers with deeper insights into listener behaviours, preferences and engagement patterns – allowing for more targeted and effective campaign planning. These insights are increasingly valuable in demonstrating radio's return on investment (ROI) in a highly competitive media environment.
What advertising categories are most active across your network, and are you seeing differences in brand demand by region or sector?
Our advertising portfolio is remarkably broad, spanning quick-service restaurants (QSRs), fast-moving consumer goods (FMCGs), education, technology and hyperlocal businesses such as restaurants and aggregators. Notably, we're seeing a significant uptick in interest from international brands – largely driven by the success of recent high-performing campaigns. This reflects growing confidence in our platforms' ability to deliver measurable brand lift and localised impact at scale.
Can you share an example of a recent brand campaign that really succeeded across your network – and what made it work?
A standout example is Starbucks' recent promotional campaign on our network, which offered free coffee to anyone with a car plate containing the number 7. The activation resonated strongly with our audience, went viral across platforms and delivered exceptional footfall and brand visibility. The success underscores radio's enduring power – not just as a legacy medium, but as a vibrant, high-engagement channel for innovative brand storytelling.
What are some promising technologies or formats that you see reshaping the radio experience in the region? What content formats are driving the strongest engagement
right now?
We're witnessing a surge in demand for spotlight formats and segment-based content, particularly in entertainment and sports. Shows such as Dawreena on MBC FM continue to dominate listenership, affirming their influence. Sports, especially football, is proving to be a major growth area. We're actively exploring ways to scale this across all our stations. In terms of technology, we're integrating more interactive and data-driven tools that will allow for better personalisation, greater interactivity and seamless cross-platform engagement.
By Fouad Debouk, Audio Growth Senior Manager at MBC Media Solutions (MMS).