
Just one month into Quarter 4 (Q4), brands across the globe gear up for the biggest shopping season of the year. The weeks leading up to Christmas are a golden opportunity for businesses to connect with consumers, boost sales, and end the year on a high note. To achieve this, choosing the right advertising channels is crucial. Radio, social media and television — each with its own strengths — can take your marketing efforts to the next level. Let’s explore why this combination, especially when paired with the power of music, should be central to your festive campaign.
Radio - The Power of Personal Connection
Radio remains one of the most impactful advertising platforms and can make a big difference to your advertising campaign and sales during Q4. Here's a few great reasons why:
A Staple Advertising Platform
Despite the rise of other digital platforms, radio advertising remains a staple for many brands and businesses. In fact, radio continues to reach a vast majority of UK adults (approx 49.7 million of them). According to RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research), in 2024 88% of the UK population (15 years +) tunes in to the radio every week, making it an ideal platform to connect with consumers in a direct and personal way. In the US, around 91% of adults listen to the radio each week, which averages around 12.2 hours per person every week.
Local and National Reach
Radio is a fantastic way to engage listeners locally and nationally. Whether your business is targeting a local market or looking for national exposure, radio can deliver your message to a highly attentive audience. During the lead-up to Christmas, people are often running more errands, such as grabbing those last minute gifts or groceries and spending longer in their cars whilst often listening to the radio - meaning your message can reach them at pivotal moments in their day.
Here at New Noise Audio, we love listening to the radio particularly during the lead up to the 25th December because the selected playlists tend to sneak in a few festive tunes to help get us into the Christmas spirit. Who doesn’t love blasting Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas” for the first time that year?!
Cost-Effective Targeting
Radio ads are relatively affordable compared to TV, allowing brands to tailor their message to specific demographics or regions. Whether it’s a local business running adverts in their community, a campaign targeting younger listeners on Capital FM or a more mature audience on Classic FM, radio offers the flexibility to speak directly to your audience.
One of radio's most powerful assets is music. Well-chosen music can set the tone of your campaign, evoke emotion, and make it more memorable. Christmas-themed radio ads often feature matching festive music, which can create a sense of nostalgia, joy, and warmth — making listeners more receptive to your brand message. Research shows that 90% of people are more likely to remember an ad if it includes a catchy jingle or song — a huge advantage during the festive season when competition for attention is fierce.
Choosing The Right Music
Let’s not forget the importance of music in radio advertising. A creative jingle or considered music bed can evoke emotions and stick in listeners’ minds long after the ad is over. According to a study in 2004, it was found that consumers are 96% more likely to remember a brand when music they recognise is part of the advertisement. For this reason, Christmas-themed radio adverts often feature familiar music, making listeners more receptive to your brand message. Research shows that around 77.6% of consumers aged between 15-24 years old have said that a memborable jingle has positively affected their decisions in purchasing a product.
Social Media - Instant Engagement & Results
In today's digital world, no Q4 advertising strategy is complete without a strong presence on social media. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok offer brands the opportunity to reach and engage with consumers where they are spending most of their time. And with over 50 million active social media users in the UK (according to Statista), the potential reach is vast.
Precise Targeting and Analytics
The beauty of social media advertising lies in its precision. You can tailor your ads based on a user’s interests, behaviours, and demographics, ensuring that your Christmas campaign reaches the right people at the right time. With tools like Facebook Ads Manager or Instagram’s ad platform, you can also track and measure engagement instantly, allowing for adjustments to maximise ROI.
Viral Potential
Social media campaigns, particularly when combined with the right visual content and music, have the potential to go viral. Think of last year’s extremely popular ‘TikTok holiday challenges’ or Instagram Reels set to popular Christmas music - there’s no doubt that catchy tunes paired with a compelling message can quickly spread, giving your brand unparalleled visibility.
Music again plays a critical role here. Social media thrives on trends, and music is often at the heart of what goes viral and audio can create lasting emotional connections. Brands that effectively use trending songs or original compositions can stand out in a crowded digital space whilst helping your campaign spread organically.
TV - Unmatched Reach and Visual Impact
Television advertising may be the most traditional form of media on this list, but it remains a powerhouse, especially during the festive season. When the weather turns colder, people tend to enjoy the cosiness of their homes and watch many Christmas specials, sports events, and family films.
Wide Reach with Emotional Impact
Television provides a visual storytelling experience that’s unmatched by other media. During the later months in Q4, consumers are already in a festive mood, and well-crafted TV adverts can tap into that sentiment. Think of iconic Christmas campaigns like the Coca-Cola trucks or John Lewis’ emotional short stories. There are many studies showing how TV advertisements can boost brand recall, especially when accompanied by powerful visuals and a great soundtrack.
Peak Viewing Opportunities
The weeks leading up to Christmas are filled with seasonal programming, providing a natural fit for brands to advertise to an engaged audience. Once again, music plays a pivotal role; a landmark study presented by Nielsen shows that TV adverts that use music are more likely to capture audience attention and build emotional connections, compared to adverts without music.

Why Music is the Secret Ingredient
Across all three platforms—radio, social media, and TV—one element that consistently amplifies the effectiveness of advertising is music. Music has a unique ability to influence emotions, trigger memories, and create a mood that enhances the overall message of an advert.
During Q4, music can become even more important to your campaign. Christmas classics or modern festive tunes can have a mood-boosting effect, making even the grumpiest person feel happy and ready for a celebration. These feelings can encourage consumer spending as they associate your brand with the positive emotions of the season. In fact, research shows that music can increase communication effectiveness, influence buying behaviour with consumers being more likely to make a purchase when they feel emotionally connected to an advert.
Wrapping Up Your Q4 Strategy
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