A national parcel delivery company needed to quickly fill multiple roles at its Glasgow site. This case study shows how Bauer Media delivered a blended radio and audio advertising campaign to generate over 100 candidate bookings and an estimated 10 hires at a fraction of what a recruitment agency would typically charge for the same results.
The Brief
The client needed to recruit staff for a site near Glasgow, during one of the busiest periods of its operational year. With peak season placing pressure on the existing workforce, the business needed a fast, cost-effective way to reach a large pool of potential candidates and convert interest into interview bookings, without relying solely on traditional recruitment agencies and their often significant fees.
The objective was simple: generate a strong volume of qualified applicants within a short timeframe, while keeping cost per hire well below the industry standard for agency recruitment.
The Execution
Bauer Media designed a one-week blended campaign combining broadcast radio with targeted digital audio that ran in September 2026.
On-air broadcast ran across Clyde 1 and Greatest Hits Radio Glasgow & The West, delivering 26 spots and reaching the local audience most relevant to the Glasgow site.
Digital audio advertising through audioXi extended that reach further, with impressions delivered across a wider network including Greatest Hits Radio, Forth 1, Absolute Radio, Planet Rock, Magic and several other stations. This allowed the campaign to reach engaged listeners beyond the immediate broadcast footprint, while maintaining relevance to the local recruitment drive.
The Results
The campaign delivered strong reach and engagement across both broadcast and digital audio, translating into a high volume of candidate activity.
Broadcast performance:
- 26 spots delivered
- 344,000 reach
- 713,000 impacts
Digital audio (audioXi) performance:
- Over 100% delivery rate of impressions
- 21,635 people reached
- 99.59% average listen-through rate, demonstrating strong audience engagement with the ads
Recruitment funnel results:
- 107 people booked an interview slot
- 21 people attended
- An estimated 10 to 11 hires are expected once vetting is complete, based on the client’s early estimate of around 50% of attendees progressing
Cost efficiency:
- Cost per booking: £32.71
- Cost per interview attended: £166.67
- Cost per hire (based on 10 hires): £350.00
To put this into context, recruitment agencies typically charge a placement fee of 15 to 20% of first-year salary per hire. Based on the same funnel of 107 applications, 21 attendees and 10 hires, agency fees would have cost between £3,900 and £5,200 per hire. The Bauer Media campaign delivered the same results for a total investment of £3,500, working out to just £350 per hire, around 7 to 9% of the equivalent agency cost.
Even in a worst case scenario where only 5 hires are confirmed, the cost per hire would rise to £700, still substantially lower than a single agency placement fee.
The client noted that the campaign ran during a particularly busy peak period for the business, which may have affected interview attendance figures. Despite this, the volume of bookings and the overall cost efficiency delivered clear value, and the client’s recruitment team thanked Bauer Media for setting up the campaign, adding they would be keen to run something similar again.
Summary
This campaign shows how a well-targeted blend of broadcast and digital audio can outperform traditional recruitment routes on both reach and cost. By combining local broadcast stations with a wider digital audio network, through audioXi, the business generated a high volume of candidate interest quickly and affordably, even during a demanding operational period. With a cost per hire estimated at a fraction of standard agency fees, the campaign demonstrates that audio advertising isn’t just a brand-building tool, it can be a genuinely effective for recruitment too.
Want to recruit at a fraction of agency cost?
Whether you’re recruiting at scale or looking to reach a highly engaged local audience, Bauer Media can help you build a campaign that delivers real, measurable results. Get in touch with our team today to discuss how radio and digital audio advertising could work for your business.