1. Trade
The starting point was not channels or formats, but economics.
With a fixed seasonal budget, R4 approached the Cardiff City campaign as a trading exercise first. The objective was to secure disproportionate media value across broadcast, audio, out-of-home and cinema by applying market leverage, timing and volume discipline.
Rather than accepting standard rate cards, trading focused on
- Season-long commitments to unlock preferential pricing
- Multi-market leverage across Wales and key away-game locations
- Eliminating inefficient placements in favour of higher-value insertions
- Consolidating value into core, high-performing formats
All trading uplift was returned to the campaign in the form of additional delivery. No value was retained, rebated or hidden.
Trade outcome
- Media value materially exceeded cash investment
- Cost-per-insert and CPMs driven below market benchmarks
- Budget integrity protected across a long campaign window
Trade set the commercial foundation before any planning decisions were finalised.
2. Plan
Planning was designed around behavioural repetition, not short-term bursts.
A football season is not a launch moment; it's a rhythm. The plan therefore focused on sustained visibility aligned to matchdays, travel patterns and habitual media consumption rather than isolated peaks.
Audience planning prioritised
- Adults within key Mosaic profiles aligned to live sport, routine travel and family-based viewing
- Geographic weighting around Cardiff, South Wales and selected away-game markets
- High-attention environments with predictable dwell time
Channel roles were clearly defined
- Broadcast and digital TV to deliver scale, legitimacy and repeated exposure
- Radio to reinforce messaging during daily routines and matchday travel
- Out-of-home to maintain unavoidable presence in commuter and city-centre environments
- Cinema to add high-attention, premium reinforcement at key points in the season
The plan deliberately traded breadth for consistency, ensuring Cardiff City showed up repeatedly across the season rather than briefly and loudly.
3. Activate
Delivery was managed tightly to ensure
- Correct phasing across the season without fatigue
- Consistent creative presence across formats and environments
- Accurate alignment with fixtures, travel peaks and audience movement
- No under-delivery, dead weeks or budget leakage
Formats with higher frequency were actively monitored to maintain effectiveness, while longer-lead media was sequenced to support sustained recall rather than one-off impact.
Operational discipline ensured
- Artwork deadlines met without compromise
- Insert dates aligned precisely to campaign intent
- Seamless transitions between markets and formats
Activation focused on maintaining pressure — not chasing short-term spikes.
4. Result
The Cardiff City Season 2024/25 campaign demonstrates the value of applying Trade · Plan · Activate in the correct order.
- Media value significantly exceeded cash investment through disciplined trading
- Sustained reach and frequency delivered across the full season
- High-attention environments prioritised over low-value volume
- Budget protected while exposure was materially increased
The outcome was a campaign that felt present all season, not episodic — reinforcing brand visibility consistently across broadcast, audio and out-of-home without inflating spend.
This is how long-form campaigns should be built.
Working with R4 has been a fantastic opportunity for us. Their data-led planning processes have been invaluable to us in identifying and reaching new audiences. Alongside this their account management service has been excellent with consistent communication and quick reactive help when needed which is crucial working in the sports industry." James Askey Head of Marketing | Cardiff City Football Club