Google has begun testing radio ads in the U.S. with a small group of its online keyword-search advertisers,  following its acquisition earlier this year of dMarc Broadcasting. The ads can by played on “hundreds” of radio stations across the country, Google said. Using the online interface, advertisers will be able to set a weekly budget and define their campaigns, and then Google will let customers see and alter how their ad budgets will be spent. Test participants are being asked for 30-second MP3 files of their radio ads.
Updated: News.com: The test is limited to just over 20 Google AdWords customers and more than 730 stations, including XM Satellite radio…the radio ads are running in more than 260 metropolitan markets, covering about 87 percent of the country.
AdWords customers selected to participate in the beta will see a new “audio ads” tag when they log into the AdWords system. Similar to the AdWords auction-based system for online ads, advertisers can bid on air spots and target their ads by geography, station type, listener demographics and time of day.