Stand: 22.07.2025

Increase brand awareness? Advertising strategy for your market entry in Germany

21.6% of the population of Germany live in NRW. That is almost 18 million people and thus as many people as in the Netherlands! A reassuring figure, then, to help your brand enter the German market as well.

Sidenote on NRW: Shopping and short trips are the number one incentive for many residents of North Rhine-Westphalia when they visit the neighbouring country. Above all, Sunday trading in the Netherlands is very popular in cities close to the border, as it offers the chance to catch up on some supermarket shopping and pick up a few typically Dutch products. Thus, many consumers already have an emotional connection to Dutch brands and chains. An ideal point of reference, therefore, when it comes to making your brand, established in the Netherlands, known in Germany as well. With a share of more than 20% of the total population of Germany, NRW is an interesting test market.

How to best reach these people? Nearly 74% of them listen to the radio daily, and a good 44.2% of them in turn listen to our stations 1LIVE and WDR 2. A good start, isn't it? Take 2-3 minutes and let us provide you with some further insights for your market entry in Germany.

THE BASICS: WHAT DOES MEDIA USAGE IN GERMANY LOOK LIKE?

If your Dutch company wants to sell in Germany, it is important to understand the media usage of the people here. On this basis, you can start your media planning for Germany.

The majority of audio usage in European countries is accounted for by radio; in Germany, the lead for radio is even more pronounced than in the Netherlands.

Overall, the medium plays a significant role in media usage in Germany. In comparison with other media, it is evident that radio is the number one daytime companion: Even considering "Internet" to include desktop, mobile, and app usage together, radio remains the most used medium among Germans with 71%.

With radio advertising, you can therefore increase your reach in Germany. And North Rhine-Westphalia offers a good starting point as a border region with a large population. However, in Germany, the radio market is structured somewhat differently than in the Netherlands - you will learn more about this in the next section.

HOW IS THE RADIO MARKET IN GERMANY DIVIDED?

The German broadcasting system is divided into private and public broadcasting. From state to state, there are sometimes significant differences in the number of providers in the market. In NRW, it looks like this, for example:

Coverage

Private Broadcasting

One of the biggest differences also arises when looking at advertising opportunities: while private providers primarily finance themselves through advertising revenue, public broadcasters have strict regulations regarding the proportion of advertising allowed within their programming. There is also close scrutiny of how brands or companies are integrated or presented.

We are the marketer for the public broadcasters 1LIVE and WDR 2 in NRW. With our advertising offerings, you enjoy the advantage that significantly less advertising is played per hour with us than with other audio offerings in NRW. For 1LIVE and WDR 2, the amount of daily advertising is limited to a total of 75 minutes. That means you are advertising your brand in an exclusive environment. In combination with the high reach of 1LIVE and WDR 2, you have the opportunity to quickly build your brand awareness in the largest federal state of Germany!

If you have now become curious, you can gain a closer impression of our channels here directly.

WHY DOES RADIO ADVERTISING ON 1LIVE AND WDR 2 BELONG IN YOUR MEDIA MIX?

In the daily lives of 5.4 million people, 1LIVE and WDR 2 are central and reliable companions.¹Even though there are more than 100 frequencies in NRW that broadcast various radio programmes, the two WDR stations, 1LIVE and WDR 2, reach nearly half of all radio listeners in NRW! With one of the two transmitters, you can cover all major cities and metropolitan areas in NRW, such as Düsseldorf and Cologne, the Ruhr area or Münster - and thus almost all regions simultaneously. On the one hand, you benefit from an unbeatable reach. On the other hand, radio performs exceptionally well in terms of sales, especially as part of a media mix.

However, reach is not everything when it comes to your brand positioning in Germany. The environment also plays a role: Public broadcasting enjoys high acceptance in Germany. 67% of Germans - according to a recent study (May 2025) by infratest dimap - consider public broadcasting to be indispensable.

The population has a strong underlying trust in the radio content of the WDR stations. In addition to well-researched news, the WDR radio programmes place great emphasis on regional relevance and listener engagement. This provides people in NRW with orientation and support. And your brand can benefit from it as well.

If you are looking for the best strategy for entering the market in Germany, radio advertising in NRW should definitely be part of your considerations.

Would you like to learn more?

contact

If you are now wondering what budget is required, where to get the spot, what lead time is needed and how to measure success, then get in touch with our colleague Chantal. She already looks after several clients in the region and will be happy to share her experience with you! (Chantal will be happy to speak & write in English.)

DNHK

WDR mediagroup has been a member of the German-Dutch Chamber of Commerce for several years now and is in regular contact with colleagues there to discuss how to make it easier for Dutch companies to enter the German market.

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20 min with Nature cottage

The radio success story of Naturhäusschen: A radio campaign on WDR 2 significantly increased traffic and even demonstrably increased brand awareness of naturhaeuschen.de.

Media workshop

Register here for a free media workshop. Feel free to invite your colleagues - and find out more about advertising in Germany!

IN THE WEST: ALWAYS WDR.

1. ma audio II 2025