Times are changing and radio jockeys are fast turning into brand ambassadors…
IIPM Publication and 4Ps Business Marketing
The story goes that Jaggu, a popular RJ of Radio One in Mumbai, complained of carrying more than a few extra pounds and food was on his mind, always. Saffola saw light at the end of the tunnel and together they launched Jaggu ‘Mission 10 kilo’. Jaggu lost 10 kgs in three months flat and the viewers were involved in the whole weight loss programme, so much that some of them even lost weight a
long with Jaggu. In another example of innovative promotions on FM radio, hair oil brand Parachute did something similar: one of Radio City’s RJ endorsed the brand on air and shared the results with the listeners. Reviews, interviews, exclusive music rights, tickets distribution, et al, Bollywood was the first to innovate on the small radio set (a low investment and high returns medium) when it came to promoting itself and how! But, now even brands are trying every trick in the book to get themselves heard. Literally! As the FM wave sweeps through the country, radio advertising is going through a sea change, both in terms of revenues and format (PwC expects a 28% growth in ad revenues for the medium by 2011). However, with more and more brands aspiring to go on-air, the ad spots are getting cluttered and with many options available, 
people are switching channels really fast. Small wonder then that brands are now spending big bucks to get more than just the 10 seconds (or however long!) ad slot. While the advantages for brands are quite obvious, stations get money and also a way to keep their listeners tuned in even during ad breaks. Talking about the Jaggu mission (which won them many innovation awards) Shariq Patel of Radio One says, “There was a lot of money offered, but it was something that we believed in and saw consumer benefit in, so we went ahead.” Consider a few more examples: Sony’s, popular sitcom Kaajjal has its protagonist in the role of a RJ and the channel made her host shows for Radio City. “This innovation helped her to build a consumer connect by interacting with her real life audience,” says Rana Barua of Radio City. Mirchi turned Pink along with Hutch and Big FM (which has an exclusive tie-up with upcoming Tara Rum Pum from the Yash Raj banners), has built programming “content around the film,” reveals Anand Chakravarthy, National Marketing Head, BIG 92.7 FM. Also, Australian Tourism Board recently sponsored Radio One’s team for a visit to the country, which translated into radio travelogues for the listeners. And there is much more innovation happening on this space. “We do it only if there is compelling reason for it, either big money or good product integration…” says Kaushik Ghosh of Mirchi. Good money… ahem! Adds Patel, “There’s more money in activity based promotions as we have to think harder for them.” But, is discretion exercised? Yes, they all agree. We hope so, for all you know, in a few months, RJ’s will have replaced VJ’s in endorsing everything from apparel brands to restaurants and even cosmetics. Stay tuned…
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