Is Radio Still Ideal for Effective Advertising? Marketers Definitely Think So

Sourin Dutta, the author of this article, is the Founder and CEO of Media One Solutions – a one-stop solution communications firm that synergizes the right opportunities between films, brands and radio. Read what he has to say about radio still being a marketer’s favorite medium.

Our hectic lifestyle has kept us out of home, and in-commute, more often than not. Ask any urban working individual and you would know the importance of radio and audio channels like podcasts and stream for in-commute entertainment. And this is not it. In fact, according to the FICCI-EY M&E Report 2019, over 70% of radio is consumed on mobile phones in India. In metro cities, seven out of 10 people listen to radio while travelling. This number is six out of 10 for non-metro cities.

What keeps the radio relevant in the age of internet is the localized flavor of conversations, chat shows, quizzes, and audience interaction. Different RJs build their own brand, fan following, and keep the audience glued. This is the reason we hear office or street side conversations about favorite RJs. Hence, radio is more interactive than many other forms of media, say print or television. It is the unconventional yet structured content, which keeps the listeners engaged.

The radio saga also has business implications. The introduction of Phase-III radio auctions has given a huge boost to the radio industry. Increase in the number of radio channels has widened the options for listeners creating room for a wide variety of content. Today, the 386 radio stations in India make the industry worth INR 31.3 billion. It is expected to grow, as the third batch of phase III is like to add more than 600 radio frequencies, bringing it on par with the television sector.

With such an up rise, marketers are certain to take note of advertising potential of radio. This is why we see, err, listen, to a radio leg of every popular campaign on television, newspapers, magazines, or on internet. Being an audio only medium makes brands simplify their storytelling to such an extent that even school students or illiterate people can also understand it. The slogan and jingles we hear on radio tend to stay with us for a very long time. Beyond advertisement, brands smartly look for opportunities to weave in their messages in stream, in order to maximize the audience time.  

Commenting in the FICCI-EY M&E Report 2019, Abraham Thomas, CEO of Reliance Broadcast Network says, “Radio uses access to local insights, local talent turned influencers, to create podcasts and tell powerful brand stories. The hyper-local reach of radio combined with the interactivity of online audio makes radio plus digital far more impactful than digital alone.”

A recent mass outreach campaign by WhatsApp, i.e., ‘Share Joy, Not Rumors’, that aimed to educate users about fake news, enjoyed massive success on radio. While it originated as an English language TVC campaign, WhatsApp followed it up with a similar message in multiple regional language radio ads. Fake news and rumors have led to huge destruction and losses in our society. The idea was to reach out to the masses through radio, especially those who don’t use television. Hence the campaign was customized in regional language and spread across all states in India, lest any user should miss out.

The year 2019 is expected to drive growth in the advertising sector with major events like general elections, ICC World Cup, and the Indian Premier League (IPL) are likely to pump into advertisements and promotions.

Another sector which has been investing extensively in advertising and promotions is the films and entertainment industry. We have witnessed innovative and out of the box ideas where movie stars come out to promote their movies. Whether it is Shahrukh Khan inviting all girls named Sejal to meet him to promote his movie Harry met Sejal, the movie Pink running a social experiment on consent, or Manikarnika where listeners were requested to send in their versions of the song Bharat in their own languages. This campaign garnered participation from all across the country with listeners sending in Bharat sung in Telugu, Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Bhojpuri and a list of other languages. Radio promotions has become an inevitable part of any movie promotion. The reason is simple; we live in a time when movie promotion is no less than a brand endorsement. With a large number of movies releasing every year, the trailers are at times not enough to get the audience to the movie theater.

Once upon a time, it was television and cinema that outdid radio. The irony today is that radio forms an important platform for promoting movies. Radio stations also become a launch pad for filmmakers and music directors to premier the songs of their film. It helps actors to reach out to its audience and fan base in smaller regions and clusters in a very targeted manner.

As radio is free the listenership for radio is on the higher side as compared to print and television. Another engaging aspect is radio provides an opportunity for the star-struck fans to interact with the film stars telephonically. This tends to add a flavor to the whole movie promotional piece.

All in all, radio still remains to be a marketer’s favorite because of the interactivity and other benefits that the platform bears.