Branded content is way forward to engage advertisers: Nisha Narayanan

Touted as India’s largest radio network, Red FM recently ventured into the Punjab market with the launch of two stations in Chandigarh and Amritsar under its Phase 3 expansion. Further strengthening its presence in the North, the channel roped in popular singer Mika Singh, who performed live at a big-ticket event – Swag Fest – in Chandigarh on Saturday, April 22, 2017. The ethos of the event was ‘Swag Naal Sat Sri Akal’. 

As far as the programming strategy is concerned, it will be aligned as per Red FM’s brand image of being irreverent, young, cool and trendy offering only superhit music. It will be a CHR (Contemporary Hit Radio) format station for both Chandigarh and Amritsar, playing Hindi and Punjabi superhit music.  

Meanwhile, Red FM also relaunched its Bangalore station earlier this week with a host of new shows and new radio jockeys. In this re-launch Red FM introduced two new RJs, Tuhin and Zeishah, who will be hosting two new shows, ‘KA 935’ and ‘Red Adda’, respectively. Red FM had taken all RJs off the air for one week as a build up to this relaunch event, with a teaser communication of ‘Red FM Ki Hawa Badalne Waali Hai’. 

Amongst the frequencies won in batch 1 of Phase 3, Red FM is on air in all cities except Jammu and Srinagar. Under the Phase 3 expansion, Red FM is on air in Mumbai with a second frequency called Redtro 104.Chaar and Red FM in Jodhpur, Surat, Patna, and now in Amritsar and Chandigarh. 

Speaking about the two launches in Punjab, Nisha Narayanan, COO, Red FM, said, “It is extremely exciting for us to foray into the Punjab market. Punjab is a critical market for us. Announcing our entrance into Chandigarh and Amritsar has strengthened our presence in the Punjab market. Being innovative with our content and consumer relevance has always been our prime focus. We have, therefore, kept the programming and RJ line-up keeping in mind our end consumer.” 

In conversation with Adgully, Nisha Narayanan sheds more light on Red FM’s strategy to woo the North, engaging the advertisers, media & marketing strategy, Swag Fest, and more. Excerpts: 

Following the launch of the Chandigarh and Amritsar stations, how are you panning out your North India strategy?
With the addition of Amritsar, Chandigarh and Jodhpur, we have expanded our footprint in the North. Chandigarh and Amritsar are our first 2 stations in upper north, and with Jammu, Srinagar, Leh and Dehradun, we will be a significant player with presence in all state capitals and key cities in complete North India. 

Which are the key markets for Red FM?
All state capitals and major business hubs of any state, apart from all metros and mini metros, are our key markets, where we see future and potential to do good business. 

What about the Tier 2 and 3 cities?
We have always been a formidable force in Tier 2 and 3 markets. Our product is designed uniquely for each market, keeping in mind the nuances of each city that we operate in. We are seen as a national brand with local connect and that’s what gives our advertisers value for money and listeners a station which in a true way could be called a ‘Superhits’ station. 

Along with the listeners, how are you engaging the advertisers?
As an industry person and part of the listener/ audience community, we all know that these days bigger brands are using radio as a medium to touch the larger consumer base. FM players and brands have been rolling out campaigns specific for radio as a platform. Nescafe #StaysStarted Mornings is one of the very recent brand campaigns, where Red FM is an integral part of the overall brand strategy to multiply reach. Thus, branded content is the way forward to engage with the advertisers. 

What is the key focus of your media strategy?
Our media strategy is built around the mapping of ‘a day in the life of radio listeners’ and it targets key consumer touch points that entails innovations on billboards, impact outdoor sites, ambient media like coffee shops, malls & multiplexes and digital. For launches, outdoor becomes an integral part as it helps build impact and frequency in amplifying the campaign. 

Please elaborate on the ‘Swag Fest’ and other on-ground activities to mark the launch.
Swag Fest is an immensely popular IP (intellectual property) that Red FM introduced a few years ago. The response has always been overwhelming. That’s exactly why we thought we should launch the new stations with all our RJs on stage with Mika, who is not just a musical superstar, but also the foremost youth icon of the Punjabi ‘swag’ subculture. 

Red FM has been always positive on concerts. So it was natural for us to take that route in a vivacious and celebratory market like Punjab. However, we’ve never taken on board a brand ambassador, essentially because we don’t believe in that route. For Red FM, the listener is our biggest superstar. And we celebrate him/her every day. 

For launches, we have a 360-degree approach – impact outdoor, ambient media, out-of-home disruption. The central idea has always been to capture the agenda of a day in the life of a listener. 

With the recent hike in ad rates, have you witnessed any shift in ad spends?
It is too early to comment on that. Rate hikes are usually resisted to start with, but as we progress in the year, they settle with time. One of the key factors in the success of rate hike is the strength of the product and the overall macro-economic scenario. 

What kind of growth do you envisage in the radio industry post the Phase 3 auctions?
Not all frequencies of batch 1 and 2 will be operationalised within this year, however, these new stations are already making radio grow over and above the usual pace. Despite the tough economic situation, in particular after the November 8 demonetisation, radio as a medium saw decent double digit growth in most of the markets, which was partly due to existing players’ performance and partly due to the increase in market with new players. Over time, it will only become better. 

We are hopeful that this year is going to be bigger and better overall for the advertising and media industry as well as for us. We have set challenging goals for ourselves and hope to achieve them. 

Some frequencies or markets remained unsold in the Part 1 of the Phase 3 auctions. In light of that, is the focus more on bigger markets where there already are several players rather than venturing into newer ones?
We have ventured into big and small markets alike with a structured plan. Others, looking at immediate gains, wanted to restrict themselves in key cities only. Both strategies have their pros and cons. However for us, if we didn’t see value in the cost being asked, we opted out rather than pushing for that frequency and increasing the price. It is true that bigger markets are mature and have more and faster acceptance for new players and the yield they give are higher than smaller markets, but they come with high costs, too, not only in terms of licence fee but talent and other infra as well.