redfm project report final
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SUPER HITS 93.5 RED FM
SOUTH ASIA FM LTD.
OPERATIONS & MARKETING
A
SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROJECT REPORTON
“Operations & Marketing”
AT
“South Asia FM L.T.D”
(Formally known as Super Hits 93.5 Red FM)JAIPUR
SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTOF
PGDM PROGRAMME
Prepared by:ANIKET PUROHIT
MBA (2nd Semester)2010-2012
POST GRADUATE CENTER Institute of Rural Management, Jodhpur
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I take immense pleasure in thanking Mr.Atul Pareek, for
having permitted me to carry out this project work at their
esteemed organization Super hits 93.5 Red FM.
I wish to express my deep sense of gratitude to, Mr.Atul
Pareek Station Head, Superhits 93.5 Red FM for his able
guidance and useful suggestions, which helped me in
completing the project work, in time.
Needless to mention that Mr. Atul Pareek, who had been a
source of inspiration and for his timely guidance in the conduct
of my project work and for all their valuable assistance in the
project work.
It was my pleasure to do summer internship with Super hits
93.5 Red Fm.
Aniket Purohit
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Chapter No.
Topic Page No.
Preface
Acknowledgement
Executive Summary
1 Research Methodology
1.1 Research Objectives
1.2 Scope of study
1.3 Type of Research Design
1.4 Quantitative Research
1.5 Data Sources
1.6 Methodology
1.7 Research Tool
1.8 Questionnaire and Sample Design
2 Introduction to Radio Industry
2.1 History
2.2 Radio Characteristics
2.3 How Radio works?
2.4 Radio in comparison with other media vehicles
2.5 Future Scenario
2.6 Porter’s Five Force Model
3 Red FM Company Overview
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3.1 Introduction
3.2 Departmental Analysis
3.3 Management Control System
3.4 Marketing Plan – 7 P’s of marketing
4 Data Analysis & Interpretation
5 Conclusion
8 Bibliography
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RESEARCH METHODOLOGIES
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OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
To analyze the existing players in the market and their positioning strategies.
To compare the existing players with Red FM in terms of different attributes.
To design perceptual maps displaying all the players in terms of different
attributes.
To draw a performance matrix for Red FM in order to help them make
amendments in the existing strategy in order to become the leader.
SCOPE OF THE STUDY
The study of the consumer behavior has been done to understand the
listening pattern of the consumers for all the players and accordingly
promote Red FM.
Research for the consumers was carried out randomly from various places
within Jaipur city.
Consumers who were focused for the survey were a homogeneous mixture of
men and women again of different age groups.
The respondents comprises of working men and women, businessmen,
housewives, students, college goers (youth).
Educational Background of the target audience would be classified into the
following categories.
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School students, Graduates, Post graduates, service, Business, Homemakers.
Attributes of Perceptual Mapping for all the players of the
industry:
Radio Jockey
The radio jockey’s famousness, communication (ability to connect
with the audience), voice, language etc. defines the popularity of
radio station.
Music Preference
The old hindi movie songs , latest movie songs, remixes, regional,
gazals, etc.
Shows
Morning shows, afternoon shows, evening shows and night shows.
Information
Traffic updates, awareness campaigns.
Sparklers
Pranks played by different RJ’s.
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TYPE OF RESEARCH DESIGN
Descriptive research is used for the project.
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
A survey of listener’s in Jaipur is done. The survey is done by questionnaire
which comprises of open ended as well as close ended questions.
SOURCES OF DATA
Primary Data
Primary data is collected through survey of listener’s.
Secondary Data
Secondary data was collected from internet, and magazines.
METHODOLOGY
The method used for survey is structured questionnaire.
RESEARCH TOOL
Questionnaire
QUESTIONNAIRE DESIGN
The questionnaire comprise of open ended and closed ended questions.
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SAMPLE DESIGN
SAMPLE SIZE: 200
SAMPLING TYPE: Convenience Sampling
Age group of 18 to 35
Occupation Distribution:
o School -
o Graduates -
o Post Graduates -
o Service -
o Business -
o Homemakers -
PILOT STUDY
A pilot survey of -- consumers was done to ensure that the questionnaire
is correct and relevant of research objectives.
SURVEY
Once pilot study was over, actual survey was conducted.
DATAANALYSIS
Result of the study was put in tables and graphs along with interpretation
for easy understanding of the findings of the research. Accordingly the
charts and perceptual maps were generated from the tables.
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INTRODUCTION OF RADIO INDUSTRY
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HISTORY OF RADIO INDUSTRY
Radio broadcast commenced in India in the early 1920’s. It is one of the
oldest and the most accessible segments of the entertainment industry. The history
of radio broadcasting in India dates back to 1923, when the first radio program was
broadcasted by the Radio Club of Bombay.
All India Radio (AIR) established and operated by the Ministry of Information
and Broadcasting (MIB), was the only player till the FM radio privatization process
was initiated an the year 1999. The phenomenal reach of radio in India, more than
any other medium of entertainment or information, makes it hard to ignore.
For more than 4 decades, the government of India did not permit private
radio station to broadcast in India. Then history changed its course. In 1993, the
government in its wisdom, allowed private FM operators to buy blocks on All India
Radio, prepares programming content, book commercials from advertisers and
broadcast the whole lot. Within 4 years (1997-98), the FM radio advertising and
sponsorship business grew to Rs 93 crores with Times of India’s Times FM & Mid-
day group’s Radio Mid-day becoming the main players.
History was destined to change course once again. In June 1998 the
Government, through its electronic media regulatory body PrasarBharti, decided
not to renew contracts of private FM operators. Not surprisingly, the advertising
revenue fell 50% within a year.
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As destiny would have it, history changed course once again. This time, the
government gave the green light to privatize radio in India. July 6, 1999 was the
history day when the government announced that 150 new FM channels would be
licensed across 40 cities.
And in 2000, the government auctioned licenses for private FM channels to
bolster the revenue. The highest bidder wins was the order of the day. And the
focus on metros was evident in the bidding. Expecting to collect Rs 800 million
from auctioning 108 licenses, the government had to actually face mass
withdrawal of the bidders of the huge license fee. A handful of serious bidders
choose to remain.
In 2001, some of these players have started launching their channel. The
government’s tenth plan stipulates that private operations are to be encouraged to
provide FM radio service in metros and small cities. They announced Phase 2 of the
privatization of FM radio, which was an initiative in line with the road map laid out
in the tenth plan.
A total of 338 channels in 91 cities across the country were made available for
bidding by Indian private companies. FM Policy Phase-II has been well accepted by
all stakeholders, which resulted in huge growth not only in FM radio industry but
also in employment opportunity and has also created a demand for FM radio in
other cities. The government has recently also announced Phase 3 of privatization
of FM radio which is expected in April 2010. At present the industry is seeing the
upward trend.
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RADIO CHARACTERISTICS
Radio is a cost effective medium to advertiser
It offers reach, frequency, impact and economical advertising solution for the
advertisers. Radio advertising rates are low on cost per thousand (CPT) basis
as compared to other media.
Excellent complementary medium
Radio forms an excellent complementary medium to television and print. It
can extend the reach of a campaign, focus the delivery, and enhance or
reinforce a message.
Interactive medium
Radio speaks to its audience in a highly personal manner. Listeners build a
relationship with their local radio personalities-a rich resource into which the
community can tap.
Low content costs
Unlike television, radio does not require any commissioned original content.
Most of the content n radio is live. The biggest content i.e. music, requires a
royalty which is payable to the relevant societies viz. Phonographic
Performance Limited (PPL) and Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS) and
certain music companies.
Prime time differs from television
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The prime time for radio listenership differs from prime time television
viewing. Radio listenership peaks in the morning, afternoon and late night
time slots, while television viewership reaches its peak during the night slot.
Delivers relevant audience
Listenership of radio as indicated by the Indian Listener ship Track (ILT)
survey is the highest as a percentage among the younger audience.
Ambient Medium
Easy to consume, you don’t have to make an extra effort to entertain yourself
Encircles the audience
A Good Partner
It travels with the audience, wherever they go all the time. It begins where
the print ends. Last medium consumed before purchase.
Local
Radio is a local medium. Provides a good platform for area-specific
campaigns. Very Low Spill-over.
Reminder Media
People generally tend to forget things. Here radio helps the ad-messages by
reminding the people at the right time & place
Clutter Breaking
Radio helps in breaking the clutter for any advertiser as ad-avoidance is very
low in this medium
Innovative
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We can execute n-number of innovative ideas. Can generate quick response
of any campaign.
HOW RADIO WORKS?
Radio waves" transmit music, conversations, pictures and data invisibly through the
air, often over millions of miles -- it happens every day in thousands of different
ways! Even though radio waves are invisible and completely undetectable to
humans, they have totally changed society
AM Waves
AM stands for amplitude modulation.
AM was the dominant method of broadcasting during the first eighty years of
the 20th century and remains widely used into the 21st.
AM radio ranges from 535 to 1705 kHz. These are the numbers you see on
your AM radio dial.
AM radio technology is simpler than FM Radio.AM radio waves are of a lower
frequency than either FM radio or TV waves.
Stations can theoretically be placed every 10 kHz, along the AM band. This
means that there are a total of 117 different channels available for AM radio
station.
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One cannot put stations on the same frequency that are too close together in
geographic area. They will interfere with each other. Therefore there is a limitation
in the number of radio station in an area.
Since the signals of station tend to be limited in their range, the frequency
can be used many times- as long as the stations are far enough apart
geographically.
How far an AM station’s signal ravels depends on such things as the station’s
frequency, the power of the transmitter in watts, the nature of the transmitting
antenna, how conductive the soil is around the antenna, and, a thing called
ionospheric refraction.
Ionospheric refraction is a very big issue, since AM radio waves can end up
hundreds and even thousands of miles away, and in the process interface with all
other stations on the same frequency.
AM radio stations the ground wave doesn’t go very far. This means numerous
stations can be put on the same frequency without interfering with each other.
The problem arises-if you want to see it as a problem-with the sky wave, which
can end up in other states and provinces, or even in other countries.
The ionospheric is much more effective in reflecting these radio waves at night.
That’s why at sunset most AM radio stations:-
Reduce power
Directionalize their signals (send it more in some direction than
others), or go off the air
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This may explain why your favorite AM radio station goes off the air at sunset, or
becomes much harder to hear.
FM and TV Waves:
FM stands for Frequency modulation.
FM and TV waves don’t act in the same way as AM radio waves.
FM is on a higher frequency.
The FM radio band goes from 88 to 108 MHz. FM radio stations must be
200 kHz apart at these frequencies, which mean that there’s room for 200 FM
stations on the FM band. But unlike, AM
Radio station, FM station doesn’t end up being assigned frequencies
with nice round number like 820 or 1240. Thus, an FM station may be at 88.7
on the dial.
You may have noticed that FM stations don’t reduce power or sign off
the air at sunset. That’s because ionospheric refraction doesn’t appreciably
affect FM or TV signals.
For the most part FM and TV signals are line of sight. Although this
means that FM stations don’t interfere with each other, this characteristic
creates a couple of other problems.
First, these waves go in a straight line and don’t bend around the earth
as AM ground waves do.
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They quickly disappear into space-which may be fine if you are sitting
on mars trying to listen to your FM radio.
If not, then the farther away from the FM or TV station you are, the
higher you have to have an antenna to receive the FM or TV signal. Note that
the earth is round-we hope this does not come as a shock to anyone-and,
therefore, these signals will literally leave the earth after 50 miles or so.
Since FM signals are line of sight, they can be stopped or reflected by
things like mountains and buildings. In the case of solid objects like buildings,
reflections create swishing sound when you listen to FM while driving around
tall structures.
The higher the FM transmitter antennas are the greater area they will
cover-which explains why these antennas are commonly very tall, or placed on
top of the mountains. AM radio doesn’t need that kind of advantage, since, as
we’ve seen, AM radio waves don’t behave in the same way.
Note also from the drawing above the FM signals tend to go through the ionosphere
rather than refracted form it. Again it means that no matter what the station power, its
signal at some point leave the earth.
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Radio in comparison with other media vehicles
Medium Start Date Current Reach
Newspaper 17th Century 32 Cr Readers
TV 1960 45 Cr Viewers
Radio 1975 17 Cr Listeners
Internet 2000 5 Cr. Visitors monthly
Mobile 1996 44 Cr users connections
Source: Roy Morgan Research single source data (People 14+); Jan - Dec 2008
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RADIO + TELEVISION
Radio adds Rs 5crore exclusive listeners to a TV plan
Source: IRS 20009 R1
Radio is a Reach Builder in Mornings & Frequency Builder in Evenings, complements TV plans
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That’s an incremental reach of 11% to a TV plan
Population reached in crores
RADIO TV
Radio is a reach builder in the morning
And a frequency builder in evening
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RADIO + PRINTBrand Awareness Increases Dramatically For Print + Radio Campaigns
The audience exposed to radio generated almost three times thebrand recall compared to the audience exposed to newspapers only.Source: A Study by US Radio Advertising Effectiveness Lab (RAEL) Radio adds an exclusive audience of 11 crores to print.
The Audience Are Able To Provide Much Better Message Playback, For Pr I nt Radio Campaign
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Population reached in crores
Great medium to support / boost any print
Radio Offers Effective Targeting
Brands can focus their activity around Key Target Groups on Radio
Audience Profile Varies Across the Day; thereby allowing ‘Day Part’ Targeting
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FUTURE SCENARIO
The Indian Media and Entertainment industry is forecasted to grow at an annual
growth rate of 19 per cent to reach Rs 83,740 crore by 2010.
The forecasted CAGR of various segments of the Media and
Entertainment industry in India till 2010 is:
Radio - 32%
Music - 1%
Television - 24%
Film Industry - 18%
Print Media - 12%
The forecasted size of the various segments of the Media and
Entertainment industry in India till 2010 is:
Radio - Rs 1,200 crore
Music - Rs 740 crore
Television - Rs 42,700 crore
Film Industry - Rs 15,300 crore
Print Media - Rs 19,500 crore
The government has announced Phase 3 of privatization of FM radio which is
expected in April 2010. Therefore large number of radio stations, across the country
is expected to grow. At present the industry is seeing the upward trend.
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Porter’s Five Forces Model Bargaining power of
BuyersHigh Buyers (listeners as
well as advertisers) do not face significant switching costs
Advertisers are extremely price sensitive. Listenership tastes frequently change, providing little loyalty to any particular radio station.
Advertising buyers dictate radio programming choices
Bargaining Power of theSuppliers
Low - Medium Since most suppliers to Broadcasters have either been acquired/ have a tie-up with the broadcasters, the bargaining power of suppliers is low.
Threat of New Entrants Low High start-up capital is a big demotivator.
New entrant has some problems finding skilled professionals. Serviceable used equipment is expensive.
Long-lasting economies of learning and scale also demotivate the potential new entrant
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Threat of Substitutes Medium Customers incur no switching costs. Also, adequate substitutes are available.
Possibly, One Broadcasting medium substitute for the other(CD’s as a replacement For Radio).
Intensity of Rivalryamong Competitors
High Larger firms have created a critical mass, capacity to induce users to subsidiaries
Companies and products, created size by consolidating complementing firms. There are significant brand identities and product differences. Competition is fierce;
Ethics are often questionable. Exit barriers are low
Note on Porter’s 5 forcesAs we see, the Industry could be classified as relatively unattractive since the power of the forces is high. We note that the buyers are primarily listeners and also advertisers. Also, content providers who don’t have any contractual arrangements with broadcasters can leverage the online revenue models directly.
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COMPANY REVIEW
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From ‘AsliMasti’ to ‘BajaateRaho’, Red FM maintains its music muscle.
Red FM is an Indian FM radio brand, with stations broadcasting at 93.5 megahertz in the cities of..
Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Kanpur, Jamshedpur, Bhopal,
Gwalior,Jabalpur, Indore, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur,
Bangalore,Mysore, Mangalore,Gulbarga,Kochi,Trivandrum
Trissur, Kannur, Kozhikode, Hyderabad, Vijayawada,
Vizag, Warangal,Rajahmundry,Tirupathi,Ahmedabad,
Vadodara, Lucknow, Aizwal, Allahabad, Varanasi,
Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, Asansol, Siliguri, Gangtok,
Guwahati & Shillong.
It was launched in 2002, playing a mix of Hindi and English songs. However, the programming is now 100% exclusively Hindi.
Today, Red FM is known as the ‘Station for Expression' to the common man and its famous tag line ‘Bajaate Raho!' is already part of common parlance!
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One of the MOST AWARDED BRANDS in the industry, Red FM boasts of over 70 awards including the award for the BEST FM BRAND, BEST FM STATION, BEST RJs, etc.
Superhit Music, Superhit RJs, Superhit Movies and Superhit Cricket - that's what Red FM stands for. BajaateRaho.
The channel is owned by Kalanidhi Maran, with a 48.9% stake, as well as minority holdings of Hyderabad-based IT company Value Labs, NDTV, Astro.
It was acquired from India Today promoter Living Media in January 2006.
Their punch line is 'BajaateRaho' (Keep Playing). Starting August 14, 2009, S FM or Suryan FM was re-branded into RED FM across 50 cities in INDIA.
S FM took over Red FM in August, 2009 and re-branded all its stations to Red FM except for the ones in Tamil Nadu.
SUPERHITS 93.5 RED FM, of SAFL (SOUTH ASIA FM LTD.), is a venture of media Giants-Sun TV (Leading channel of AP, TN, Karnataka & Kerala) and its associates.
You will find more relevant details as you turn the pages of this presentation. What we can assure you is that presently SUPERHIT 93.5 RED FM is giving the best ROI to its advertisers. This would happen only if the station was popular and advertisers were getting response.
Our station at Jaipur SUPERHIT 93.5 RED FM has the following unique identity to it.
SUPERHIT 93.5 RED FM is 24*7 station.
We have intensive on – ground programming supported by the latest state of the art equipment. Radio is the medium to reach
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the mass. We don’t expect people to come to our studios- we will take our studios to the people.
As a network, we have a higher mix of musical properties, as 75% of our product is music. Our on-air talent is young, fresh and focused – delivering super hits music and lifestyle relevant content.
Character: witty, irreverent and fun. It is a 24*7 party designed to be the soundtrack of your life.
At a primary level, it is about the non – stop super hit music that works at the level of ‘We play songs that make you Bajaate Raho.’
It is tested, high energy music. Keep playing…..at another level, Bajaate Raho stands for ‘Do everything with passion.
It recognises the drive of the young, passionate Indian. So whatever you do, do it Bajaate Raho (with a passion). 4 gaane chipakke bajaao, Bed pe bajaao, Pine walo ki bajaao, Rishwat lene wale ki bajaao, Tej drive karne wale ki bajaao………….Bajaate Raho.
The most favorite preferred sparklers are SUDARSHAN KE SATH
BAND BAJEGA by Red FM, GulabiLal( Pink Red ) by Rj Ravindra
aired by Red FM.
The content for FM radio can be dynamically changed to get maximum returns vide SMS by introduced more response related programs for it to be mutually more beneficial.
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THE STATION IS HINDI BASED
STRONGEST NETWORK
STRONG NATIONAL BRAND
LIVE 24*7
INTERACTIVE
RJ-INTENSIVE
MUSIC DRIVEN
MAINSTREAM CHR – SEGMENT /HOUR
ON-GROUND/LOCATION FOCUSED
MODERN, INNOVATIVE & ENTERTAINING
JAIPUR’S NEWEST AND FRESHEST ENTERTAINMENT BRAND
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Super hits 93.5 Red FM all over INDIA
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Organization Structure of Red FM:
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Station HeadStation Head
Programming
Department
Programming
Department
SalesDepartment
SalesDepartment
Technical DepartmentTechnical
Department
ProgrammingHead
ProgrammingHead
RJ’S,Producers, Copywriter,
Sound Engineer
RJ’S,Producers, Copywriter,
Sound Engineer
Sales HeadSales Head
SalesExecutives
SalesExecutives
TechnicalHead
TechnicalHead
Maintenance&
Computer Engineer
Maintenance&
Computer Engineer
Admin/HRHead
Admin/HRHead
How can the client use radio strategically ?
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ClientSegment
Maintain Brand
Support Other Media Gain a share of
Voice
Give Brand an Attitude
Make a brand Feel Good
Generate Response
Frequency
Intimacy
Selling Radio Commercial Selling radio advertising involves a number of steps. The radio salesperson
must be aware that everyone involved in the transaction is looking for different
results. The media buyer is looking for efficient cost per point, while the client’s goal
is to move product. As all radio stations are perceived to be same it is important to
build value into the radio station by offering credible benefits that produced results
and solutions for prospective clients.
Radio salesperson must begin with the client’s needs and marketing goals.
The first step in the process is to meet the client to gain as much information as
possible about the client and his or her business. After the salesperson has a firm
grasp of the advertising problem, the next step is to prepare a proposal. The
successful ones begins with the clients problems and sales objectives move
systematically to a solution.
Often the job of the radio sales person must be conducted on a number of
levels.
a) An advertiser who is not currently scheduling radio may have to be convinced
that the medium in general is for a particular product.
b) The salesperson must move from the general advantages of radio to the
advantages of specific station.
c) The radio representative may have to show how radio fits into the media mix
currently being used by the advertisers.
Radio advertising faces challenges both from within the industry and from other
media as it competes for advertising price.
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Dayparts Characteristics
6 a.m. - 10.00 a.m. Drive time, breakfast audience, interested chiefly in news
10.00 a.m. - 3.00 p.m. Daytime, program characteristics of station, talk , music, or all-news
3.00 p.m. - 7.00 p.m. Afternoon, drivetime radio primetime and same as morning drive time
7.00 p.m. - 12.00 a.m. music, talk shows
Elements of good radio commercial
Be single-minded, focused :- The consumer should not be burdened with
too much information. Prioritize the copy points. The central idea should be
highlighted.
Research your product or service :-Many clients keep tabs on their
competition, but they rarely related their features and benefits to factual data.
Meaningful statistics can give substantial support to your message.
Relate to the consumer :- Always relate the brand to customers wants and
needs.
Generate extension :- The effect of a commercial can be multiplied by
achieving extension. A clever phrase or execution can have consumers asking
other people if they have heard the spot.
Produce an immediate physical, emotional, or mental
response:- Laughter, a tug on the heartstrings, or mental exercises of a
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consumer during a radio spot help seed the memory and aid messages
retention.
Creative Radio Advertising These are some guidelines for producing creative radio advertisements:-
1. Understand the environment
2. Speak the listeners’ language
3.Engage and entertain the listener
4.Keep it simple
5.Judge what you hear, not what you read
6.Production values are important
7.Plan your production
8. Dare to be different
9.Take it seriously
Steps in Radio Ad Production 1. An agency or advertisers appoints a producer
2. The producer prepares cost estimation
3. the producer selects a recording studio
4. With the aid of the casting director, if one is needed, the producer casts
the commercial.
5. If music is to be included, the producer selects a musical director and
chooses the music or selects stock music.
6. If necessary, a rehearsal is held.
7. The studio tapes music and sound separately
8. The studio mixes music and sound with voices.
You are on the air!
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Radio with other media Most brands tag radio to their existing communication plans. Reason enough
for us to study the role of Radio vis-à-vis other key media.
'what Radio can add' to each medium on three key parameters - a)
Planning, b) Communication and c) Detailing of communication points.
Radio with Television Characteristics of Television
TV has traditionally been the most powerful and popular advertising medium
for people in the media business. This is mainly because it does most things well -
coverage, frequency, image, persuasion, demonstration, impact etc.
Traditionally a high-cost medium, the downside with TV is that the audience
is now fragmented across many different channels, production costs are extremely
high and viewers are increasingly avoiding ad breaks.
What radio can add?
In planning:-
Radio's main contribution is a dramatic increase in frequency of exposures,
either in the same period as the TV campaign or later to extend the campaign over
time; radio can be used for regional or local exposure booster; radio can be used to
reach light viewers; it extends TV messages to key times of day when TV audiences
are lower or when product relevance is higher; radio also allows tighter targeting
against audiences thus reducing wastage.
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In communication:-
Given that Radio is perceived as personal medium, radio can bring brands
closer and speak to the consumer at their level; radio has a culture of response
where listeners frequently interact with their station which they see as accessible.
In detail:-
Radio allows activity to be geographically varied; radio can allow a fast
turnaround for new initiatives; low production costs mean multiple copy messages
can be varied round the core TV communication Sonic Brand Triggers. Sonic Brand
Triggers are sounds, which consumers recognize and associate with certain brands.
Example of powerful SBTs:
"Britannia Ting TingTing"
They help to ensure that TV and radio advertising is well branded. They leave
a brand impression with even the most passive TV viewer or radio listener, as they
tend to rely on rhythm and music, which are absorbed at very low involvement
levels. A sound, which has been successfully established on TV, can be transferred on
to radio.
Radio with Newspapers Characteristics of Newspapers
Newspaper brings 'immediacy' to a communication. Newspapers also have
the authority of the written word, and are good at presenting detail. As a print
medium, the national press suffers from clutter and from the fact that the reader can
and does edit ruthlessly to avoid advertising.
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What radio adds?
In planning:-
Radio adds frequency, and this is real frequency in that exposures take place in
real time; radio also reaches non-readers so it can significantly increase coverage; in
most sectors, adding radio also means increased share of voice thus overcoming
clutter
In communication:-
Radio brings intrusiveness to a press campaign, and there is less ad
avoidance; it can bring to life ideas, which may seem flat on the page; radio can
more strongly convey the brand's tone. Radio brings brand messages closer to the
individual, speaking in a more personal way than press; radio allows brands to
emphasize specific key times of day.
In detail:-
Flexibility means radio allows geographical variation on top of a national press
campaign.
Radio with Outdoor Characteristics of Outdoor
The strength of outdoor advertising lies in its ability to suddenly confront the
consumer with an idea or a challenge, in a very public way. Like radio, posters also
operate within time which people think of as free - typically travelling time.
The weaknesses of outdoor advertising mainly stem from three issues: it has
no editorial context, it uses extremely simple, striking ideas to be effective,and it
suffers from relatively expensive production.
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What radio adds?
In planning:-
Radio adds real frequency, in the sense that additional exposures to the
advertising are played in full rather than having the listener look away or ignore;
radio offers far tighter targeting which means reducing wastage; radio also offers
tighter timing - within time of day, day of week or even week of month.
In communication:-
Radio allows more information to be conveyed, which is useful for explaining
or persuading; radio allows multiple copy; radio brings brands closer, as listeners
identify with their radio station and see it as aimed at people like them; radio is
better able to communicate the tone or character of a brand.
In detail:-
Radio offers speed of production compared with the lengthy process of poster print
deadlines; it also allows localized copy variation relating to a national poster
execution.
Radio with Magazines
Characteristics of magazines
Magazines are useful to advertisers because of the relationship they have
with the readers, who consume them in a personal way. They allow targeting by
lifestyle and interest group. In many magazines the ads are seen as part of the
magazine experience.
Weaknesses of magazines include the fact that lead times can be very long
depending on the title's frequency of publication, the high levels of clutter, and the
reader's inclination to simply turn the page.
What radio adds:
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In planning:-
Radio adds frequency and also extends coverage well beyond the magazine
readership; radio allows tighter timing - time of day, day of week etc; radio also
offers a greater share of voice for most categories, which means overcoming clutter.
In communication:-
Radio brings intrusiveness to a magazine campaign, and there is less ad
avoidance; radio can bring to life ideas which might seem flat on the page; radio can
more strongly convey the advertising tone of voice. It allows brands to speak to
consumers close to certain activities - driving, cooking, housework etc
In detail:-
Radio offers fast turnaround within the long copy deadlines of magazines, and the
opportunity for geographical variations.
Recall of advertising. At the post-stage, you will be seeking to detect
spontaneous and prompted awareness.
Commercial recognition – playing the ads to respondents.
Thoughts on what the main message of the ads was.
RED [93.5FM] Red FM may not be modest but it is certainly witty, reliable, friendly, warm,
uncomplicated and honest.
The ‘take aways’ are plenty – everything that the station says and does is of
relevance to its listeners.
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Target Audience
Super hits 93.5 Red FM caters amongst youths.
They changes everything in terms of how we play music and the RJs we have
according to this target group.
The 4 P’s
Product:
For listeners: The programming mix has non-stop music interspersed with Red FM’s
‘crisp’ and ‘entertaining’ updates on traffic, weather, city-specific events and the
latest buzz on everything current.
For corporates and retailers: the airtime
Place: Intensive in Mumbai and selective all over the country because it has other
stations in Delhi and Kolkata.
Price: Advertisement rates.
Promotion: Creating awareness among the people, Media campaign,
Sponsoring events and organising competitions and fests in different fields.
Red FM has recently organized the “Red KeLaal” award campaign to motivate the students of schools who scored more than 90 percent.
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Advertisement Red FM does not go to sell radio spots but works like a consultant with the
client. Based on the need of the advertiser, they suggest the best ways of
achieving the objective. So if a retailer wants to announce his sale and he
does not have a big budget, their job is to suggest that instead of a 30 second
spot, play a 10 second spot through the day.
Endorsing advertising on RED is not just about buying spots, but is a total
experience, tailored to the customer’s needs. Red is also focusing, towards
the influence of one station with the other, use their strengths and improve
co-ordination between the three stations; this is an important task in terms
of helping the advertiser.
They do produce jingles according to the advertisers and if the advertiser or
the client wants to use that jingle somewhere else in some other media, then
the client has to pay substantial amount of money to radio station because if
they produce a jingle that is their assets.
They take 100 % money in advance from the direct client. And from the non-
accredited ad agency.
There are several questions that RED FM identifies before making a time-
band suggestion. Is it a women’s product? Is it male-oriented? Is it a retailer?
If it is a retailer, they could slot it in the 11–6 time band when people are
going to the market or when a housewife might be listening to the radio
while cooking.
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DEPARTMENTAL ANALYSIS
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Sales Department
Sales department in Red FM consists of Sales executives. Their task is to sell the
inventory in the form of seconds and generating revenues for the station. For that
they need to move in the field, approach clients, ad agencies and close the deal with
them. They are responsible for the collection. Each of them have their individual
target and to achieve their target they can offer activities like on ground activity and
on air selling.
Marketing Department
Red FM has marketing executive who are responsible for all the marketing activities
like branding, advertising and promotion. Marketing executive makes plan with
station head according to the budget given by regional marketing head. Marketing
executive’s main job is to find out innovative ways for promotion and branding. And
this task is to come with ideas for gaining brand and frequency recall.
Programming Department
In Red FM programming department is headed by programming head that is
responsible for programming activity of the station. They are responsible to meet all
the legal aspects of programming like which can be produced on radio or not?
Programming head is also responsible to make his team work and complete their
work in time and with all legal aspect. Their task is to make more creative
programming which can attract listeners. Department also makes programming
which have involvement from listeners also.
Marketing Plan
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In general, marketing activities are all those associated with identifying the particular
wants and needs of the target market of the competitors. This involves market
research on customers, analyzing their needs and then taking marketing strategy
decision about product design, pricing, promotion and distribution.
Strategy
Expansion of the network of out of home media sites managed by Red FM
Explore opportunities to lease sites on long term bases.
Introduce innovative technology and processes
Marketing in Red FM follows the following approach
Association for ground visibility
Contest
Red FM events
Branding
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MARKETING PLAN 7 P’SOF
MARKETING
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7 P’s Of Marketing
1. Product
2. Price
3. Place
4. Promotion
5. Physical evidence
6. Process
7. People
PRODUCT MIX
Brand
The brand is Red FM. As it is a right reflection of the one to one relationship
with an emotional ownership of the medium with the listener’s. The brand
operates at the single frequency 93.5 across the stations.
The brand id “Superhits 93.5 Red FM Bajaate Raho”
Target segment
They have a large chunk of listeners who are- young, housewives, also
listeners who are 40 plus.
So programming caters to all strata of society. So, while they target the young
population, they cannot afford to ignore the other large segment of the
society.
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Place
Station: 50 cities across India
Frequency: 93.5 FM
Brand visibility: Organizing movie screenings
Contest on air
Promotion
Advertisements:
Red FM does two types of advertisements. One is theme advertising and other is
mode advertising. In mode advertising frequency of Red FM is highlighted to target
the customer so that they can recall station with frequency. While in theme
advertising just a poster of joy with tag line of Red FM is highlighted.
Contests:
Red FM does on air activity and asks question to listener and one who gives answers
to question will get a prize like movie tickets, water park tickets and gift vouchers
etc.
Physical Evidence
Being a service provider and also available anywhere at any time in physical
evidence depends on the customers.
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Anyone can set the frequency and avail the service anywhere.
Promotions help to create brand awareness and thus support the physical
evidence.
Event organization-they also have been organizing or sponsoring several
programs which again help to create awareness and visibility which helps to
attract more listeners to tune into.
Gifts help to create peripheral evidence, which listeners take away with them
and motivates them to tune into in help in more interaction.
Red FM has a colorful and interactive website which is useful for not just
listeners but also helps to get ad revenue by quoting charges for ads per
second. Thus it also helps to get an idea of how to approach Red FM for
campaigns.
Process
A radio wave is an electromagnetic wave propagated by an antenna. Radio waves
have different frequencies. The listeners can tune the radio receiver to a specific
frequency to catch a specific radio signal. The size of the antenna depends on the
frequency of the signal to be transmitted or received.
People
They are hiring only local talents and there’s no dearth of talent in this
country. There is a lot of research before the launch of any station, the
programming teams are trained for nothing less than three to six months.
They don’t import radio jocks from the metros and impose them on an alien
city. They ensure that they are in touch with the localities, culture and ethos.
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Here Radio jocks plays an important part in creating a special relationship
with the listeners and thus helps to create the differentiation.
They can develop a special liking whereby the listeners will prefer listen to
their shows due to the preference of RJ’s.
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DATA ANALYSISAND
INTERPRETATION
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How often do you listen to radio? (In a week)
From the sample of 200 respondents, only 1% (3) listen to radio twice a week and can be considered as hard nuts to crack with negligible preference towards radio while from the graph it can be seen that 48% (96) listen to radio 5 times a week and 26% (51) of the respondents listen to radio 6 times a week who are clear prospects and can be easily converted to regular listeners by fulfilling their expectations from private radio stations.
The statistics clearly indicate that majority of the respondents who prefer listening to radio, listen on almost regular basis. This would suggest that they would prefer listening to radio almost daily followed by a schedule in which they would like to listen.
Furthermore, it can be seen that with the constant growth in the radio industry, the preference towards this media is increasing among general public and thus the respondents generally prefer listening to radio in an on and off basis.
For those 10% (21) and 2% (5) of respondents who listen to radio 3 and 4 times a week respectively, the preference towards radio although not clearly defined, we can still assume that their preference for radio is not negligible and they can be converted to regular listeners with research on their requirements and filling that gap.
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Why do you listen to radio?
From the sample of 200 respondents, 112 respondents listen to radio for the
purpose of entertainment and so this directly poses a clear requirement of
entertaining shows on air rather than shows which are more socially inclined.
Again 142 respondents listen to radio for the sole purpose of getting relaxed
which indicates that the private radio stations should make sure that the
scheduling of shows and songs on air should be such that there are hardly
any repetitions which bring a sense of freshness and newness to the listeners.
These listeners are those who already tend to have an inclination towards
radio.
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There are only 6 and 5 respondents out of 200 who listen to radio for RJ’s and
Traffic Updates and so it can be clearly said that the private players cannot
position their brand through their RJ’s or any other social cause. The only
reason for this is that this medium is considered as solely relaxation and
entertaining medium and thus for the reasons like traffic updates or news the
respondents rather prefer other medium like television or print media.
As far as the RJ’s are concerned, only 6 respondents listen to radio for the
RJ’s and so it indicates that the radio station cannot achieve audience
applauds through powerful RJ strength. Although, it being their ad-on benefit
the radio stations must focus on music and entertainment part of the shows
on air.
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Which radio station do you prefer listening to?
This question is a clear depiction of the listeners’ preference for all the
private radio stations. From 200 respondents, 93 prefer listening to Radio
Mirchi which is an undisputed leader in the market since its inception 8 years
back. This shows that the image of Radio Mirchi is consistent in the mind of
the listeners as a leader and they might have maintained this image due
constant differentiation in their shows.
From the graph, 91 respondents have selected Sun TV Network’s Red FM
which was then S FM. This shows that the radio station is rapidly gaining
popularity since its rebranding which occurred in August 2009.
While My FM is catching up the ladder with a preference by 69 respondents
and their positioning strategy “JiyoDil Se”, the radio station is gaining more
and more popularity among youngsters since its inception in 2007.
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Radio City and Radio One are lagging behind in terms of preference of
listenership which might be due to their stagnancy and monotonous
approach towards shows on air.
Cross tabulation (time spent on radio with gender)
>1 1.-2. 2.-4. 4.-8. <8 Total
Male 24 31 43 3 2 103
Female 15 30 46 4 2 97
Total 39 61 89 7 4 200
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From the above graph we can derive that there is a relation between the number of hours spent on listening to radio and gender.
For less than 1 hour of listenership number of males listening to radio is higher than the females.
With the increase in number of hours as seen from the graph, this ratio changes and in the time slot of 2 to 4 hours of listenership the ratio gets reversed wherein female listenership leads over the males.As we move ahead with the increase in number of hours of listenership time the ratio gets equalized.
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When do you listen to radio?
From the 200 respondents, as shown in the graph above, majority of them
i.e. 162 respondents listen to radio between 7am to 11am. This clearly
indicates that the morning time slot is the prime time slot wherein people are
in a relaxed mood to listen to radio as a background score.
Again it can also be derived that during this time slot people move to their
respective working places and so they listen to radio while driving. During this
time slot, radio stations should position their shows in such a way that it peps
up the mood of the listener and the listener moves towards the start of the
day with a light and cheerful mood.
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Another time slot preferred is from 9pm to 12midnight wherein the
respondents have just ended their daily hectic schedule of work and are in a
mood to relax. But this time slot is youth’s favourite as well.
So radio stations must position their shows with a clubbed mixture of English
and upbeat. With this positioning, the stations can directly cater all the types
of audiences without any glitches.
Next favourite time slots are 5pm to 9pm slots together in which again the
office goers are returning and are in a mood to cheer up for their personal
lives.
While driving back they would like to hear bollywood latest and upbeat music
which would pep up their mood and would help them relieve themselves
from all the pressures at workplaces.
The final slots lie between 11am to 5 pm, basically meant for entertaining the
homemakers but these days the trend has shifted towards TV wherein the
daily soaps have taken charge for that time slot and keeps the homemakers
busy.
Thus, only 32 respondents prefer this time slot with the bare minimum
requirement of absolute entertainment because audience listening to radio
during these hours are generally found more demanding then others.
Where do you listen to radio?
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By knowing about the places where the respondents listen to radio, we can
derive their attitude towards radio and their preference over it.
From 200 respondents, 128 respondents listen to radio while travelling so
from this we can derive the strategy for the shows on air during the peak
hours of the city.
The jazzier and happening these hours would be, the more likeability and
preference of the respondent would be received. This directly coincides with
the preferred time slots and so we can match both to come to a common
strategy.
The second preferred location is home which has been preferred by 125
respondents. Obviously these respondents would be listening to radio for
entertainment primarily and then for relaxation.
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Generally at work people do not prefer listening to radio while only 36
respondents say that they listen to radio to get refreshed in their lunch
hours.
Thus this segment should be catered with customization i.e. providing a show
which makes them feel treated with great importance thus adding to their
listenership.
Which voice do you prefer to listen on radio?
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Male voice Female Voice Co hosted Total
Male 29 47 27 103
Female 30 44 23 97
Total 59 91 50 200
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From 200 respondents, 93 respondents have a higher preference
towards female voice on radio over other two options out of which 49
are male and 44 are female. The notion that females voices are more
soothing to hear plays a vital role in this preference.
Although RJ’s are known through their wit and spontaneity, their
voice and the frequency of their voice play a major role in changing
audience’s preferences. Thus, prime time shows should be
suggestively hosted by female RJ’s to attract audience’s attention.
Again, 59 respondents prefer male voice on radio out of which 29 are
males and 30 are females, which is a marginal difference and is solely
due to spontaneous attitude and interaction with the audience
Co-hosted shows on air have come into existence recently and so,
these shows are gaining more and more preference over time
because the pros of both the voices are assimilated in such shows
which enhances interaction.
Do you prefer listening to a single radio station?
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From 200 respondents, 196 (98%) do not prefer listening to a
single radio station. They switch to different radio stations due to
the clutter caused due to excessive commercialization and
advertisements.
The people like listening to radio for music and entertainment and
so when they come across such a clutter of over
commercialization, they tend to zap between the channels.
Thus radio stations should bring innovative programs which would
deal with this problem and make the audience feel fulfilled with
their requirements.
There are only 4 respondents who are hard core loyal to their preferred radio
station.
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Do you like playing games on radio?
From the 200 respondents, 197 (99%) do not like playing games on radio.
This clear indication of disregard for games on radio derives that the radio stations
should come up with innovative ways of interaction with the audience rather than
the conventional way of interacting with the audiences on radio.
Have you ever played a game on any radio station?
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Along with being a conventional way of interaction, games are also
considered to be unreliable and boring.
The respondents 82% (164) do not trust the procedure and they find it
untrustworthy.
Playing games is also considered to be time consuming activity and so
respondents generally prefer listening to radio jus for entertainment and
radio and not for the purpose of interaction.
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What all qualities do you look forward to in an ideal radio station?
RANKS#
RADIO JOCKEY
MUSIC INFORMATION ENTERTAINMENT INTERRACTION TOTAL
1 3 180 11 5 1 200
2 64 6 45 80 5 200
3 64 2 49 84 1 200
4 61 12 78 18 31 200
5 8 0 17 13 162 200
TOTAL 200 200 200 200 200
Applying Mean Averages:Mean Avg. Rank for each attribute would be as follows:
RJ’s MUSIC INFORMATION ENTERTAINMENT INTERRACTION
MEAN AVG.
3.035 1.23 3.225 2.77 4.74
Thus, their actual ranks would be as follows:
RJ’s MUSIC INFORMATION ENTERTAINMENT INTERRACTION
RANKS #
3 1 4 2 5
Do you like listening to sparklers?
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Sparklers used in conjunction with a programme/show to enhance the brand
identity of the programme. They are short timed fillers which increases the
listenership and preference of a particular brand of radio station.
From the 200 respondents, 94% (184) like listening to sparklers which
indicates that the respondents look forward to an entertainment which has
got direct element of differentiation and without interaction.
All the sparklers have the same purpose of being short timed fillers to
entertain the audience and so sparklers are highly appreciated because they
are interesting and generate curiosity for something new every time.
All the radio stations should make sure that their sparklers are more entertaining and interesting which would induce curiosity and ultimately avoid zapping
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CONCLUSION
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From the sample size of 200 respondents 48% of the population prefers
listening to radio 5 times a week and 26% prefers listening to radio 6 times a
week. This listenership makes them regular listeners of radio.
From the population 142 respondents listen to radio for the sole purpose of
relaxation while 112 respondents listen for entertainment this shows that
radio is the medium considered by the people solely for relaxation and
entertainment.
The first hand preference of radio stations when not compared on the basis
of any attributes we found out that 91 preferred Red Fm where as My
Fm get favorability from 69 respondents.
In spite of trying out various unique innovations like “ekghante main 13
ganeka challenge” and by calling “RJ’s” as “MJ’s” i.e. Music Jockeys, Radio
one could not gain high preference over other private players. Radio city has
also remained the least preferred radio station.
The number of hours spent on listening to radio is dependent on the gender
of the respondents. With more number of males listening to radio for less
than 1 hour a day moves to more listenership of females with the increase in
the number of hours of listenership till 2 to 4 hours a day. When still the
number of hours of listenership increases this gender difference gets
equalized.
The favorite time band of listenership is 7 am to 11 am because people at
that time enjoy music with their routine work. Even the time band of 9 pm to
12 midnight is preferred as at that time people are free and like to relax
them.
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As radio is used as a background medium, 128 respondents listen to radio
while travelling and 125 listen to them at their home while doing their
routine work.
The preferred voice on radio also depends on the gender of the respondents
since 46% of the respondents prefer female voice on radio wherein majority
of them are males. 29% of the population prefers male voice in which
majority of them is females .25% of the population prefers co-hosted shows
where in majority of them are males.
The preference of type of music for a particular time band helps us derive an
ideal schedule.
Radio has many natural advantages that make it an excellent choice for an
advertising medium. These advantages include high amount of time spent
listening, superior target ability, superior listener loyalty, ad recall and
message retention, and much more which can be attributed to the ‘low cost
of ownership’ feature of RADIO as a medium.
Consumers spend 85% of their time with ear-oriented media, such as Radio,
but spend only 15% of their time with such eye-oriented media as
newspapers and magazines. Yet advertisers spend 55% of their money on
eye media (print) and only 45% of their money on ear media such as Radio
and television.
Radio's share in the total advertising budgets of companies is likely to grow
from 2 per cent to 5 per cent in the next three years, with an expected
growth rate of about 10 to 12 per cent every year. In fact, the fortunes of
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radio advertising are likely to change with the advent of private players like
Star India, Bennett Coleman & Co, Living Media, and Mid-Day etc.
The opening of the FM market is a new phenomenon and the maturing of
the market will take its own evolutionary path. Interestingly, the private FM
players have a huge opportunity in grabbing a bigger chunk of the radio
advertising pie as, despite All India Radio's enormous reach (97 per cent of
the population), its revenues have declined.
In such a scenario, where the cheapness of radio is likely to ensure that the
bulk of radio advertisers are those that go for a one-city-local-audience
strategy, greater reach may not necessarily translate into a marketing
advantage. Ultimately content and packaging will be the king.
However, what will spell out the difference between success and failure will
be neither size nor niche. It would be just plain old quality of programming
and the explosion of contests and sweepstakes offered by the Radio Stations
currently. One aping the other is an honest testimonial to justify this
statement.
In the end Radio offers tremendous opportunities for advertisers and media
planners need to explore various options by which they can effectively use
radio in their media mix. Conversely, broadcasters need to develop the
market by being more responsive to the advertiser's needs. This will provide
an opportunity for the market to arrive at the final verdict on the
effectiveness of the medium.
98% of the respondents do not prefer listening to a single radio station
because of the clutter due to excessive advertising and commercialization.
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Thus the respondents zap between different radio stations to fulfill their
requirement of entertainment.
When importance of various attributes was compared we conclude that
music is the most important attribute followed by entertainment, RJ’s,
information and interaction in descending order.
94% of the respondents like listening to sparklers.
74% respondents do not prefer listening to radio on weekends. Also 86% of
respondents do not prefer different programs on Sundays as they do not like
to drift from their regular schedule.
While for sparklers, RJ’s and Programs on air, Red FM preferred the most followed by My FM and Radio city where Radio one is the last.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Various websites were also visited such as,
www.sunnetwork.in
www. redfm .in/ redfm / jaipur /index.asp
www.exchange4media.com
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