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Rina Chandran

CHENNAI, Dec. 24

RADIO still plays the role of a support medium, at best, and is not yet a serious part of any media planner's budget, but it has enormous potential and provides an exciting opportunity for innovation.

That is why at least one ad agency, rmg david, is all set to take on a pioneering role in the medium it calls "outdoors with sound". rmg radioactive, the agency's specialised radio division, is to be launched on January 26, and the team at the colourful, funky offices of the "smallest worldwide agency" is gung-ho about its prospects.

"The radio revolution is back - and there is a lot of exciting stuff happening," said Mr Josy Paul, Country Head & National Creative Director, rmg david. "TV had killed radio - much like that song about video killing the radio (star) - but we forget that for years and years, many brands such as Binaca, Cibaca and Bournvita were built on radio."

Currently, although listenership for FM in the metros is growing and more clients are asking for radio, there is not much innovation in programming formats or content, Mr Paul said. Programming mostly comprises 30-minute slots of music countdowns and request shows, with commercial breaks and radio jockey-chat. "We can have three-minute programming slots, and it doesn't have to be a 30-second commercial spot, either," Mr Paul said. "Radio offers another sense - sound - so people have to be innovative - we're not exploiting the medium enough."

The division will develop spots and provide programming inputs when needed. The agency with a preference for the lower case has already created radio spots for clients such as Officer's Choice Aqua Pura — sach ka voice, Officer's Choice and Benetton — the award-winning rang barse, besides the branding for Star India's Radio City fun ka dose, har roz. The agency will hire a couple of writers and an account executive to service the division, and set up alliances with independent producers for radio, Mr Paul said.

The medium offers the advantages of a relatively low cost and speed; radio is generally cheaper than print and TV, and this makes it more appealing to local retailers. An advertiser can buy a package for between Rs 450 and Rs 10,000, whereas even one 100 cc print ad will set him back by more than Rs 50,000, said Mr V. Ganapathy, rmg david's Business Group Head.

"Even the panwallah and the saree retailer can afford radio - AIR may be too big, but FM is right for them, and radio is, after all, about community," Mr Paul said. Also, it doesn't take long to actually get on air and then test the efficacy of a creative concept before expanding into other media, Mr Paul said.

Another advantage is that radio is now considered an exciting medium; young people did not really care for radio before FM, Mr Paul said. "For a lot of today's kids, FM is a dotcom - it's hip, cool and sexy. And Radio Mirchi and Radio City (in Mumbai) have done terrific branding," he said.

Certainly, the medium is not amenable for demo-type ads, but that makes it more challenging, Mr Paul said. "So you innovate, and clients should also be game to innovate."

Given that India only has 10 FM stations as compared with 22 even in Sri Lanka, we have a long way to go, Mr Ganapathy said. The opportunity lies in expanding the listener base - by putting it on buses, and in barbershops, for example. "Radio lets you do something else while listening - so housewives could be targeted in a big way," he said. And with growth will come innovation, perhaps kitchen appliances with an in-built radio, Mr Paul added.

Going forward, the agency believes radio will be huge, even though it may not be a huge part of its business. "For now, it is the joy of exploration and being creative - we are not really making money off it," Mr Paul said.

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