Customizing the air waves
Customization, focussed reach and interactivity is what makes Radio an essential part of the Chinese MNC’s media mix, says Shanta Roy Sanjeev, Head-Marketing at Haier India By SIMRAN SABHERWAL Q] What’s the most innovative Radio campaign undertaken by your brand? Radio has been an integral part of our campaigns and we have been using the medium every year. One product-specific campaign that brought in favourable response was for Aquatunes Water Heater. We realized that Radio can be the link and the right medium to touch base with the correct target audience, and the results were really worthwhile. Incidentally, we are working on a new campaign for our latest offerings in the AC segment. Q] What is Radio’s constitution in your media mix? Are you looking at upping your spends? Our media mix is a combination of traditional and digital media and we look at having an innovative media plan; striking a balance between both. The media mix remains flexible and product centric. The choice of medium depends on the product and how well it connects with the target audience for the product. Radio remains a strong pillar of our communication mix as it can be used for ATL and BTL marketing, and we have used Radio extensively to dish out city specific campaigns. We expect marketing spends to go up for Radio this year. Q] Does Radio help connect with the masses as well as the classes? Radio has evolved as a medium – especially with the onset of FM – and has become ever-so attractive for the masses as well as the classes. Specific channels, time-slots and programmes cater to specific audiences. Hence, informed and well-planned placement of ads and campaigns reach out to the classes as well. Q] How do you use Radio during festival campaigns? Radio campaigns sensitize the consumer informing them about offers and driving foot-falls to stores. Radio helps us to inform the masses about innovative festive season offers, so they can take informed buying decisions. Q] How do you rate innovation and customization on Radio versus other media? Radio caters to a broad audience and customizes content for specific areas; and the TG is a big plus point for marketers. We can dish out campaigns in the language of the target audience, when they want it, and customize the message according to their requirements. Such customization is rarely available with other media. Q] How effective is Radio when it comes to targeting specific places, especially small towns? Radio is an upcoming marketing platform specifically suited for brands to target a relatively small geographical area with a message customised to suit the target audience. The rapidly growing habit of consuming music on the go has resulted in the growing popularity of Radio in smaller towns. Though Print and Television hold the fort well in smaller cities, the surging popularity of Radio has come as a boon to marketers. Tier II and Tier III cities have fewer Print publications at their disposal and very few regional TV channels. In such a scenario, Radio provides the opportunity for message customization and a more focused audience outreach. Q] How do you think Radio can be utilised better as a marketing tool? How does Radio score over other media formats? Message customization, focused reach and a more interactive platform are where Radio scores over other media formats. Having not yet reached a saturation point like Television and Print, adds to the benefit of Radio. A well-planned campaign, keeping the TG in mind and right choice of platforms within Radio, is probably the right set of ingredients to reach out to the right audience through Radio. NoteBook: Radio
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