FM players welcome political ads on radio; print players unperturbed

Leveraging radio as a platform for political advertising has been a long-standing demand of the industry as radio caters to 99 per cent of India’s population. With the I&B Ministry giving its nod to political advertising on radio, the hear-hear medium is expected to rake in the revenues. However, the need of the hour is clarifications from the Election Commission so that radio is optimally utilised with the upcoming Assembly elections.

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Nov 10, 2008 6:16 AM  | 4 min read
FM players welcome political ads on radio; print players unperturbed

Leveraging radio as a platform for political advertising has been a long-standing demand of the industry as radio caters to 99 per cent of India’s population. With the I&B Ministry giving its nod to political advertising on radio, the hear-hear medium is expected to rake in the revenues. However, the need of the hour is clarifications from the Election Commission so that radio is optimally utilised with the upcoming Assembly elections.

exchange4media spoke to a cross-section of people in the media fraternity to gauge their reactions to this development. While the radio players were optimistic about the move, print players say they don’t feel any threat.

Nisha Narayanan, Project Head, S FM, opined, “Although this move boosts the revenue potential, we should maintain decorum so as to ensure that we don’t become a medium to patronise mud-slinging of political parties. The ads should be development-based and potent with information. However, we need clarification as to how the political ads will be monitored. Will the election commission take forward the TV experience of vetting the ads before broadcasting? If yes, how will they monitor it centrally and regionally? Also, political ads are time-bound.”

Raking in the revenues
Prashant Panday, CEO, Radio Mirchi, said, “Radio being allowed to air political ads were long-awaited. Radio Mirchi was aggressively pushing the case for the same. At the juncture of the economic meltdown and the elections looming large, this comes as a good development. Political parties will chart out an ad budget of roughly Rs 300-500 crore, out of which Rs 50-60 crore will be invested in advertising on radio.”

Monica Nayyar Patnaik, Director, Eastern Media Ltd, too, stressed that radio should not be neglected as a medium to broadcast political ads. “Radio barons are as responsible as any other media player, so why are they singled out? The need of the hour is an immediate call by the I&B Ministry so as to make use of radio in the upcoming elections. No doubt political advertising on radio will generate revenues, but it is like any other jingle on the radio,” she added.

Anand Chakravarthy, Vice President - Marketing, Big FM, noted, “With the prevalent festive season, radio has inventory opening up for advertising. So, political ads on radio are like any other gateway for revenue. With the Assembly elections round the corner and Lok Sabha elections next year, all political parties can utilise radio as an efficient medium owing to its widespread reach.”

The Multiplier Effect
Vineet Singh Hukmani, CEO, Radio One, said, “Our inventories are in a good position as Radio One devotes 9 minutes an hour to advertising. Therefore, political advertising will easily fit in the picture. In addition to this, conglomerates who own a print publication and radio channel will be at a better footing vis-à-vis revenues as political parties will advertise in both media. This will also boost the contingent of the small players of radio.”

According to Ranjan Bargotra, President, Crayons Advertising, “The obvious implication of this move is the revenue hike in the radio sector. Interestingly, political ads broadcast on radio will complement other media. Conglomerates who own a radio channel and a newspaper would benefit the most.”

With the exorbitant investments expected in political advertising on radio despite the economic meltdown, the print industry remains unperturbed.

Ravi Dhariwal, CEO - Publishing, Bennett, Coleman & Co, said, “I don’t think it will make any difference to the print industry. With TV coming in, print wasn’t impacted initially. They will create advertising fit in every medium. It is a welcome move.” Shashi Shekhar, Editor, Amar Ujala, too, was of the same opinion.

KK Goenka, Vice-President, Prabhat Khabar, said, “We welcome the decision of allowing political ads on radio. It is a big step and will benefit the radio industry. There is, however, no threat to the print players as radio has a different segment and a different target audience.”

Tarun Nigam, Executive Director, Starcom MediaVest Group (North), too, felt that this move would not affect other media. He said, “Radio is a very localised and effective medium. Both the media have there own importance. The overall chunk of print will get impacted.”

Mona Jain, India Head, Strategic Investments, India Media Exchange, said, “The radio industry will gain a lot by this move. I don’t think it will have an impact on the other media.”

A widely welcomed move, now the onus of clarifications to the radio broadcasters is on the Election Commission. The election regulatory body needs to intimate the radio players as to whether they would follow the TV guidelines or whether radio will have separate guidelines.

(With additional inputs by Pallavi Goorha)

Also read:

I&B Ministry nod to political advertising on radio; revenue impetus of Rs 150-200 cr expected

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:39 PM  | 1 min read

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e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 25, 2023 4:38 PM  | 1 min read

KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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