Industry Speak: What is the Return on Investments from contests on radio stations?
Contests on radio have become a common thing on private FM channels these days. exchange4media spoke to some of the players to get a perspective on the rationale behind organising these contests. Are they looking for revenue generation or increasing listenership?

It’s raining contests on private FM radio stations these days, with nearly all players running contests across their networks. These contests, usually with loads of gifts thrown in for the winners, attract quite a number of advertisers as well as listeners. exchange4media spoke to some of the players in the industry to understand their reasons for running contests on their channels – Is it listenership that drives them or is it the monies that they bring in?
Kaushik Ghosh, Senior VP – Marketing, Radio Mirchi, stressed that there was no study or figures to find out whether contests increased listenership or not. He elaborated, “During the launch phase, a good contest can create buzz around the brand. At later stages, contests can be used as clutter breaking programming initiatives that can be utilised for revenue generation. We pioneered in this activity and we can create properties for clients through these contests as well. So essentially, contests help in increasing listenership in the beginning, and it then slowly converts to revenue generation.”
Abraham Thomas, COO, Red FM, noted that they had a diametrically opposite view on contests and their utility. “Our own research shows that contests are for 'contest-junkies', who take part in all contests across all stations. However, these contest junkies account for an insignificant per cent of the audience and have no brand loyalties. At Red FM, we believe that contests are for all those millions of listeners who do not participate in contests themselves, but feel gratified by solving the puzzles and that they could have won the prize. So, contests may not bring in new listeners, but help in satisfying the 'I-know-the-answer' feelings in the existing listener,” explained Thomas.
Radio One’s VP, Programming and Brand, Vishnu Athreya, believes that there is no formula for finding out immediate Returns on Investments (ROI). “The ROI depends on the scale and the contest organised. For us, with some contests, we had both -- a sizeable increase in listenership as well as revenue generation. Most importantly, ROI depends on the objective of running the contest. Contests on radio help us gauge response for a particular activity, and sometimes it also helps us hold on to our listenership base,” he elaborated.
Radio City is primarily looking at increasing listenership with contests. Rana Barua, National Head - Marketing, explains that contests help in sampling. “With contests, new listeners tune in and sample our products. They can be run at various stages – like when a new station is launched or when there is a change in the programming. These contests will then help in understanding the listenership preferences. For us, revenue generation is a secondary objective. Sponsors do help in covering expenses, but it’s sometimes difficult to get sponsors for some contests. If there is a link between the brand and the contest, then we can kill two birds with a single stone – increasing listenership as well as earn more revenue,” elaborated Barua.
Anand Chakravarthy, Marketing Head, Big FM, observed that contests always worked as they gave instant gratification. “Contests are a powerful tool of radio, but they alone can’t run a station. The contests have to be unique and consumers have to be enticed to participate in them. As a brand, we use our contests as a property to sell to our clients and everything is worked out before launching a contest,” he said.
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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
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'
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 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
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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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
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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