Ashit Kukian, President & COO, Radio City
After print and TV, radio is the lead medium for advertisers to talk to consumers. I look at it in two ways. This is a day and age of competition. So, firstly, you align your resources in the medium that you operate in and the second is that you align yourself to competing media, example, print and TV.
After print and TV, radio is the lead medium for advertisers to talk to consumers. I look at it in two ways. This is a day and age of competition. So, firstly, you align your resources in the medium that you operate in and the second is that you align yourself to competing media, example, print and TV.Ashit Kukian’s leadership, industry insight and operational expertise have strengthened Radio City’s culture of innovation and expanded the company’s operations. He is responsible for driving revenues for the brand through traditional and non-traditional revenue streams. Kukian also manages the seamless integration of functions spanning creative sales innovations with programming.
Kukian’s expertise in sales spans over 20 years, with over 15 years of experience in the business of media management.
Prior to venturing into the radio industry, Kukian previously did a 13-year stint with Bennett, Coleman & Company (BCCL). As part of his portfolio there, he led a significant turnaround at Zoom Television, where within a year of launch, he was instrumental in positioning the channel as a premium Hindi entertainment channel for a high-end urban audience.
During his tenure at BCCL, he was the driving force behind expanding leading brands – Femina and Filmfare, wherein he played a critical role in launching Femina Book of Travel, Book of Interiors, Book of Fashion, etc. During the course of his career, Kukian has also worked with leading brands like Laboratories Garnier Paris, Berger Paints and Johnson & Johnson.
In conversation with exchange4media Abhinn Shreshtha, Kukian shares his insights on the road ahead for the radio industry and Radio City. Q. How have things been for Radio City recently? We are clearly in the business of radio because we believe in radio. When you look at Radio City, one of the things we think is “What can we do differently from which the medium can gain?” For us it is always radio first and Radio City later. Whatever we do, from content to advertising, has to do with adding value to the medium. That is the guiding philosophy for us.
Having said this, people come to radio for entertainment and music. Everything we do moves around music and is guided by a lot of research. For example, we started the Radio City Freedom Awards, to give a platform to Indie music. Gully Premier League, again, uses radio as a format to promote cricket. So we do a lot of things which are both consumer and listener-centric and we try to marry both. Every year you will see us picking it and making it bigger from a consumer viewpoint.
Q. There is a lot of optimism about marketing in general this year. What are your thoughts? Today, marketers and advertisers have taken radio as a medium of merit, but how do you make it larger is the question? Today, radio in India is about 4 per cent of the market. In some other countries it is about 15 per cent. So how do you bridge this 4-15 per cent gap? That’s why the whole aim for us is to provide more interesting content. Increase the engagement and then take it to advertisers. By doing this, you get a listener who is happy with the content and an advertiser who has an engaged and involved listener. We try to keep an interesting mix depending on what consumers like.
Being a medium which is a personal, it lends itself to various things. It is no wonder that political parties have taken to radio because they know it is something that can influence masses.
Q. You seem to be doing a lot of on-ground activities. Why is this? As media evolves, communication will become platform-agnostic. You have to go where your customer/ audience is. We have a full-fledged team called Radio City Connect, which looks at on-ground activities for both advertisers as well as for our own events.
I think the trend started long time back. More and more marketers have understood that their consumer is not hooked to one particular medium. The consumer has a plethora of media that they consume. So if you want to make a really arresting communication, then it has to be 360 degree. The challenge is how well or how differently you can do this and this is where people like us who are primarily in the radio business will have to determine how we bring in value through interesting propositions.
Q. So, how does one bridge the 4-15 per cent gap? Is branded content an option? As we progress, branded content is something that will be a part of any media mix. This is the best way of doing things because you are contextualising the content of the communication that the station is providing. A particular person visits a radio station because it plays their kind of music or their kind of content. So there is already an affinity that you have built with the particular audience. Because of this affinity, influencing becomes easier. In this case, content integration for a brand, if it is relevant to the audience, is the easiest thing we can do and if done creatively it can give you the results you are looking for.
Q. What is Radio City’s content strategy? How do you differentiate yourselves? Though a lot is spoken about this, there is not much differentiation one can do, but you can decide the kind of music you play. We will never do “breaking” songs unless we feel it is something that the consumer wants. We do a lot of research to see the kind of music that the listener in a particular city wants to hear. We are fairly research-led when it comes to deciding our music. You have to keep in mind the right mix of music as well as era, and the age groups you are catering too. Apart from music, a lot of things we do, like the segment “Babbar Sher”, have become benchmarks now. Then we have retro shows with Ameen Sayani, popular shows like Love Guru, etc. So it is the small things that we are doing right.
Q. Aren’t other radio stations also playing with the same kind of concepts? Which station does a ‘Musical-e-Azam’? Who does a show with Ameen Sayani? To give an example, there was a point in time when everybody was doing quiz contests on TV, but it took a KBC to differentiate itself from the other game shows. It is the treatment and the understanding of what the audiences wanted.
Q. You spoke about the importance of 360 degree campaigns. Where does radio fit in this mix and what is Radio City doing to stay relevant? After print and TV, radio is the lead medium for advertisers to talk to consumers. I look at it in two ways. This is a day and age of competition. So, firstly, you align your resources in the medium that you operate in and the second is that you align yourself to competing media, example, print and TV.
We saw this in a limited way long back. For example, there was a time when Whirlpool and Ariel used to have joint communications. I don’t know what the reasons were and why it was not taken forward, but I think that is a great way of working—where you work with someone who is not conflicting with you from an overall perspective, while also complimenting you.
Q. Will the ad cap issue have any significant effect on business? I believe that this is just another shot in the arm. As a medium we have only seen it grow over the years. When the industry struggled, we still saw a double digit growth.
Q. How important will the non-metro markets be going forward? They will be very important. As you go forward, of course, revenue will continue to come from metros but as more cities have opened up, it will give opportunity to local advertisers. Historically, it has always been the local advertisers rather than big corporates who have used the medium because radio is seen as more of a local medium. It will have a large role to play, both in terms of geographical reach to give scale to the advertiser as well as the ability to customise the content for the market. The greatest advantage is that even though you can have a common thread for what the brand stands for, you can still play around with it for each of the markets. India has still not exploited this completely.
Q. Why do you say this has not been exploited? When I say exploited I mean both from the perspective of not having invested enough to get advertisers on board and showing them the benefits of radio. Radio, as an opportunity for local advertising, needs a lot of investment. You need people on the ground that will approach the local advertisers and convince them to come and advertise. Because the conversions are not as fast as they should be, so stations are looking at what the ROI is—“if I am putting 10 people here, why am I getting only this much”. It has become a chicken and egg situation. Once people know that this medium can deliver as much as, say, print, then the growth will happen.
Q. Holistically speaking, could this also be a reason why radio has always lagged behind TV and print in terms of ad spend share? If the local players start investing, then it will definitely grow, but even the large corporates have not invested as much as they could have. It is a mix of both reasons. The local brands need to come in while large corporates will also need to increase their spends. The way the market is poised right now you will see the change happening, especially with the ad cap issue on TV.
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TRAI releases Consultation Paper on reserve price for auction of FM radio channels
The regulatory body has asked for written comments on the consultation paper from the stakeholders by November 6
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a Consultation Paper on "Reserve Price for auction of FM Radio channels".
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) sent a reference dated August 22, seeking recommendations of TRAI on reserve prices for 283 cities (260 new + 23 existing) under FM Phase-Ill Policy.
Accordingly, this Consultation Paper has been prepared to seek the comments and views of the stakeholders on issues related to estimation of the reserve prices for auction of FM Radio channels.
As part of the consultative process, the Consultation Paper has been uploaded on the TRAI website.
The regulatory body has asked for written comments on the consultation paper from the stakeholders by November 6. Counter-comments, if any, may be submitted by November 13, the paper said.
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ShareRadio Mango Nerolac ‘Pulikkali’ celebrates the essence of Onam
Radio Mango in association with Nerolac Healthy Home Paints flags off an Onam folklore-themed roadshow in Kerala
Radio Mango in association with Nerolac Healthy Home Paints launched ‘Pulikkali’, an Onam folklore-themed state-wide roadshow that resonates with the ideology of unity among all people, regardless of their caste, colour or religion.
The road show brings to life the most vibrant and eye-catching ritual of Onam, the Pulikkali (Tiger Dance). The campaign also fondly recalls the popular Onam folk song ‘Maveli Naadu Vaneedum Kaalam, Manushar Ellaarum Onnu Poley.’
It is designed around the ancient folklore of the golden reign of King Mahabali when there was no discrimination on the basis of caste or class and there was neither crime, nor corruption.
The dynamic crew of entertainers, dressed as Pulis (Tigers) accompanied by Chenda Melam (traditional percussion) artists will travel across Kerala for 15 days as part of the campaign to emphasise the fact that no matter what, we all are one and whatever the colour, we must unite to make this Onam colourful.
The flag off to the ‘Pulikkali’ roadshow was conducted in Kochi by Malayalam actor Saiju Kurup in the presence of Ravindran Nair, Programme Director, Radio Mango, and Rajesh C., Kerala Regional Sales Manager, Nerolac Healthy Home Paints, at Malayala Manorama’s Panampilly Nagar office.
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PM Modi lauds Fever FM’s #PlasticSeBreakUp initiative
In a tweet, the Prime Minister congratulated Fever FM for its innovative campaign to ensure reduced usage of single-use plastic
As part of the Fever Voice of Change CSR initiative, Fever FM launched the ‘#PlasticSeBreakUp’ campaign to make India free from single-use plastic.
Drawing inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message this Independence Day, the initiative urges all shopkeepers to do away with single use plastic bags.
PM Modi too tweeted in support of Fever FM’s Bharat Positive initiative. He said ‘I congratulate Fever FM for their innovative campaign to ensure reduced usage of single use plastic. I urge shopkeepers to take part in this campaign with vigour. Such efforts will add valuable momentum to the Swachh Bharat Mission.’
I congratulate Fever FM for their innovative campaign to ensure reduced usage of single use plastic. I urge shopkeepers to take part in this campaign with vigour. Such efforts will add valuable momentum to the Swachh Bharat Mission! @FeverFMOfficial
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 12, 2019
Talking about the initiative, Harshad Jain, CEO – Radio and Entertainment, HT Media Ltd and Next Mediaworks Ltd., said, “We are extremely grateful to our honourable Prime Minister for his encouragement and appreciation of our latest Bharat Positive campaign, and assure him of our unending support. This encouragement gives us motivation to continue our work with greater zeal to bring about a positive change in the country. We are committed, with our latest campaign against single use plastic, to drive the citizens towards a plastic free India. Bharat Positive is a Fever Voice of Change (FVOC) initiative, the biggest CSR in the history or radio.”
Gautam Gambhir, cricketer, MP and face of Bharat Positive initiative, said, “Credit to team Fever and the listeners of the radio station. PM sir noticing the campaign is no mean feat, it just gives a shot in the arm. Of course when Mr Modi talks, the world listens. There’s substance in his thoughts and him putting the weight behind ‘Plastic Se Breakup’ campaign will only galvanise the whole movement. The fact that his following cuts across age groups is another huge plus. Through PM’s support, the youth, the mid-aged and the elderly, everyone will know about this campaign.”
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RED FM's ‘Pride Ki Side’ campaign highlights LGBTQIA + issues
To celebrate the first anniversary of repealing of Section 377, the initiative will provide a platform to share stories and highlight challenges faced by the community
93.5 RED FM has launched a brand-new initiative – ‘Pride Ki Side’ to celebrate the first anniversary of repealing of Section 377. The initiative will provide a platform to share stories and highlight the various challenges faced by LGBTQIA+. The concept of this campaign majorly aims at educating the masses about the pride community.
RED FM has joined hands with Naz Foundation and Breaking Barriers – a project by students of Tagore International School, Vasant Vihar, Delhi, to sensitise the society at the grass root level.
RED FM is targeting the children at a young age so that they become compassionate and kinder towards LGBTQIA+ children.
To support this belief, various workshops are being conducted in schools to provide a safe and respectful learning environment for everyone. Trained and certified counsellors accompanied by RED FM’s team and RJs are conducting the workshops.
Speaking about this campaign, Nisha Narayanan, COO and Director, RED FM and Magic FM, said, “Looking at the status of LGBTQIA+ community in India, it is high-time we start educating the people about them. Everyone should have the right to openly appreciate and practice who they are and love who they want. At RED FM, we believe in supporting this movement through our humble initiative ‘Pride Ki Side’. We want to raise awareness in the public about the challenges faced by them. We hope more people will come forward, share stories and help empower each other. Our vision is to create an inclusive environment and encourage our audience to adopt a progressive and compassionate outlook towards the LGBTQIA+ community.”
Commenting on the association, Anjali Gopalan, Founder and Executive Director, The Naz Foundation Trust said, “I am so happy that RED FM has taken this step to highlight LGBTQIA + issues. The Naz Foundation (India) Trust is proud to be part of this journey.”
To ensure maximum outreach, RED FM has also introduced a daily special morning show on their radio channel with a counsellor. This engaging and interactive format of the show will address queries and problems of the community who face bullying, hatred and discrimination at institutes or workplace.
Besides this, RED FM has also invited a well-known LGBTQIA+ influencer at their studio who will share stories of courage in dealing with cyber trolls, verbal harassment, and how they moved-ahead and dealt with such situations.
The campaign, which began September 4, runs till September 13.
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Dia Mirza supports BIG FM’s green Ganesha initiative
To spread awareness about using eco-friendly Ganesha idols, BIG FM held a two-week-long contest and 15 winners were felicitated with a Tree Ganesha by Mirza
For the 12 th year in a row, BIG FM has brought to light the importance of celebrating festivities in an eco-friendly way through Ramky’s BIG Green Ganesha.
The initiative promotes the use of eco-friendly Ganesha idols and its celebration with minimum environmental damage. RJ Rani, the face of Ramky’s BIG Green Ganesha initiative, hosted the event, which was graced by actress Dia Mirza, Sujiv Nair from Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd and Ram Kharpuriya, Director - Greenland Farms.
15 lucky contest-winning listeners were felicitated with a Tree Ganesha by Mirza, at the BIG FM office.
To spread awareness about using eco-friendly Ganesh idols, a two-week-long contest was held and it resulted in widespread response from listeners across Mumbai. BIG FM Mumbai associated with Tree Ganesha as they create eco-friendly idols which are made of natural soil and also melts completely after immersion in water bodies as compared to non-biodegradable options that create pollution.
Commenting on the initiative, a BIG FM spokesperson stated, “BIG FM has always tried to bring about a positive change in society. BIG Green Ganesha has been our on-going initiative for the past twelve years which is amplified through on-air and digital channels. We at BIG FM believe in ‘Change starts with you’ and through this campaign tried to raise awareness on the environment pollution created with non-biodegradable idols. The campaign has been very successful till date and we are happy and proud that we as a medium can offer our listeners entertainment with purpose.”
Nair, Chief Human Resources Officer of Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd, commented, “The Green Ganesha initiative is our contribution to the environment. Being in the space where we closely experience the hazards that affect the environment, we are trying to make Green Ganesha an awareness campaign and save the environment from the use of harmful products. Through this we urge the people to acknowledge an environment-friendly celebration by adopting the use of eco-friendly products.”
Mirza added, “I am very happy to be here. Moreover, I am extremely grateful to BIG FM for this campaign that has been raising awareness over the last 12 years. For the past few years, I have been associating with beach clean ups post the Ganpati Visarjan and it’s very disheartening to see the remains of the idols washed back ashore. Three years ago, Dattadri (Kothur of Tree Ganesha) and I made one of these tree Ganeshas together and it was a beautiful feeling. The happiness you feel while doing something for the better good just elates you to a whole new level. I urge more people to opt for eco friendlier methods, for not just their Ganpati celebrations, but in their day-to-day activities as well.”
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Radio Adex: Ad volume sees 8% decrease in indexed growth in Q2 2019
Paytm.com continues to be the top brand to advertise in the services sector in the first half of both 2018 and 2019
The recent Radio Adex report for ad volumes in the medium for the first and second quarter of 2019 shows 8 per cent decrease in indexed growth.
In the first quarter (Jan-March), the service sector had 31 per cent share which came down to 26 per cent in the second quarter (April-June). The retail sector saw increased share in the second quarter. From 8 per cent in the first quarter, the ad volumes from the retail sector increased to 11 per cent. This was the time when IPL, General Elections and World Cup were ruling the roost.
Interestingly, Banking/Finance/Investment sector which was one of the top advertising categories in the first quarter with 12 per cent share, doesn’t find a place in the top five super categories in the second quarter. Education makes an entry in the top five list for Q2 with 10 per cent share. Auto jumped from 8 per cent to 10 per cent, while food beverages declined from 10 per cent to 9 per cent.
If we consider the ad volume in Radio for the first half of 2019 vs the first half of 2018, the indexed growth saw a decline by 9 per cent. Services continue to take the maximum share. In 2018, it was 30 per cent share while in 2019, it is 29 per cent share. Retail, Food & Beverages, Banking, Finance and Investment saw similar shares this year as was in 2018. Auto moved from 8 per cent in 2018 to 9 per cent this year.
Paytm.com continues to be the top brand to advertise in the services sector in the first half of both 2018 and 2019. Google Pay takes the next spot this year as compared to Amazon.in in 2018. Google, Cars24, Yahoo Cricket were the other brands which were a part of the top 5 brands in the first half of 2018. This year, Cars24 remained constant while there has been an addition of Hotstar and Phonepe in the list.
In the retail sector, except for Home Centre (Koz), all the brands that advertised on Radio in the first half of 2018 are missing from the top 5 brands list of 2019. While last year there were Great Eastern Trading, Central (Pantaloons), Max Retail, and South India Shopping Mall, in 2019, they are replaced by Alishan, Reliance Trends, The Chennai Silks and Lifestyle. In the Food and Beverages category, the Pan Masala brands continue to make a mark.
The cars category has jumped from 5 per cent to 7 per cent shares on radio, when compared to the first half of 2018 vs the first half of 2019. Properties/Real Estates have the maximum share of 8 per cent in 2019 compared to 9 per cent in 2018.
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FM Tadka goes for makeover with ‘Apni Suno’ campaign
Apart from the new positioning statement, FM Tadka also sports a new logo indicating dialogue within for a positive change
Three months ago, management at the Patrika group decided to go for a makeover of FM Tadka. And just two weeks back, the revamp exercise reached a climax at film studios in Jaipur with RJs all across the country practicing steps for the new jingle video having both an aspirational and inspirational feel to it.
The radio network, spanning six states and 18 cities, started its teaser campaign on August 1 with a mascot named Mr. Mannki who ignited people's minds on the new message hidden in its pose which became quite a hit amongst listeners.
The campaign garnered praise from celebrities across the spectrum. Singers Sukhwinder Singh, Hariharan, Tochi Raina, Aastha Gill, and Hindi film industry stars like Tusshar Kapoor, Mallika Shehrawat, Urvashi Rautela, Sonali Kulkarni, director Nitish Tiwari, Super 30 founder Anand Kumar, comedians Shekhar Suman, Sunil Pal, Raju Shrivastav and sports stars appreciated the concept when it was shared with them during their visits to FM Tadka. The campaign, Apni Suno, talks about making a transformation in life.
“As a country, we have always followed Gandhi ji’s three monkeys, but now the fourth monkey Mr Mannki came with a message- to bring a positive change in your life and to the destiny of the country- Apni Suno. This network philosophy was aptly revealed on Independence Day,” the network said in a statement.
“From students as environment crusaders, young innovators to reality stars from smaller cities- there are many examples of people listening to themselves and carving a new life for themselves. It is this clarion call that FM Tadka is bringing to its listeners and propagating through roadshows, cinema, mall tie ups and artists across the country,” the statement read.
Gaurav S Karrir, the National Programming Head, further reveals, “The prospect of a product change around was quite exciting. We took innovative ways like making Mr Mannki our mascot, mask inserts in newspapers, celeb led Apni Suno life changing stories and using Patrika power in digital, outdoor, print and tv to make people notice the new message of Apni Suno”.
Saurabh Bhandari, National Head Marketing, Patrika Group, who has seen the radio product evolve over the years, applauded team Tadka and shared his vision, saying, “We at Patrika Group always believe to bring change in people’s life. Our endeavour FM Tadka's ‘apni suno’ positioning is yet another step in same direction, there has been a deep study and long research behind this, we are confident listeners and our trade partners will continue their love n support to FM Tadka.”
Apart from a new positioning statement, FM Tadka also sports a new logo indicating dialogue within for a positive change. Shades of blue pointing at freedom of expression. The core TG now is 16-30 with music starting from 2008 and the playlist focused on melody. FM Tadka's flagship Jaipur station now has a new team of RJs making the entire station live with focus on social impact plus technology and sports segments.
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