Print is radio’s darling for ad spends

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New Delhi, Mar 11: When it comes to cross-media promotion, radio broadcasters clearly prefer print over television. In the case of most private radio FM (frequency modulation) broadcasters, the share of advertising spends on print is either more or equal to that of television. Even when advertising spends on print equals television, it translates to a higher volume of advertisements as the advertising rates in television are costlier.

Not only is the share of radio channel promotion higher in print, it has grown at a rate of 20 % compared to television promotion in print, which has grown only by 2% in 2007, according to an Adex report. There are radio channels like Fever 104, with no presence on television at all. According to Gowri S Kapre, national head, marketing and promotion, Fever 104, “The advertising spends of our channel is distributed across print and outdoor media. The former accounts for 65% to 70 %, while the latter claims about 30-35%.”

On the decision of preferring print as a medium over television , Kapre added, “Largely FM radio has remained a localised phenomenon. With print also being a regional medium, it best complements radio. Even within the print media, city editions are preferred platforms to advertise in. In television, there is a lot of spillover and wastage for radio.”

Big FM’s Anand Chakroborty shared that 35% of his channel’s advertising expenditure was allocated to print and television and the balance was spent on other media like outdoor advertising. Prashant Panday, CEO, Entertainment Network India Ltd, revealed that Radio Mirchi accorded equal weightage to the three mediums in question. “Print and outdoor are essential for sending out local messages, while television is best for communicating the brand across the nation. In some markets, print is more attractive due to the uneven quality of outdoor hoardings. In others, outdoor advertising was effective due to mobility in the population and the steep costs of print media.” While refusing to divulge financial details, Abraham Thomas, COO, Red FM said, “Traditionally, we have been inclined towards using local media. The media selection also depends upon the objectives of the campaign. If it’s a short-burst of a campaign, we prefer maximum impact even at higher costs. For long-term sustenance, we prefer the use of low-cost media, which lends itself to various innovations.”