Radios adjust for audience engagement
FACING a decline in advertising spending and changes in customer behaviour, leading radio stations are using the Internet and mobile apps along with marketing activities to engage directly with their audiences.
“Customer engagement is becoming more important for the operation of radio station today,” Suthee Chatrattanakul, managing director of Coolism, the radio business unit of RS, told The Nation yesterday. Coolism operates the Cool Fahrenheit 93 FM station in Bangkok.
To encourage companies and agencies to keep advertising on the station, Coolism has created additional media platforms such as mobile applications and a website to allow brands to stay in touch with targeted listeners. The station’s app has experienced more than 2.2 million downloads.
Coolism predicts that businesses in consumer products, beauty care, cosmetics, food supplements and telecommunications will be keen on advertising on its radio station this year.
“Among advertising spenders, this year’s rising star will be telecom operators. Apart from using radio to build their brand awareness, they also want to participate in our roadshows and marketing events,” Suthee said.
Coolism has set a conservative goal of a 5-per-cent increase in revenue over last year.
Saithip Montrikul na Ayudhaya, chief executive officer of A-Time Media, the operator of Green Wave 106.5FM, EFM 94 and Chill 89FM, said radio remained very attractive for both advertisers and listeners.
Her company has also provided mobile applications and a website for online listeners. Currently more than a million people listen to its live streaming programmes via those platforms.
A-Time Media is the radio business arm of GMM Grammy. Saithip said A-Time would collaborate with its event-management firm A-Time Showbiz, travel-management agency A-Time Traveller and the firm’s publishing business to offer more choices to its clients.
She said A-Time Media would generate at least Bt700 million in revenue this year, while another Bt100 million would come from A-Time Showbiz, A-Time Traveller and the publishing unit.
Wannee Ruttanaphon, chairwoman of the Media Agency Association of Thailand, said it was very important for all media companies to adopt multi-screen strategies to deal with the changes in consumer behaviour as communication technology advanced, particularly in third- and fourth-generation wireless broadband. She said today’s consumers were spending more time on the Internet via mobile devices.
Traditional media like radio seem to be left behind. But live streaming of radio programmes via mobile apps and websites could help retain their listener bases, while on-the-ground marketing activities were also a good value-added service for their clients.
