Red FM has recently repositioned itself to a complete Hindi station in Kolkata. Positioned as ‘Kolkata’s Only Superhit Hindi Radio Station’ with the tag line – ‘Ab Sabki Bajegi’, the radio station is now playing only Hindi music along with the Jock Talk in Hindi as well.
Radioandmusic.com’s Swagata Panjari caught up with Red FM 93.5 Network senior VP- projects and programming Nisha Narayanan to understand in detail the philosophy behind this change and its future plans and strategies.
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What factors prompted the repositioning of Red FM Kolkata?
Based on a recent research, we found that Hindi music is in high demand in Kolkata and so we decided to take the leap. Red FM was a Hindi station two years back and majority of our listeners still associate us with Hindi music. With the format change, Red FM Kolkata has been positioned as ‘Kolkata’s Only Superhit Hindi Radio Station’. We have changed our product from a Bengali Station to a complete Hindi Station including the jock talk.
The radio market is always evolving and needs of the listeners are constantly changing. We at Red FM keep a close track of the changing needs and have always intended to give listeners a product which is in-sync to their preferences. Our realignment to the current market scenario is a part of our endeavor to keep the product abreast to the needs. The existing Kolkata Radio market is playing very similar music and content.
We wanted to differentiate from the clutter, and reinforce the core brand attitude of Bajaate Raho. We believe the product change supported by the bold ‘Ab Sabki Bajegi’ positioning will help us achieve this.
What new content and programming will the station offer to listeners?
The content for the station is Hindi music with Hindi jock talk and it will be around issues and topics which are relevant to the listeners keeping the tonality which will be bold and irreverent.
Bajaate Raho! has been the brand attitude, which serves a twofold meaning of playing superhit music and taking up issues relevant to the common man. This has been extrapolated in terms of the sound and the tone of the station through an on-air and off-air campaign – ‘Ab Sabki Bajegi’ a promise to take up key issues related to Kolkata in a fun and quirky way, in which no-one will be spared.
A new feature on the prime-time morning show ‘Red Arrest with RJ Nilam’ is already gaining popularity, as we get one prominent personality everyday and the people of Kolkata get to interrogate them. The catch is no question can be averted.
A similar attitude is carried throughout the day, whereas the tonality is more attuned to the part of the day viz the evening show- ‘U Turn with RJ Praveen’ is relatively lighter. Be it an interactive topic, an interview or a serious issue the fun element and entertainment value is kept intact while not diluting the importance of the matter. Night show – ‘ Dil Se with RJ Vineet’ is about friendship, closeness and love; which includes reading out messages, dedications, connecting people who have not met or spoken for long etc.
Don’t you think by repositioning you are restricting the station to only niche audience which might indirectly affect the listenership?
Kolkata has a metropolitan demographic. Our research has shown that the demand for Hindi music is considerable and likely to go up further. Even the core Bengali audience consumes Hindi Music substantially. We are sure that the product change will not affect our listenership.
Do you see Radio One as a competitor?
The era of music which both stations play is very different from each other. Nonetheless, the radio market for Hindi audience is big enough for both to exist.
How are you planning to get revenues?
The new positioning is likely to make us stronger in core advertising audience listenership of “25-44 years sec ABC”, which will help the brand increase the revenues further. The overall strategy for revenue remains the same, Red FM across the network has always given the best suited solution to the clients and business has just followed. The thought which the sales team carries is to work as an extended marketing team for the client and regardless of it resulting into sales or not, we will always recommend what is best suited for the client’s brand. At the same time we have a strong ideation team, on the regional and central level which works on the brief, and comes up with the most aggressive radio and on-ground ideas which suit best to the brand which is being advertised.
How do you plan to get advertisers on board?
Clients who are based in Kolkata are also listeners to the station. For the clients who are not based in Kolkata, the fact that we have a differentiated product from the rest of the competition and are likely to emerge as the strongest player in the core advertising audience will be a strong enough story for them to advertise on Red FM.
How is the station promoting the change?
We have detailed plans for bringing the new positioning alive, both for consumers and for trade marketing. We will share stuff as we go along, for now we have launched an outdoor campaign across the city supported by social media activation of communities.
