| Says Radio Mirchi national marketing head
Gautam Gulati, "During the Radio lecture series called Radio
Works that we have recently started conducting, we realised that category
building is an important aspect of Radio advertising. With a visible
lack of any awards instituted to laud excellence in radio advertising,
we decide to institute these awards."
Currently, with Abby's having a small radio section and the Rapa
awards not being publiced too well, there was an obvious need to
recognise the talent in radio advertising. "Although not in
the interiors, private FM radio has a great reach in the four metros.
While people are slowly awakening to the pester power of radio,
it is still by and large, a medium used by the advertisers, in addition
to the traditional press and television. Besides lauding the talent,
the awards will also help educate the media planner about radio,"
Gulati explains.
In its debut year the awards will be divided broadly into three
clusters, the radical path breaking ads, the creative ads and the
radio ads that filliped the ad sales/revenue. While the Radio Mirchi
officials are still in the process of drafting the categories, there
is a likelyhood of almost 12 categories being announced in each
cluster.
With entries invited from all the private radio stations and national
broadcaster Prasar Bharati, the awards aim to educate the ad fraternity
and the masses, alike, on the creativity and reach of the awards.
While MaCann's Prasoon Joshi is on the panel to judge the awards,
the names thrown for the other six panelists include Vineet Singh
Hookmani and Lowe's Balki. The jury will be a mix of ad men and
media planners.
The radio station has invited entries for the calendar year 2003
January to December. "Earlier ads that were aired on the radio
were either an audio of the TV ad or a slap shoddy gimmick, but
the ads today are far more superior and definitely more creative,"
says Gulati. According to Gulati, the target audience is slowly
growing from passive listeners to an active audience. With both
the housewives and the corporate bigwigs tuning in, the 160 million
urban markets are waiting to be trapped.
"In the western market, the radio ad spend forms a chunk of
the revenue. We aren't quite in their league, but I think there
is an enough potential," he added. The FM being still in its
nascent stage, the awards will definitely create an awakening of
sorts claims Gulati.
Based on the western Pencil awards, One Show awards, Kaan awards
aim to become radio equivalent of Cannes.
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