AgTalk | We are looking at re-consolidating our strengths: RED FM's Rana Barua

Rana Barua, COO, 93.5 Red FM Network, is a humble leader with nearly 18 years of progressive management experience in Media and Advertising Communication across diverse categories, with demonstrated initiative, creativity and success. In an exclusive interview with Adgully Barua talks about Phase III, his branding plans for the radio station and how advertisers need to use radio to its full potential. Excerpts:

Adgully: How has the radio industry evolved since you began your career?

Rana Barua: Over the years a lot has changed and the radio industry has seen it through three important stages. It was around 2005 when phase II was introduced and that was when the industry literally came out in the open. The industry saw a lot of opportunity then because the Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets opened up. And around the same time we had Radio Audience Measurement being introduced which was a second key good change that the industry witnessed. The third key stage is that radio has finally emerged from the shadow of other media and now has managed to stand out as a medium in its own right. Though the medium enjoys a fairly small share in the advertising pie, clients are now aware about the immense potential of radio. Moreover radio as a medium of reach has also extended its wings into innovation and clients are looking at radio to reach their TG more "effectively'.

Ag: Red FM had been able to make sizeable inroads in smaller market, how different are these markets from the major four metros of the country?

RB: We have tried to keep a synergy in the core values and brand promise the same across all the markets we are present in. We have made it a point to stick to our DNA and in every market we try to engage with our listeners very closely. We ensure that a lot of our brand elements are created around the listener. So the inroads have not just happened one way but we have ensured that listeners understand the meaning of our brand promise and what it stands for. I would say a lot of learnings from the major markets have been taken to the smaller markets in a big way.

Ag: What do you attribute Red FM'S success to?

RB: Two important things have always defined our success and that is our brand DNA and our content. We have a very strong positioning. If one looks around in the radio industry there are not many radio brands, there are many strong radio players but as radio brands their positioning is not that strong. However Red FM is a strong player as well as a reckoned radio brand and our listeners attribute certain core values to our brand name.

The third key strength is that we have a very strong presence in South India. A pure South Indian dominance is very unique to us as compared to any radio network in the country.

Ag: Do you think advertisers are using the medium effectively?

RB: Not really. If we look at the advertising pie one can see that it has been a very slow growth for radio as a medium. Advertisers are using the medium but they are still not looking at the medium in isolation and they are not using the medium to its potential. Radio has phenomenal reach and phenomenal local penetration and advertisers have to identify these potentials and utilise the medium more effectively.

Ag: Is the radio industry growing at a right pace?

RB: The radio industry is growing in terms of revenue but I believe that the medium can grow at a much faster pace. It is because the medium is being utilised in a certain way it has become the cycle of life of radio and thus clients are a little sceptical about radio.

Ag: What growth path have you charted for Red FM?

RB: We will be looking at re-consolidating our strengths and reach out to our listeners with better content and more engaging initiatives. Brand positioning will be something we will focus more now and we will come up with innovative ways of reminding our listeners of our brand promise. We are concentrating on presence across digital media i.e. Internet and mobile platform. | By Prabha Hegde [prabha(at)adgully.com]