Localization, customization and effective use of RJs are just some of the ways in which Tata Motors has leveraged Radio as the lead medium to promote its brand, Nano, especially in smaller towns. Looking ahead, Delna Avari, Head- Marketing Communications, Passenger Vehicles, Tata Motors says that the auto major will continue to bet big on Radio
By SIMRAN SABHERWAL
Q] What’s been the most innovative Radio campaign undertaken by your brand?
Over the years, we have created a centre of excellence with our agency to create innovative initiatives on Radio. For our Nano Superdrive initiative, three Nanos accompanied by RJs travelled across the country covering many cities, and the campaign was covered extensively on Radio. Most recently, we used an RJ led test drive initiative to bring alive the Nano experience on Radio. For our latest ‘Celebrate Awesomeness’ campaign, we went much beyond just running our jingles, by integrating the ‘Awesomeness song’ within the station playlists across stations and across cities. More importantly, we pioneered the maximization of RJ effectiveness by utilizing social data to analyse RJ persona and fine-tune RJ selection for the new Nano launch. RJs with high quotient of attributes close to the Nano, like ‘trust’, were involved in local activation. It’s only natural that Nano is the ‘Most Trusted Auto Brand’ and enjoys high popularity on social media. Our efforts have found industry recognition in the form of being shortlisted in the prestigious Festival of Media Awards this year.
Q] What is Radio’s constitution in your media mix? Are you looking at upping your spends?
Radio plays an integral part in our campaigns. Our media choices are always role-specific and focus on the objectives that we look to achieve with each campaign. Going forward, we shall continue to focus on Radio as an important communication medium based on the role it needs to play in each campaign.
Q] Does Radio help connect with the masses as well as the classes?
Radio as a medium reaches out to both masses and classes. We have been able to reach out to the higher SEC segments through our understanding of each segment and quality of consumption patterns. The audience affinity also depends a lot on the content and playlist that any given station has to offer. In the coming days, we would be rolling out a series of initiatives that we have conceptualized on Radio in order to reach out to the classes.
Q] How do you use Radio during festival campaigns?
Radio plays a very significant role as it acts as a reminder medium and builds frequency during the festive period. We use it contextually to bring out the festive flavour and create a complete buzz across states.
Q] How do you rate innovation and customization on Radio versus other media?
Radio offers a lot of scope for innovation and customizing brand-specific solutions. While it does not have the reach of a TV or Print medium, it enables us to create impactful innovations at a much lower cost.
Q] How effective is Radio when it comes to targeting specific places, especially small towns?
To build local connect and to reach out to any specific target group, Radio is seen to be extremely effective. In smaller towns, especially areas with less media presence, Radio plays the role of lead medium by offering us choices to bring in local flavour to our communication and giving it a colloquial twist through the RJs using the local lingo, which connects instantly with the city-specific target group.
Q] How do you think Radio can be utilized better as a marketing tool?
In order to use Radio more effectively in our communication, it is imperative to think beyond running normal radio spots. In order to make up for the lack of the visual aspect in radio communication, we need to look at building engagement platforms at the ground level. We also need to capitalize on the celebrity status that RJs enjoy in their respective towns, by creating association opportunities with them to build our brands better.
Q] How does Radio score over other media formats?
Radio is highly efficient when it comes to targeting specific cities and target group segments, by customizing communications as per requirements and being extremely flexible. It also has an edge over other media formats in terms of being relatively inexpensive.
Q] How important is Radio as a communication tool for your brand?
Radio, by building local connect and offering cost effective media solutions, is a very important communication tool for our brands. It is an excellent medium to build excitement by acting as a support and reminder medium. It also offers tremendous opportunities to craft solutions customized according to specific brand requirements.
NoteBook: Radio
