I remember the time, I finally decided to take the plunge and buy myself a WorldSpace receiver and all the accessories that came with it. It took everything that a satellite TV needed, from subscriptions, to an antenna outside to get the music playing.
It didn’t last very long though, since they didn’t bother to remind subscribers when it was time to pay up, for the next month of clutter free music. It was hard to accept, that one had to pay to listen to the radio, and yet it was worth every penny. Good music, crystal clear sound and a fancy looking black box in your balcony.
Today, we have several FM stations that are crystal clear, available free and providing you with 24/7 loud and jarring advertising. Yes, I am a media evangelist and strongly believe that advertising is consumed as much as content. Now, this is where the problem lies with radio. It gets your ‘left brain’ and is thus absorbed subconsciously, and before you realise it, your neural networks are rendered foggy, with everything from apartments that are ‘highway touch projects’ to ‘pristine river face’ ones, laced with the imminent need to use ‘Kandomes’ if you please.
Why in the world would anyone want to touch the highway, or use a Kandome? Is this what this city can boast of? No, this isn’t about the sheer disrespect for good copywriting that these agencies are dishing out, as much as, the lack of understanding of what constitutes advertising that works..
The moment a radio jingle has a voice-over that’s an unfortunate blend of a blunt hacksaw and ‘chalk on the board’, you can be sure, the listener has tuned off. No matter how much you ‘touch a highway’, you’ve lost your prospect.
Get real, get pleasing, for a start. Now this is why the new offering ‘Mirchi love’ has earned my brownie points. Clean, good music ( Some of the RJ’s can get better though! ) and served to you bereft of the rubbish that is touted as radio advertising. I haven’t switched stations ever since I chanced upon this one. There is really no need to. I am sold on this and more importantly the model behind silent radio stations. There is enough of the revenue pie for the innovative marketer and nothing can stop Radio Mirchi from earning the big moolah with this one too.
Probably, this round of licensing, will see more players such, coming in with good music. Yes am sure, there are thousands of commuters like me who would readily pay a 100 bucks a month, or more to subscribe for this. Don’t forget most of us have been initiated into this, be it with wynk, apple or saavn.
Paid broadcast-content is growing and the smart will capitalise on this and join the bandwagon. But for now, Mirchi has stolen the march. I wish them all success and do hope, that they herald good, clean, content.
And yes, if its content that includes advertising, I pray that this time around, my friends in advertising produce jingles that please the audience. A pleasant experience always leads to increased consumption. Nothing can change this paradigm.
May this Christmas herald change for the good around our world, Pune. Amen.
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Featured image purely for representation.
Pune365: The views expressed in this column are the Author’s and Pune365 does not necessarily subscribe to them.
Disclosure: Jaisurya Das is also Co-Founder Pune365
Jd also consults in Consumer Neuroscience and Neuromarketing, both of which are integral to his brand interventions.
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