MUMBAI: The Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) has earmarked around Rs 50 million for radio, out of its total media campaign estimated at Rs 330 million this year.

The PCRA, which has been aggressively campaigning for the 'save fuel' initiative, has spent around 15 per cent of the total advertising expenditure on radio for its nationwide campaign which started on 19 January and will last till 31 March.

Revealing more on the campaign, PCRA additional director N Pownraj says, PCRA has invested around Rs 50 million in all the private FM stations and All India Radio stations to air around 350 spots per day. A major chunk of about 200 spots are broadcast on FM stations and about 150 spots on AIR....

Even last year around January, the PCRA had flagged off an awareness campaign across varied platforms- TV, print, radio and outdoor. The response to the radio campaigns has been phenomenal and we realised that almost 40 per cent of our target audiences are implementing our energy saving tips. Our main targets are the car owners and housewives and hence, we have radio spots planned throughout the day....

There are six radio spots in Hindi and regional languages which are broadcast 350 times throughout the county daily. PCRA is broadcasting the radio spots created last year by Mumbai based creative agency- JWT. AP advertising CEO Alyque Padamsee has been the advertising consultant to PCRA since June 2007 and provided inputs to the government body for the media campaign.

After the two and half month campaign concludes on 31 March, PCRA would plan its new campaign with fresh creatives. Says Pownraj, After this leg of the campaign ends on 31 March, we will kickstart the process of gearing up for the new campaign. Making a media plan for 2010-2011, PCRA will conduct a survey, appoint a media advisor, sign on a new creative team and flag off another campaign from mid year. Radio would be an integral part of this campaign as well....

Set up in 1978, PCRA is a government body to conserve hydrocarbons and promote the protection of the environment. The organisation has been conducting media campaigns across platforms- television, radio and print to create awareness on conserving fuel.