MUMBAI: The Association of Radio Operators for India (AROI), has launched its first ever campaign to evangelise radio.

Underscoring radio's cost-effectiveness as a public broadcasting medium, the campaign intends to shatter myths about radio and examines radio's effectiveness especially for delivering localised messaging. Directed at advertisers and media planners, AROI's maiden Radio Evangelising campaign drives home the fact that radio is the best medium for localized reach and micro marketing, both in metros as well as small towns because of its reach and cost efficiency.

Conceptualised by MPG and designed by Euro RSCG, the campaign comprises a print campaign with radio elements to subsequently follow. Drawing comparison between print and radio, the campaign creatives highlight Mumbai, New Delhi, and Bengaluru and the small towns, depicting the wide reach of radio. The message is short and clear – radio is gaining popularity, is becoming powerful and it is taking over print media.

This is the first time that industry players have made a concerted effort under the aegis of the country's apex body of radio broadcasters to enhance awareness about the specific saliencies of radio. The campaign also stresses on radio's effectiveness over the print medium, both from the reach and cost perspective.

Says AROI president and Radio City CEO Apurva Purohit, Indian marketers today are caught in an age of an extremely competitive marketplace that is dynamically reacting to developments in the World Economy. The business environment demanding consistent performance, is driving marketers to capitalise on every media rupee questioning input costs in search of better efficiencies via micro-marketing initiatives with a concentration on markets which deliver the maximum input: output ratio. Thus clearly, today's market matrix is clearly prudent resource allocation to capitalize on every media rupee in very select high-value, high-volume markets. And, radio is the one medium, over all others which can make this happen perfectly!...

"Contrary to popular belief, radio is more effective than print for local impact and not only reaches out to more people than print but it is also far more cost effective with a far-lesser CPT. Radio is �the' targeted media vehicle which delivers desired message localized to the specific requirements of each market like no other medium. And that is one of the key messages our campaign drives home," she adds.

According to AROI senior vice president and Radio Mirchi CEO Prashant Panday, The campaign is really an attempt to position radio in the minds of advertisers and media agencies – that it is the biggest local medium – way bigger than print in terms of reach and that it is cost effective in terms of CPT. This is the first time that AROI members have come together in pushing the cause of radio collectively....

Adds AROI senior vice president and Big FM COO Tarun Katial, "I truly admire America's popular electoral 'Change we believe in' campaign because it accurately depicts the changing media scenario in India. The Indian radio industry has increasingly registered an unprecedented leap in overall growth through expanding networks, adding millions of listeners and proved to be the largest mass localised reach medium compared to other mediums. AROI's Radio Evangelist campaign will set a mile-stone in creating awareness about the panoramic change the advertisers will see. Compared to Print, Radio is even more relevant for advertisers to plan their spends in the current economic downturn."

Substantiates MPG President & Chief Investment Officer (India & SE Asia) Jeffrey Crasto, Speaking of both reach and cost, radio does work out more cost effective than print. Another critical issue is that the majority of creative agencies have yet to understand the strength and potential of radio to create relevant communication for the same. The art of writing for the ears has not yet come of age in our country. A senior creative professional will under all probability work himself on a Print or TV ad, but will delegate the Radio and Outdoor to someone junior. And the end result is a jingle lifted out of the TVC that becomes communication for Radio or a rendition of a Print ad sans body copy that becomes an Outdoor creative. This needs to change. This campaign only goes to reiterate the power of radio as an extremely cost effective option, especially in today's scenario....