MUMBAI: Radio City’s digital arm, radiocity.in has undertaken formidable steps to further strengthen its digital backbone by partnering with Google AdWords Premier Small & Medium Business Partner Program and AdsWizz, the leading technology provider of advertising solutions for the digital audio industry. The exclusive radio partnership with Google will provide small and medium businesses, a holistic digital media strategy and create new revenue streams for Radio City. Partnership with AdsWizz will enable efficient monetization of Radio City’s web radio stations through programmatic buying of audio ad inventory. Radio City’s web platform, Radiocity.in, reaches over 30 million listeners each month through 52 online radio stations and 900 playlists, with almost 90 per cent of users consuming audio content on mobile.

The strategic alliance with Google for the AdWords Reseller Program will help its customers expand their online consumer reach by amplifying their online visibility.  AdsWizz will work with digital audio publishers and advertisers, helping them place their ads through programmatic buying. Radiocity.in runs an online ad inventory of over 10 million in India alone. This partnership will not only benefit Radio City to monetize its digital audio inventory but will also help AdsWizz gain exposure among the Indian audience.

Commenting on the occasion, Radio City CEO Abraham Thomas said, “Online audio advertising has been consistently growing with the increasing popularity of online audio consumption. Radio City’s strategic alliances with two powerhouses of the digital advertising space will help us accelerate our digital first approach. The partnerships will drive synergies with our customers and enable digital audio advertising transactions to flow seamlessly between buyers and sellers. Our partnership with technology based services will also simplify and quicken the entire process of buying and selling ads, thereby benefiting all the stakeholders.”

Jagran Prakashan Ltd COO - Digital Media Rachna Kanwar added, “Recent trends across the globe have observed a rise in digital audio consumption and revenue growth. The revenues for audio streaming platforms have seen a growth of 37 per cent last year in India. At Radio City, we’ve always believed in staying ahead of the curve, and this collaboration is another milestone in the journey of excellence for Radio City."

AdsWizz CEO Alexis van de Wyer said, “Programmatic ad buying allows buyers granular targeting based on consumer behavior such as music interests, purchase patterns and demographics. The programmatic space in India is significantly mature in terms of technology adoption. We are happy to partner with Radio City which has a commanding presence in the digital space and help them optimize their ad inventory. We hope that this partnership will go a long way in revolutionizing buying of ad space and create awareness around the benefits of programmatic advertising.”

India is one of the most promising markets for programmatic advertising as an increasing number of ad budgets moves towards digital. In today’s highly mobile environment, advertisers are investing in innovative digital audio to engage listeners and amplify their reach. Shake Me is one such innovative feature from AdsWizz enabled for Radio City app users. Using this format, advertisers can offer listeners value-added services in the form of locally relevant coupons, app downloads, navigation support and direction via Google Maps, boarding passes, or access to a live person via an automatically dialled phone call.