The Indian Consumer – Dawn of a New Decade

As we enter a brand new decade, we see the emergence of India as a resurgent, vibrant & self-confident nation. The Indians riding this emergent wave are forward looking and carry aspirations like never before. A farmer from Karnataka saves money to be able to impart education in english medium to atleast one of his sons so that his son can get if not much, atleast a job in Bangalore’s BPO. And indeed, India has seen unprecedented job opportunities in the last decade. Today, top IT companies are recruiting engineers from towns as small as Ichalkarnangi & Satara from Maharashtra. The wave is thus inclusive.


The new Indian Consumer says: I want it all..! Let that be about the increasing number of multiple mobile sim holders or about the new product categories entering Indian markets. Hand sanitizers, nutritious foods like oats were never in the consumer’s shopping basket a while back. Lifestyle products have flooded our markets.


India has not only been a hot destination for foreign investment, but India itself has made highest global impact through mergers & acquisitions, in proportion to its GDP. Not only an Indian consumer but Indian businessmen too are riding the wave. Indian business today is witnessing increased professionalism in its conduct & governance. The entrepreneurial zeal of ordinary Indians is at a high with tech startups sprawling across regions and challenging industry giants. Micromax Informatics, for example, was just another mobile handset when it was launched and today it is India’s largest mobile company with valuation of over $1billion and all this in just a matter of three years !


Smart Phones or social networking sites, we are there to grab all the opportunities to get connected. Facebook and Twitter have over million users in India. Twitter is so popular with Indian celebs and their fans that we even went on to have a Twitter Minister (Mr. Shashi Tharoor :)


So, with the dawn of this new decade, we the Indians give only one message to the world….

The Worldz up for grabs by Us..!

Marketing of a Radio Channel

Radio Mirchi, Radio One, Radio City and such radio channels have cluttered the FM space in Pune in no time. From hot bollywood numbers to traffic updates, puneites get it all on the move by tuning into their favourite stations. A radio channel being city centric has immense potential for creating a strong customer connect. Radio Mirchi for example undoubtedly has the first mover advantage in the city of Pune and has engraved thikhat mirchi in the minds of every punekar. A radio channel can be built into a brand that is very closely associated with every listener belonging to the city. It can be almost built as a synonym for the city and hence has tremendous scope for customer engagement.


To profile a radio channel’s target audience, it’s the young and energetic crowd of cities between the age group of 15 to 45 years of age. It is characteristized by a fast-paced lifestyle. They listen to the music & get information on the move. They have access to latest technology and mind it that they spend significant portion of their time on the internet. Need to mention, they are loaded with good amount of disposable income too.


The fact that the target audience is tech-savvy and a heavy user of internet calls for introducing “Internet” as a more engaging medium for customer involvement with the radio channel.


How? Radio channels often claim to be one-stop shops for complete bollywood entertainment with online music, jokes, live interaction with the RJs and celebrities.
How about positioning a radio channel as a hub of events & happenings around the city? Everyone falling in the target audience does keep looking for options for outings, parties or shopping for the weekend. Every happening in the city can be tracked by and associated with the channel. It can be positioned perhaps as a hub of weekend masti or a weekend planner or guide. Be it dining, shopping, cinema, theatre, outings or parties.


Well, this is not a mere positioning and customer engagement strategy but also can be turned into a major source of revenue generation for the channel besides ad revenue. The channel can tie-up with local retailers, malls, restaurants, hotels, multiplexes resorts, spas and others and run promotional offers & discounts. They can be hosted on a micro-website and even better – through weekly newsletters. The channel can drive campaigns for initial registrations on its website and to build a customer database. E-commerce directly on the host website could also be incorporated at a later stage.


Who knows the radio brand may just enter one’s life for much more beyond music & entertainment!!