MAM
Radio provides unique options to advertisers
MUMBAI: While speaking at the Advertising Club Bombay’s Value Creation seminar on marketing entertainment and their growing inter-dependence, Banyan Tree Communications CMD Anish Trivedi reiterated that radio FM presents an inexpensive, repetitive and reinforcing option that scores over television and cinema advertising. He added that radio has become a mobile companion for consumers for any time of the day. Lambasting the viewership surveys, Trivedi urged the advertising fraternity to go by the feel and the content of radio FM channels. He reasoned that the “silence” between the “songs” is what determined the popularity of the radio channels as all of them played the same songs.
Here are some excerpts from Trivedi’s presentation:
A radio station has to choose its audience and define the various characteristics of the listener. Radio, an intimate medium, connects to audiences due its personalized rapport with the listener. Listeners don’t have to fight for a remote to listen to radio; they could listen to “what they wanted, when they wanted and where they wanted!”. A study conducted in the US showed that 63 per cent listeners listen to radio on their own as against 39 per cent who get to watch TV on their own.
A BBC World service survey stated that a majority (50 per cent) of the people who participated in a poll wanted a radio as a companion if they were marooned on an island. The other options TV (33 per cent), magazine subscription (9 per cent) and newspapers (9 per cent) lagged behind radio. The average listening for people in the UK had increased to 3.5 hours a day and 5.5 hours on weekends. The listening was ruled by high station loyalty due to a long period of association with the station of choice.
Radio is an intimate and mobile medium that provides instant gratification to the listener. The level of interactivity in radio is higher than that in other mediums. This trend was augmented by technology such as call-ins, e-mails and SMS through mobile phones. The best part is that the listeners can be heard on radio and the RJs actually listen to them unlike in TV. McDonalds used radio advertising effectively to draw instant response from target audiences for instance a family going out listens to a radio jingle and immediately heads for the nearest McDonalds outlet. McDonalds “Aao Match Kare” contest was aired on radio as well as the outlets simultaneously resulting in a multiplier effect and more participation.
Radio advertising also provides several options of developing contests around promotions and events. For instance, Cadburys was sponsoring the popular Malhar youth festival in Mumbai and supplemented the campaign by bringing the festival live on radio to listeners. Kenya Airways used radio as a medium to create awareness of its latest offerings. The British Council used radio to create enquiries amongst the students and discerning audiences generated through programmes such as radio adaptations of famous novels like A Suitable Boy.
The advertising fraternity must look at the niche numbers based on qualitative research rather than the quantitative analysis. The cost of advertising on radio was cost-effective and cheaper as compared to TV and print advertising. Advertisers and agencies could come up with different creatives at a fraction of cost of what it takes to create TV advertisements. For instance, Yankee Doodle ice-cream came up with 50 different spot ads to be aired – a new one every week.
The programming on radio can be customized and adapted to advertiser requirements. Parle Beverages Bisleri did an innovative ad campaign to introduce their “20 per cent extra free” campaign. Bisleri asked the programming team to add two more songs to the popular Go 92.5 FM one hour programme called “Anish Trivedi’s picks 10 songs”. The Bisleri team developed radio spots to be aired during the programme.
Radio can also do social cause marketing advertising and provide advertisers with an additional opportunity. For instance, Go 92.5 FM conducted auctions of memorabilia and the highest bid was given away to NGOs. Radio also gave an opportunity to listeners who could contribute their mite to social causes and feel nice about the whole experience.
Cadbury Temptations sponsored a late Sunday night Jazz show simply because the signature tune of the Cadbury jingle was inspired by a Jazz tune. Also, there was a perfect synergy between the brand and the kind of songs that were played on the late Sunday night slot.
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Brands
Pre-seed funding fuels nailinit, India’s new-age nail care brand
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund backs Gen Z-focused beauty startup
MUMBAI: nailinit, a community-first nail care startup targeting Gen Z and millennials, has raised Rs 2.5 to Rs 3 crore in a pre-seed round led by Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund and Marsshot VC, alongside a clutch of consumer, technology and operator angels.
Backed by entrepreneur and investor Nikhil Kamath, Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund is betting on nailinit’s attempt to give India’s nail care aisle a long overdue makeover. The fresh capital will be used to deepen distribution across quick commerce and D2C channels, build its community engine, and accelerate product innovation in a category that is high frequency but still light on strong brands.
Founded by Tanishq Ambegaokar and Shubham Singhal, nailinit is positioning itself at the crossroads of beauty, self-expression and culture. The brand wants nails to be more than a finishing touch. It sees them as a canvas for identity, content and commerce.
“At nailinit, we are building for a generation that sees beauty as self-expression, not just routine,” said Ambegaokar. “The nail category in India has largely been underserved by strong brands. This capital allows us to invest in product depth, community and distribution in a thoughtful and long-term way.”
Singhal added that while the brand’s tone may be playful, its operating focus is sharp. “This round strengthens our supply chain, expands our digital footprint and enables disciplined execution as we scale.”
The funding round drew notable angels including Shashank Kumar of Razorpay, Arjit Johri of Marsshot VC, Yash Jain, formerly of NimbusPost, Karan Jindal of Meta, Jivraj Singh Sachar of ISV Capital, Nishank Jain of Accel, Yashvardhan Kanoi, Ashwarya Garg of HYPD, Venus Dhuria of Phot.AI and Amishi Parasrampuria of The Whole Truth.
Gruhas Collective Consumer Fund fund manager Gauri Kuchhal, believes the opportunity lies in shifting habits. “Nail care remains underpenetrated in India, with consumers relying on time-intensive salon visits. As convenience and self-expression gain ground, press-on nails can unlock more frequent and experimental usage. Nailinit is well-placed to expand beyond press-ons into adjacent categories.”
The brand is currently the only nail care player in India blending product-led retail with a dedicated kiosk at Jio World Drive in Bandra, where customers can walk in for services while discovering the range. It has also built early traction across quick commerce platforms such as Zepto and Blinkit, with a launch on Instamart in the pipeline, and is available on Amazon, strengthening its omnichannel presence.
In a space long dominated by salon chairs and scattered labels, nailinit is attempting to file, shape and polish the category into something sharper. With fresh funding in hand, the startup is setting out to prove that in beauty, small details can make a bold statement.
