FM channels lend voice to the power of vote

Elections can be a good vehicle to improve your brand equity. It was Tata Tea’s Jaago Re campaign which was the first commercial on TV asking people to vote. Then came rock videos like Shut up and Vote. Media giant Bennet, Coleman also joined in with its Lead India campaign.

It’s the turn of FM radio channels to join the bandwagon. Leading channels like Radio City 91.1 FM, BIG 92.7 FM and Radio Mirchi 98.3FM have launched campaigns – all aimed at encouraging people to vote. “It’s a win-win. These are socially responsible ads, and the positive vibes they generate can be a good way of engaging your target audience,” brand experts say.

Ramesh Bhaskar, station director, BIG 92.7 FM in Hyderabad, says while media as a whole has done a fantastic job in making people aware of their democratic rights, radio has created an even greater impact as it connects with everybody —the mass and the class.

BIG has started a campaign called – Button Dabaya Kya —encouraging listeners to cast their vote. Realising that humour sells, the campaign also featured women who vowed not to serve food to their spouses if they failed to cast their vote.

“This is entertainment with a purpose and we have got tremendous feedback from listeners,” Bhaskar says.

Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM, one of India's most popular radio channels, has also seized the opportunity to hook listeners responsibly. The 'Dot Hai Toh Hot Hai '  campaign has been a resounding success, Tapas Sen, chief programming officer, Radio Mirchi, says. To make the enrolment process simpler, Radio Mirchi has facilitated the voting registration process route through reality radio where one of the Mirchi RJs will fill in the voting details at the registration centres and take the listeners through the registration process live.

“In Delhi, we are coming up with special programmes in which, we would reward people who vote and punish those who don't. We are even trying to acquire the sound byte of the first person who had voted in independent India,” Sen says.

Radio City 91.1 FM isn’t far behind, but the channel has chosen the Net for its campaign, called 'Voice Karo Choice Karo'. Apurva Purohit, CEO, Radio City, says politics has changed since the 26/11 terror attacks and the youth want to be a part of choosing the next government.  Voice Karo Choice Karo is offering that platform.

FM channels are indeed lending their voice to help choose the leaders.

Brand promotion is just incidental, they say. But that’s another story.