A fading voice: Radio plays by the ear to stay in tune with the times

From getting into content production to becoming event managers, radio companies are doing everything to remain afloat

In January this year, Xiaomi was launching the Mi 10i. How could it get the attention of mobile dealers and franchisees who are perpetually flooded with new models from dozens of manufacturers?

“We said we will take our influencers to influence their influencers,” says Preeti Nihalani, chief revenue officer, Entertainment Network India (ENIL), which owns 73 radio stations. Over three weeks in January, various Mirchi “jocks”, or radio jockeys (RJs), including the immensely popular Naved, unboxed the phone at 67 dealer locations in 20 cities across India. This mix of events, mini-celebrities, dealers and consumers helped create buzz for the brand