Big FM strikes sales alliance with Radio Dhamaal and Rangila FM

Big FM, the radio network from Reliance World Media, has entered into a strategic sales alliance with Radio Dhamaal and Rangila FM. Big FM already has 45 stations across the country. With the sales alliance in place, it has added another seven stations to its kitty, taking up the total number of radio stations available to advertisers to 52. The larger network offering is aimed to add effectively to the top line and bottom line of the company.

Radio Dhamaal is owned and operated by BAG Networks. As part of its tie up with Big FM, the latter will now be able to cater to the advertisers in places such as Ahmednagar, Dhule, Jalgaon, Jabalpur, Karnal and Muzzafarpur. The second associate on board is Rangila FM, present in Raipur, the capital city of Chhattisgarh.

The sales alliance will help Big FM strengthen its position in two markets, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, which attract market shares of 16 per cent and 18 per cent respectively.

Sanjeev Kalia, network sales head, BAG Network, emphasises, "In the competitive scenario, consolidation is a necessity. Big FM is an appropriate partner for sales alliance as most of our stations do not compete with each other in the cities that we are present in. The partnership will allow the Big FM sales team to package our competing stations in their deals to garner better market share. At the same time, both the sales teams of the radio stations will handle their sales independently."

Malhotra of Big FM shares that following the alliance, the radio station sees no extra deployment of manpower or resources because as a network, Big FM is adequately staffed. The only requirement is to work on synergy of scales to deliver the desired results.

SK Jain, managing director, Rangila FM, says, "Our radio station in Raipur will benefit from the presence of national brands, facilitated by Big FM. Now, advertisers will be able to cover huge landmass in this potential market of Eastern India through a single window."

Jain feels that the strength of Rangila FM is the huge following that it has created in Raipur-Durg-Bhilai belt, with a strong flavour of local programming. The bonding with the listeners will enable Rangila FM and Big FM as partners to explore meaningful and effective rural activations in various rural clusters in the state.

With the sales tie up, Big FM also hopes to catapult the available business opportunity in Tier II and Tier III cities by bundling the business and offering on-ground solutions and activations to potential advertisers through the group's division, Big Rural.