A mix of unique programming, partnering community based social initiatives and creating innovative solutions for advertisers has helped Al Wisal and Merge FM to establish their clear leadership in the Sultanate's market
Radio advertising in Oman has increased from RO1.94mn in 2010 to RO2.17mn in 2011 - a jump of close to 12 per cent (Source: IPSOS STAT). This increase is largely attributable to the success of Al Wisal 96.5FM and Merge 104.8FM, the Arabic and English radio stations from SABCO Media. Says Eihab A. Abutaha, CEO Communications, SABCO Group, "Third party statistics shows that we have been growing strongly in the radio market. Al Wisal has established itself as an integral part of the community and this has helped in making it the No.1 radio station in the Sultanate. Merge 104.8 since its launch in June 2011, has seen unprecedented growth."
There are a number of reasons that account for the runaway success of Al Wisal and Merge. The foremost being their programming and content. Says Nadim Attieh, Station Manager, Al Wisal and Merge, "If you listen to the radio stations in Oman, they are either purely entertainment focussed throughout the day or they are formal and serious. We try to strike a balance between these two extremes." Keeping this in mind Al Wisal and Merge's programming includes entertainment, sports and weather updates, news, information on the traffic situation, happenings and events around town, social messages, tips on personality development and solutions to everyday problems. Programmes like Chris Fisher in the Morning, the Muscat Drive with Sayeh Stone, and the Lunch Break with Rumaitha, have helped Merge FM, which launched on June 7, 2011, to garner a large market share in a short span of time.
The sequence of programmes through the day reflects the time and mood of the listener. For example, the morning programmes are targeted towards people driving to work and parents dropping their children to schools. The stations give valuable tips on getting better at work, how to raise a millionaire child, negotiating homework better etc. The drive home programmes in the evening are lighter with a lot of music and entertainment, as it is a time when listeners are looking to unwind after a hard day at work.
The programming mix is also attuned to the target audience of these stations. For example, Al Wisal's primary target group (TG) is Omanis in the age bracket of 16-45 years. The secondary audience being Arab expatriates. In the case of Merge the target audience reflects Oman's demographic mix and includes English speaking Omanis and, the Asian community, then, Europeans and other expatriates in that order of preference. The station has worked on creating content based on a strong local insight coupled with an international flavour.
Merge has already won multiple awards as recognition of its strong identity and branding. It picked up a top marketing award at the prestigious Gemas Effies Mena Awards 2011. On the eve of its launch, the station got two silver awards at the coveted advertising Lynx Awards 2011 (part of the annual Dubai International Advertising Festival), for its unique corporate identity and relevant to its image stationary design.
Community ties
Al Wisal and Merge FM's other big differentiation is its close ties with the community. Says Eihab, "At SABCO group, we are clear that our businesses should contribute to the socio-economic development of our nation. This is our vision, and this is what we strive for at all times at SABCO Media. Value and financial success comes as a by-product of how we deliver on our promise. Keeping this in mind our radio stations provide a service that is aimed at educating, informing and entertaining listeners."
To bridge the gap between the people and the government, Al Wisal started a programme called "Muntada Al Wisal" a year back. This daring but relevant show became an instant success. Today, Muntada Al Wisal is by far, the number one show between the hours of 2pm and 4pm. Today, "Muntada Al Wisal" bridges the gap between all segments of our society, by having an open platform of communication and respect.
Al Wisal and Merge's social conscience is also reflected in the number of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes that they have been involved with. In 2009, Al Wisal did a CSR campaign for kids suffering from cancer, asking people to donate things that would make such children happy. The station put 14 boxes at Nawras stalls across town to collect donated items. The campaign met with an overwhelming response with thousands of boxes with toys, movies, music, books and so on being donated.
In 2011 Merge FM, supported high-profile campaigns like the hugely successful Box Appeal with the Radisson Blu and the Dar Al Atta'a 'One Rial' Ramadan campaign. The two radio stations have partnered with campaigns and events of national importance like the Muscat Youth Summit, Safe Driving campaign from the Royal Oman Police etc. Such tie ups engage and add value to organisations that help communities and the needy. Moreover, they also bring these media vehicles closer to the people.
Empirical evidence
A combination of smart programming, targeting the right audience and being closer to the community has enabled Al Wisal and Merge to emerge as leaders in their respective media categories. This was borne out through an independent survey carried out recently at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). The survey measures brand equity, perception and loyalty. Students were given a blank sheet of paper and asked to rank various radio stations on these parameters. Al Wisal came out as the unequivocal No.1 in the survey, it had actually got more votes than Hala FM and Shabab Oman put together.
Eihab raises an important point regarding skewed and biased market research that portrays certain media in a negative light. Says Eihab, "We do our own research and track the market. Our research is different from the self adopted research done by certain media houses or publications in Oman. The core competence of these publications is not research. Secondly, how can one media house do research and judge another media. To give an example, a recent survey by a business publication used a sample size consisting of 90 per cent expatriates to pass judgement on radio stations in Oman. This is a glaring example of flawed research and the use of unrepresentative data, as over 75 per cent of the country's population is made up of Omanis. The chosen sample audience has no relevance to the country's demographics or even pyschographics and hence such research and surveys have no credibility or relevance."
The growing popularity of Al Wisal and Merge's online radio listenership is another indication of their prominence and popularity. Says Nadim, "Most radio stations struggle to get people to listen to them for more than one and a half hours a day, but our online listeners spend close to two hours tuned in to our radio stations. This shows the loyalty that we have created amongst our audience."
Social media provides another good metric to measure the popularity of radio stations. On Facebook, Al Wisal has 3,045 likes, compared to Hala FM's 378 likes (as of March 21, 2012). Merge has garnered 3,197 likes in nine months, compared to Hi FM's 5,656 over the last four years - a reflection of the ground that Merge has covered in short span of time.
Says Eihab, "In terms of advertising we are listening to our clients and what they want. We are going through the process of creating awareness on how radio can be used strategically, and this is being appreciated, most of the time. The other big advantage with our stations is that we own our advertising space and have not contracted it to a third party as some of our competitors." Al Wisal and Merge treat advertising as a part of content helping them to weave ads into their programmes seamlessly, creating more value, for clients. Not content on sitting on its laurels Al Wisal and Merge have drawn up ambitious plans for 2012 and beyond. These include - creating stronger content, being closer to the community, offering creative solutions for advertisers and expanding geographically, locally and regionally. Once executed these initiatives will surely place the two stations leagues ahead
© Oman Economic Review 2012
