Smooth FM Rolls Out Regional Television Campaign

Guardian Media Group’s Smooth FM is embarking on the second phase of its £1 million launch campaign with a regional television campaign targeting listeners in the North West.

The three-week push will focus on the station’s trademark lava lamps, which will be shown lining the street as a car cruises along to the sound of Marvin Gaye’s soul classic I heard it through the grapevine.

The television campaign will launch in the Granada region on 20 September with the support of an extensive outdoor blitz featuring a series of bus backs and wrapped taxis designed to drive listeners to the fledgling easy listening station.

Commenting on the initiative, GMG Radio chief executive, John Myers, said: “The launch creative worked incredibly well for us, providing huge brand appeal. The innovative and unexpected way in which the lava lamps are used in the new commercial continue the theme and will help us continue to build the station’s audience.”

GMG’s 100.4 Smooth FM launched on 2 March this year to a potential audience of 5.3 million people in the Manchester, Merseyside, Lancashire and Cheshire region. It replaced the ailing Jazz FM North West, which had seen listening dwindle in the face of increased competition in the area (see GMG Appoints Clear Marketing For Smooth FM Launch).

The latest RAJAR listening figures for the three months to June 2004 reveal a solid start for Smooth FM, which recorded an initial weekly reach of 330,000. The fledgling station is claiming a market share of 2.3% and 2.6 million hours of listening each week.

Guardian Media Group: 020 7278 2332 www.gmgplc.co.uk

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