UK Digital Radio Operator Appoints Marketing Agency

Digital One, the national commercial digital radio group, has appointed The Change Agency to manage its launch marketing as the drive to increase the presence of digital radio begins (see RA Advertises Digital Radio Licence For Manchester). The Change Agency’s brief is to form a structure for the group’s marketing resources and shape the brand which will be launched into the market across the year.

The Change Agency’s managing partner, Jonathan Obermeister, will run the operation in partnership with Digital One’s chief executive, Quentin Howard. Obermeister will also be directly responsible for the group’s marketing interests over the next couple of months until a full time marketing director is appointed.

Obermeister left his post of group communications director at ad agency AMV three months ago to launch Change. Commenting on his new post, he says: “This is an ideal project for us – a complex intellectual challenge… Digital One has many different avenues for developing its business, in partnership with new and established radio stations, hardware manufacturers, retailers and other technology and service providers. This isn’t just about marketing a new medium, it’s about managing a whole new coalition of interests.”

Digital One, an alliance between GWR Group and cable company NTL, was the only applicant for the national digital multiplex licence when it was advertised by the Radio Authority last year (see Radio Authority Awards Digital Radio Multiplex To Sole Applicant). Talk Radio was also part of the consortium but later dropped out after new owner Kelvin MacKenzie said he would prefer to concentrate on providing content rather than running the multiplex . Ginger Media Group was also a founding member of the consortium, but pulled out over an apparent disagreement concerning the consortium’s structure (see Ginger Leaves Digital Consortium)

National digital commercial is set for launch in October this year when Digital One will offer 10 free-to-air services including the existing national stations, Classic FM, Virgin and Talk Radio. “The launch of Digital One will be crucial to the success of digital radio in the UK and I am pleased that we have the expertise of The Change Agency behind us in the run up to the biggest revolution in radio since the medium began,” says Howard.

GWR Group: 0171 284 3000