Hello, is anyone listening?
2017 was an exciting year for radio - never have we seen so much activity in the industry this decade. First, Mediacorp shut down Lush 99.5, then it rebranded 938Live to 938Now. Shortly after, SPH Radio announced that it was launching Money FM and Hao FM in 2018. Later in the year, Mediacorp, started aggressively promoting its Chinese stations. It's 2018 and we are just getting started.
Money FM's Branding
Even before Money FM 89.3 started broadcasting, it was promoted on the Straits Times and The New Paper (owned by SPH) via ads and sponsored articles. Here are some of them:
Green is an understandable choice for a business station, but the graphics might be a little too dull for a business station which also wants to talk about how you should enjoy with your money. The ads look like they came right out from a business presentation.
Still, I acknowledge their effort in decorating the deejay profiles with (rather awkward) patterns. Some will call it cheesy, but I think it's a good try.
Thankfully, they soon retired the clipart icons and patterns in exchange for a more modern style which is relevant to its identity. The slanted lines are an extension of the italicised wordmark in the logo, which makes the identity come together cleanly.
Hidden symbols in logos are not new, but it seems like Money FM is not intentionally hiding its arrow between its 'E' and 'Y'. The 'E' was clearly edited to fit the arrow, but despite the manipulation, the arrow still looks flimsy. A bespoke arrow might have worked better, to represent growth (upwards) instead of moving forward (sideways). After all, upward arrows are what traders want to see.
Hao FM's Branding
For all you non-Chinese speaking folk, 好 means good, and its slogan reads 'good music, good FM'.
The turquoise/gray combination gives off a feeling of zen, which is also aided by the casual and round script used for the logo. Hao FM's primary target audience are those who like to listen to good ol', pre-Internet era Mandarin songs. As such, many who tune in would likely come from Generation X and above. This logo fits the demographic perfectly.
Hao FM's marketing has been on point right from the start.
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| Pre-launch of Hao FM. Words translated as "almost done" and "almost ready", making 好 puns. |
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| More 好 puns - “a great feeling on this journey" and "the present is beautiful" |
Hao FM's merch are full of goodness as well.
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| T-shirt reads "good friends", "you're great" and "very blessed" |
The Chinese New Year posts on Instagram were nicely done - how can you find fault with pastel colours? Fantastic ang bao design too!
The station's causal and colourful identity is attractive and would draw people in, but the same thing can be said about Mediacorp's Chinese radio stations. After 23 years in Chinese radio broadcasting, Mediacorp's new campaign aims to refresh the image of each station to cater to younger audiences.
Mediacorp's Chinese Radio Push
Love 97.2FM, Yes 933 and Capital 95.8 FM have been around for a long time - Mediacorp just celebrated 23 years of Chinese radio. All 3 stations have nice, modern logos rolled out over the past few years and this campaign adds additional colour into their already exciting identities. The campaign consists of large billboard posters, videos and lots of TV and outdoor ads.
By tidying up each identity to create a strong and cohesive voice for each station, Mediacorp definitely knows the benefits of consistency in branding.
Mediacorp also created a web-drama featuring its Chinese deejays called Dear DJ. Not exactly sure where promoting listenership of Chinese radio comes to play, but I think Mediacorp wants to develop each deejay's personal brand. That way, when you support the deejay, you will support him/her on-air too, right?
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| Dear DJ on Toggle |
Is radio still a thing?
When I asked my friends in their 20s if they listen to radio, they said only when they are in the car. Some won't actively, turn on the radio, while others sarcastically asked what radio is (we're young, but not that young).
The truth is, although it seems like it belongs in the 20th century with many new technologies, particularly visual ones, gaining popularity, listenership in Singapore is still growing strong. Listeners are also slowly turning to digital radio and Internet apps, demonstrating the level of support for local radio.
Hao FM seems like an unlikely station to be popular on social media, but it is. Its Facebook page boasts over 10,000 likes despite having been on-air for less than 2 months. I'm sure more business people have Facebook accounts than Gen Xers, but Money FM has yet to see the level of online success which Hao FM has.
As long as people tune in, advertisement revenue will also flow. Till then, expect SPH radio and Mediacorp to bring their best to the table, because there are only so many ears to fight for in our small nation.
Eh, don't bluetick leh, leave a comment. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram as well!
The truth is, although it seems like it belongs in the 20th century with many new technologies, particularly visual ones, gaining popularity, listenership in Singapore is still growing strong. Listeners are also slowly turning to digital radio and Internet apps, demonstrating the level of support for local radio.
Hao FM seems like an unlikely station to be popular on social media, but it is. Its Facebook page boasts over 10,000 likes despite having been on-air for less than 2 months. I'm sure more business people have Facebook accounts than Gen Xers, but Money FM has yet to see the level of online success which Hao FM has.
As long as people tune in, advertisement revenue will also flow. Till then, expect SPH radio and Mediacorp to bring their best to the table, because there are only so many ears to fight for in our small nation.
Eh, don't bluetick leh, leave a comment. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram as well!
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