Cornwall's 105 to 107 Itchy FM - Ofcom Licensing
Cornwall's 105 to 107 Itchy FM - Ofcom Licensing
Cornwall's 105 to 107 Itchy FM - Ofcom Licensing
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only through this genuine investment of time in a client’s business will local companies begin <strong>to</strong> trust<br />
the new station and its commercial ability. When our clients recognise that <strong>Itchy</strong> <strong>FM</strong> (on or off-air)<br />
enables them <strong>to</strong> reach a substantial youth audience and that their campaigns result in a direct increase<br />
in sales / awareness / footfall, then we will have succeeded in positioning <strong>Itchy</strong> <strong>FM</strong> at the heart of<br />
Cornwall’s youth economy. We have held numerous meetings with organisations such as Business<br />
Link, Enterprise Edge, the Hub – Youth Business Network and Mid-Cornwall Enterprise Trust, as well<br />
as the regeneration organisations working <strong>to</strong> achieve sustainable economic growth, in order <strong>to</strong> ensure<br />
that <strong>Itchy</strong> <strong>FM</strong> is well utilised by local businesses.<br />
We are incredibly conscious that only such an integrated approach will result in long term success and<br />
profitability of the new Cornish station. IMD Group’s daily experiences with hundreds of local<br />
advertisers support this fact, and the opportunities associated with offering clients a commercial service<br />
far beyond traditional ILR spot sales.<br />
Integrated approach<br />
We fully intend <strong>to</strong> aggregate the various ways the station can add value <strong>to</strong> a client’s youth proposition,<br />
and present this <strong>to</strong> clients in an integrated, easy-<strong>to</strong>-buy manner.<br />
Our commercial strategy from launch will be <strong>to</strong> ensure that sales staff are well trained <strong>to</strong> identify and<br />
understand varying requirements of our clients, ensuring that opportunities <strong>to</strong> offer a variety of radio<br />
based marketing solutions, plus develop valuable additional sales and client trust are not missed. This<br />
integrated approach has been developed successfully by IMD Group in its wider youth media activities.<br />
When presenting <strong>to</strong> local businesses, our sales staff will be encouraged <strong>to</strong> listen <strong>to</strong> the client’s<br />
requirements and then (whether entirely in-house, or alongside local strategic partners), we will define<br />
an advertising / marketing / promotional strategy that will enable the client’s desires <strong>to</strong> be met.<br />
This would always be centred around station activity (on or off-air) but could also include involvement at<br />
station events, use of sampling, data capture or IMD Group’s other local youth media (50,000 <strong>Itchy</strong><br />
Cornwall Guides, 7,500 Cornwall College Student Planners, Poster sites at University leisure venues<br />
and Inside+Out magazine) or via our relationships with local promoters (SW1 Productions) or venues<br />
(including The Green Room music venue, Redruth, <strong>Cornwall's</strong> largest nightclub Berties, and the Koola<br />
Bar in Newquay).<br />
Additionally IMD Group employs local sales staff <strong>to</strong> manage client sales across its poster sites, local<br />
guide books and branded diaries, and these staff would also be trained in upselling radio as part of their<br />
available media mix. Although we would expect this referred activity <strong>to</strong> result in additional sales<br />
opportunities, for the sake of prudence we have not relied on any revenue from IMD Group’s local nonradio<br />
sales staff in Cornwall.<br />
This integrated approach will extend <strong>to</strong> the manner in which the launch team will recruit and train a<br />
multi-skilled team <strong>to</strong> establish the station.<br />
Social Advertising Policy<br />
Aside from the more traditional areas of the business plan, we have developed a pro-bono advertising<br />
programme, in response <strong>to</strong> our local consultations. More so than in other bids the direc<strong>to</strong>rs have been<br />
involved in, Cornwall has some real financial difficulties as highlighted by its Objective One status. As<br />
such, <strong>Itchy</strong> <strong>FM</strong> will offer certain clients free or discounted advertising. We have proposed this service<br />
<strong>to</strong> a variety of socially focussed businesses or support groups, non profit organisations and local<br />
charities with resounding success.<br />
IMD has set up this Social Marketing Fund for the station <strong>to</strong> support not-for-profit organisations and<br />
charities. We have presented our ideas <strong>to</strong> a series of local membership organisations whose members<br />
are involved in youth support activities (Acorn Community Theatre, The Hub Young Business Network,<br />
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