The hot new frequency in Limpopo

“Part of our marketing campaign was to make the brand visible and active before the launch. We had an outdoor campaign where we had 80 billboards in all entrances of all the cities in the province and major taxi ranks. We partnered with most major events in the province to keep the brand active,” says Simphiwe Mdlalose, Capricorn FM station manager.

“By August 2008, with only eight months on air Capricorn FM had already captured more than 48% of Polokwane City radio audience, which represents 60% of the black market in Polokwane. That shows that Limpopo has been thirsty for an entertaining and informative radio station that focuses on the province.

Focused

“We focused on being innovative and fresh, as [a] new entrant in the market. We had always been confident of the station's popularity; figures will go a long way in strengthening Capricorn's position in the market.”

Radio critics have been comparing the success of Capricorn FM to YFM, saying that Capricorn just filled a gap that was already there. The sustainability of the high numbers has been questioned - even when YFM started, listenership was high.

Contends Mdlalose, “Capricorn is not the YFM of the Limpopo province; we are not a doof-doof radio station but an energetic radio station that plays music of yesteryear. You could say we are a combination of Kaya FM combined with Metro FM and the deliverance style is almost similar to that of YFM.”

The station boasts a number of DJs who formerly plied their trade in Rosebank, Johannesburg: popular comedian Ashifa-Shabba Muleya, Josias Ncube, S'khumbuzo Mbatha, Bothwell “BK” Matewe and Mpho Melato.

Continues Mdlalose, “Content includes talk shows, current affairs, gospel, hence we are a blend of Kaya and Metro FM. We cater for the young but don't leave the old out. We were awarded the Professional Management Review Award for excellence in overall entertainment. The station was also placed a credible second in the best news and current affairs category.”

Advertising pie

Getting a slice of the advertising pie always poses challenges for new players, as media buyers prefer to spend their money at established radio stations based in the economic hub of the country, Gauteng. So how has the fledgling station gotten around this?

“We partnered with the provincial and national governments, which have programmes that require a call to action. Our strategy was to form these partnerships with government and be seen as a station that communicates and caters for the people they are targeting. We [did] that because we knew that a lot of blue-chip clients will only respond once they have seen the figures,” explains Mdlalose.

“Despite the uncertainties, companies such as Absa, Standard Bank and MultiChoice took a risk with us by coming on board early on,” says Mdlalose, “and now that we have the audiences we hope to attract a lot of clients and continue to deliver quality content.”

Listeners of Capricorn FM fall within the LSM 6 - 10 brackets, an indication that Capricorn FM represents a new and powerful medium for advertisers to reach audiences with a buying power in the Limpopo province.

“We have positioned ourselves as a lifestyle brand that caters for the urban audience, which is our core target audience, and we also cater for the aspirational market, which is mainly based in rural areas. The spillage to the Mpumalanga province, where we have 120 000 listeners, proves that we are not saying we are a Pedi, Venda or Tsonga radio station but a lifestyle group,” he points out.

“We are looking forward to welcoming new clients who have not been exposed to the brand,” concludes Mdlalose.