Gaydio will offer targeted spot ads, sponsorship, event partnerships and online display and bespoke ads for local and national advertisers wanting to reach a LGBT audience in Manchester on FM, and nationally online.
Gaydio launched last Friday with five foundation partners, comprising Manchester Airport, marketing body Marketing Manchester, Manchester City Council, the Lesbian & Gay Foundation, and Manchester Pride.
As part of the Manchester Airport partnership, Gaydio is to produce a monthly travel show that will feature destinations accessible from Manchester Airport, and will report on issues relevant to the LGBT community.
Ian Wallace, founder and business director of Gaydio, said: "We made a decision not to take spot ads initially, to make sure we get everything right and give listeners a chance to sample the station."
He added: "We are aware that there are a lot of commercial radio stations in Manchester and some ads can turn people off. We are keen to develop ways that will add value for both the listener and the advertiser. The key is to make sure the ads deliver real positive benefits."
Gaydio aims to build its audience and awareness of the brand through partnerships with magazines and websites, and is working with Village Drinks, the social networking community for gay professionals, to sell the benefits of working with Gaydio.
Gaydar launched as a gay radio station in 2003 and is currently broadcast online and on DAB on the Sussex coast, and in London, with a dance and pop-focused playlist targeting men in the 18 to 34 age group.
Wallace said: "Gaydar is great at what it does, but Gaydio aims to be a bit broader in terms of its music policy and the age we are targeting. We think brands from the leisure, travel and health sectors will benefit from advertising with us."
Wallace added: "A lot of the media targeting the LGBT community in Manchester consists of magazines which are distributed in bars and clubs. They go out to a specific demographic, but we are there for advertisers who might want to an reach older and possibly more affluent audience."
Gaydio's new business development manager Stuart Graham will start on Monday (28 June).
.jpg)
.jpg)