GMG targets older listeners with Smooth Radio rebrand

LONDON - GMG Radio launches a multi-million pound advertising tele-ision, outdoor and ambient advertising campaign this week to push the rebrand of Smooth Radio, which is expanding further into the regions and changing its music focus and presenter line-up.

GMG targets older listeners with Smooth Radio rebrand

The advertising push for the radio network will feature some of the biggest artistes to be played on the station, who will morph into each other as they perform selected greatest hits.

Buddy Holly becomes Diana Ross who becomes Rod Stewart in the TV activity for the brand, which will run during this month and April and feature well-known favourites such as That'll Be The Day, Baby Love and Maggie May.

The Guardian Media Group bought the radio arm of Saga last year and is rebranding the regional radio stations as Smooth Radio.

The Smooth brand will replace Saga in Glasgow, the East and West Midlands and the North West of England, and 102.2 Smooth FM in London will also alter its name to simply Smooth Radio.

A fifth Smooth station will be launched in North East England later this year.

Traditionally targeting the 65-plus market, the newly rebranded Saga stations will become part of the Smooth network, which is now aiming for the 40 to 50-something age range.

Previously, the 102.2 Smooth FM stations had a slightly younger target audience.

Smooth's music output is also shifting due to the change in target demographic and will shift from being a predominantly soul music station, to focus on music from the last five decades.

The campaign for the rebrand was created by Clear Marketing Communications and will use six-sheets, bus backs and liveried taxis in their individual regions to promote the new network of stations, which GMG believes will provide a welcome commercial alternative to BBC Radio 2.

John Myers, GMG Radio chief executive, said: "When our stations launch we will dominate the local media in each region with a striking campaign that cuts through the clutter and gives an instant flavour of the sound of Smooth radio."

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