Chris Lawson, Absolute Radio's brand director, was brought in to relaunch the station. ‘Those first 60 days were the most challenging of my career, but also the most rewarding,' he says.
But those rewards have been slow in coming. Absolute's debut Rajar figures showed that the station had lost one-fifth of its listeners since the rebrand, although the latest results reveal that it is starting to recover some of that lost ground.
Lawson, aged 37, fits the profile of the typical Absolute listener, and describes himself as ‘a reluctant adult'. He is frank about the challenges ahead, and clear in his view of Absolute as not just a radio station, but an entertainment brand, too.
‘Our strategy has been to get the brand out there on as many different platforms as possible, and digital is a critical part of that. Absolute is a music and entertainment brand with audio at its core,' he says.
This is a sensible approach if the station wants to grow - it is broadcast nationally on an AM frequency, and although listeners in London can tune in to an FM frequency, the quality of signal outside the capital has caused problems. Since its launch in September 2008, Absolute has moved nearly half of its listeners onto digital platforms. This far exceeds the industry's 20% average.
‘It is important to take the brand to listeners where they are. We target a 30-plus audience that wants to engage with media in a variety of ways,' says Lawson. He demonstrates the point by pulling out his iPhone to show how easy it is to access the Absolute application.
In fact, there are 51 ways to access the station. Its YouTube channel has had more than 1m views since its launch, applications have been created for social media networks such as Facebook, and the station's podcasts have been downloaded by 1.5m people.
Another focus for Lawson, of course, is to turn the Absolute brand into a money-spinner. Branded content and strategic partnerships are at the heart of this. ‘Already our audience buys a significant amount of tickets from us,' he says. ‘We will be at the Isle of Wight Festival, the Blur gig in Victoria Park, and Hard Rock Calling, which Bruce Springsteen, The Killers and Neil Young are headlining. We will be at the V Festival and are aiming to broadcast a lot of that content live over the radio.'
This commitment to live music could help Absolute to finally exorcise the ghost of Virgin Radio. Some consumers are still confused as to the status of the latter, and Lawson admits this is most apparent on interactive channels such as YouTube. ‘You get some people saying "who is Absolute Radio?", and then someone else will say "it used to be Virgin Radio, check it out".'
Such discussion around the brand is perhaps apt given the conversational approach it adopted at its inception through its One Golden Square blog. ‘We talked about what we wanted to happen to the brand, and it was read by staff, listeners and industry commentators,' says Lawson. ‘It got us talked about online and allowed people to say what they wanted to change.'
The station's playlists are also posted online for listeners to discuss, and Lawson has instigated a policy of giving them the chance to visit the station and sit in on playlist meetings. Two seats are reserved for the purpose each week.
Given Lawson's background, his direct approach toward listeners is no surprise. At English Heritage he concentrated on direct marketing to attract supporters to the organisation, as well as working on loyalty schemes to engage donors. He subsequently worked at BT and then Safeway, both prolific users of direct marketing, before joining Emap as a digital marketer.
‘I spent eight years at Emap [later bought by Bauer] on the digital side. Throughout my career it's been about developing direct relationships with consumers, and that's very much what I've taken with me along the way,' he says.
Lawson's experience of digital marketing set him up well for his role at Absolute. He is well-versed in the importance of championing digital media, and cites the BBC as having played a big part in its progression. ‘It's fundamental that the BBC puts the weight of the licence fee behind digital radio, and uses its ability to promote the platform,' he says.
He describes digital as being at the ‘heart of what we do', and, when asked about the station's owner, Times of India, hints at further development of the brand in the UK and beyond. ‘We are the first overseas acquisition for Times of India. It is successful in India and its ambitions don't just rest with us being a radio station in the UK,' Lawson says. ‘It is very much about us consolidating what we do as a brand and then moving that forward.'
For now, Lawson has enough on his plate in getting the Absolute brand out to a wider audience in the UK. He says he will not be happy until the station has the same level of awareness as its competitors.
‘There is a huge radio audience out there that we just haven't accessed yet, which is currently listening to BBC radio or some of our commercial competitors,' he adds. ‘I want this audience to sample our brand, see what Absolute stands for and give us a go.'
As well as his record of communicating directly with consumers, Lawson's enthusiasm for music is another benefit to his employer. He talks animatedly about the 40 live sessions Absolute has hosted since its launch.
‘We've had people including Coldplay's Chris Martin, Paul Weller and the Manic Street Preachers, through to new bands such as Glasvegas and Florence and the Machine, playing downstairs in our "Zoo", which is in Absolute Radio's staff canteen,' he says.
With 49% of listeners already accessing the station digitally, Absolute has a unique opportunity to lead radio into its inevitable future. The station might have been compelled to rush through its rebrand, but only time will tell if it can pace itself for the rest of the journey ahead.