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By A.MATTHEWSDate Submitted: Thu Dec 03, 2009
LOS ANGELES, CA - Early next year, a new radio station for South Asians will fill the air. DesiBeat promises to be unique and off the beaten track. Founder and CEO DesiBeat Kumar Gaurav talking with India Journal says, "This is our dream project. I bring Sales & Marketing expertise to this project and the experience of running a business in North America. Our team has over 100 years of Radio and Media experience and some of them were involved with few Indian FM stations from the very start. Our connections in Bollywood will help us in running some unique chat shows and cover live events.
Gaurav was raised and educated in New Delhi and has a dual MBA in Sales and Marketing.He is also the founder of a Sales and Lead Generation company in California , Beyond Codes Inc. and Managing Partner in a Staff Augmentation company.
Introducing his latest project, Gaurav explains, " As they say "You can take an Indian out of India but not India out of an Indian." And no ones knows it better than us living here . So we decided to come up with something that would cater to the needs of others like us residing far away from the motherland. DesiBeat's offerings revolve around this target group. South Asian Americans comprise people from mainly India, followed by Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Burma, Bhutan and Nepal. Even people from the Caribbean, East Africa and Fiji identify themselves as Bollywood music lovers. This population will be astonishing by 2010 which underlines its importance for marketers.
Here are excerpts from an interview:
What was the inspiration and who is behind the idea?
When like-minded creative people come together you know there will be some magic.The team behind DesiBeat is its biggest strength. Living in US, we knew the vacuum here and wanted some connection with the motherland and action back home. Also in the US, the focus of marketers is now shifting from the Baby Boomer population towards the 100 million strong ethnic populations. Undeniably, South Asians form a substantial part of this market in terms of their value to marketers. Bollywood , Music and Cricket is a triangle that connects all of us irrespective of where we live and what we do around the world. I would say the Team behind DesiBeat is its biggest strength. So there is no 1 person but a group behind this idea.
Tell us about DesiBeat team?
DesiBeat brings to the table a team of radio broadcast professionals who will drive DesiBeat's programming and operational success, and reputed sales professionals who will drive the revenue for the channel and add innovative yet effective models to engage marketers with the channel. We bring over 100 years of relevant experience to this project . Hence our team is well suited to excel in this venture
Who is your target audience?
South Asian (Indian + Sub Continent) American market is diverse with rich cultural background. They are highly educated with 64% having a Bachelors degree, and financially secure with a median household income of $61,000 which is the highest among all the ethnic groups in US. Combined, American South Asians represent an annual buying power of $76 billion. This market also represents a young population with 40% being between 20-40 years, with a median age of 30 years. We will be catering to this audience! .DesiBeat will ensure to fill this entertainment gap for this large Diaspora. We feel there is a huge potential and US is still a Virgin Market and needs an Entertainment Ecosystem. The Content will be in Hinglish ( Hindi + English ) and something with which we all can connect, understand and enjoy.
With so much competition in this segment, how do you plan to be different and unique?
Where is the competition? I have lived in Los Angeles for very many years and yet to find one Radio Station which I can play in my car when I go to my work or can listen while working in office or home. Some of the Internet stations are run from home and are not professional. Our plan is to provide the best content and entertainment for our listeners. Our RJs are best in the business and understand both India and North America audience. The content will be customized keeping in mind our North America audience and their likings and preferences. Also our multiple platform strategy will help us to reach out to every household in North America at NO cost! Our website will be an information and entertainment portal for music lovers and they can now connect to their roots and motherland in more ways than one.
Do you think the South Asian audience is still only looking for Bollywood entertainment & music or has their choice widened?
The South Asian market is hard to reach but is well known to deliver better than average discretionary spending power. The challenge for marketers is how to target this influential demographic and get them to engage and respond. DesiBeat will be focused on providing the solution to this challenge for marketers. DesiBeat believes the solution lies in the South Asian community's connect with Bollywood and its Music. South Asians spend an estimated $100 million on Bollywood in US every year. But apart from selected cinema theatres, a few regional non-professional radio stations and a handful of Indian broadcast channels on DirecTV and Dish Network there are no major avenues available for this community to foster this linkage with Bollywood and its music. We strongly feely there is a huge un-met need in this market and for this audience. DesiBeat aims at creating an entertainment ecosystem targeted at the American South Asian population to target this need gap. We will start operating as a radio broadcasting organization with the aim of establishing a nationwide radio network targeting American South Asian population.
Why should listeners tune in to Desi Beat?
DesiBeat is going to be the Entertainment Ecosystem and one stop shop for all information on music , live shows , Chat shows , Celebrity interviews , Cricket live updates , traffic /weather updates in each city , Bollywood Music , Private Albums etc. Also its the only station for the North American Asian Indian Community across Top 10 cities with digital quality output and best RJs and DJs in business. People are only now waking up to Bollywood's true potential. Even mainstream Hollywood is now focusing on what drives this group.
What is the expected launch date?
We plan to launch early next year..we have most of the contracts signed and the team/ Content strategy , Studio in place. We are waiting for some approvals and initial set up stuff to be completed soon and we are all ready to launch.
What is your Business Model?
DesiBeat will be an ideal platform for all Advertisers keen to target the Asian Indian + Sub Continent community. We have identified various models that our Radio Station will leverage. These models include the conventional models like ad slot sales, program sponsorships, In-Program promotion, Local events, contests and un-conventional models like Pay per download, Reality Shows on Radio, On-Air Event Broadcast (restaurant launch covered on radio), Ad Slot Unused Inventory sales where we charge based on per action or per inquiry.We have identified that prospective advertisers on our radio station will belong to the following segments: South Asian companies targeting American South Asians (Banks, Real Estate), American companies targeting American South Asians(Financial, Insurance, Money Transfer) , Local Businesses targeting American South Asians(Grocery stores, motels, jewelers).
Our Focus on marketers is unwavering and it has been our endeavor to come up with refreshing yet effective models for advertisers to utilize our eco system to reach out to their target market.
What will be your Broadcasting Platforms?
We plan to have multiple platforms, which ensure that our target population can gain access to us whatever way they like through numerous touch points. The platforms through which we plan to operate are: FM Radio ( HD), Internet Streaming, Cable and Satellite Channels, Iphone Apps, BB Apps, Podcasts, Inflight Entertainment and many more. We want to take this broadcast to every target audience and thnaks to technology- Platform will not be an issue and everythign should be free. All they might have to spend is a hardware ( like HD Radio or a Car Adapter etc)
Are you still looking for investors?
Yes...this is a Bootstrap operation as of now and we are also aggressively looking for Investors. This will help us reach faster and scale up our operations exponentially. In fact we are in touch with some High Networth Individuals in India and US and some VCs to fund this first of its kind project. We are still looking for the right partner who wants to enter in this virgin market and together we add value for our listeners and Advertisers. I would like to use this platform to invite all those who find this concept exciting and they can get in touch with us (info@beyondcodes.com)
Source: India Journal
Via Yimber Gaviria, Colombia
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