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Bupa International taps into internet radio
28 April 2003
Bupa International is once again leading the way when it comes to communicating with people. Beginning in May (and running for a month), Bupa will run 30 second spots on two internet radio stations - Virgin Radio online and Classic FM - a medium that up until now has been underused.
Internet radio is relatively new, but usage is growing dramatically all over the world. Traditional AM/FM frequencies only broadcast locally or nationally, which severely limits the audience Bupa International can reach. Furthermore, until now, truly global radio stations have been ones such as BBC World Service, which don't take advertising.
Bill Ward, director, general manager of Bupa International said: "This is a new area for Bupa International. The fact that this digital form of radio can be accessed via the internet, and is therefore totally global by nature, means that radio is very powerful for us."
Virgin Radio (www.virginradio.co.uk) has the same content as Virgin Radio in the UK, apart from the advertising, which is specifically placed for a global audience. Every time a Bupa International radio spot comes on, a banner ad will flash up on the Virgin Radio homepage and listeners will be able to click through to the Bupa International website for more information or a free quote.
The content on Classic FM (www.classicfm.com) is also the same as what a UK listener would hear. However in addition, for one month, Bupa International will exclusively sponsor the 'player' software that is needed on the person's PC to enable them to listen to Classic FM online. As soon as the user clicks to load the radio station online, the player loads on their machine and the Bupa International spot will automatically play for 30 seconds, alongside a banner ad which listeners can click onto.
"It is an exciting technology and we anticipate that it will allow us to reach a larger market," says Bill.
Virgin Radio is the world's most listened to online radio station and Classic FM is the second largest classical music station online and the 7th largest global online radio station.
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