SITI-FM and Relax FM/Microsoft Dynamics CRM for management of commercial work of radio stations

The Moscow information radio CITY-FM and musical radio station Relax FM starting at the beginning of 2006 are investment business projects of M-PUL + management company which in turn is a part of Gazprom Media holding.

SITI-FM represents the Moscow information radio station which is round the clock broadcasting at a frequency of 87.9 FM since February 1, 2006. The basis of broadcasting of SITI-FM is formed by the Moscow news, reports, reports of weather, operational information about a situation on capital roads, news of consumer market and also the latest federal and international news. Website of http://www.city-fm.ru radio station

The musical radio station Relax FM which is round the clock broadcasting at a frequency of 90.8 FM appeared in the broadcasting market on April 18, 2006. On a wave of Relax FM comfortable melodious music of Lounge, New Age and Smooth Jazz styles with impregnations of popular ballads and soundtracks of the movies corresponding to the general mood of radio station sounds. Website of http://www.relax-fm.ru radio station

For short time of the presence in the market of CITY-FM and Relax FM radio station managed to take serious positions in the Russian media rating. According to TNS Gallup Media (February-March, 2010), every day in Moscow the radio receivers on Relax FM frequency configure 393 thousand people, the weekly audience of the station exceeds 1 million listeners, on SITI-FM frequency daily – 395 thousand people, weekly – about 800 thousand listeners.

Both radio stations are serviced by the general infrastructure, including services of sales, productions, marketing, administrative personnel

CITY-FM and Relax FM radio stations appeared in the Russian market of broadcasting when that was already created. Musical radio stations by the time of a project startup of Relax FM were already presented at the market in a huge number and a variety. There were in 2006 and information radio stations. Therefore to new radio stations high requirements both in terms of radio content, and in terms of sale of their advertizing opportunities – the only source of revenues of radio stations were initially imposed.

Terms of reaching self-sufficiency of the SITI-FM and Relax FM projects starting in 2006 with a difference in 2 months were designated rather strictly – 2008. For the purpose of increase in efficiency of commercial work of the CITY-FM and Relax FM radio stations having uniform services of sales and marketing by the management of M-PUL + Ltd (the founder of SITI-FM and Relax FM) the decision on implementation of the unified information system of customer relationship management on the basis of the solution Microsoft Dynamics CRM was made.

"Commercial success of radio stations in particular focused on narrow target audience, is defined first of all by the competent organization of sales of broadcasting advertizing time. Audience of SITI-FM and Relax FM, despite absolutely different radio content, listeners of middle age with active living position and at the same time make very solvent. Thus, advertizing opportunities of both projects are rather interesting to advertisers, but, considering a high competitive situation in the broadcasting market, we are forced to increase efficiency of commercial work constantly. By our estimates, implementation of the CRM system is capable to increase much quality of operational work, level of customer service and profitability of sales".

Earlier for management of relationship with advertisers in commercial service of CITY-FM and Relax FM radio stations, along with standard office applications of Microsoft Excel, the system written specially under the order for maintaining the customer base of data was used. However neither separately, nor together these solutions could not provide full sales management of broadcasting advertizing time taking into account quality requirements, efficiency and accuracy of the information.

For increase in efficiency of sales the decision on implementation of a full-function CRM system was made. After carrying out the analysis of the CRM solutions presented at the Russian market the management of management company gave the preference to the Microsoft Dynamics CRM software product. Among the key factors which influenced the choice of Microsoft Dynamics CRM as a corporate CRM system of CITY-FM and Relax FM radio stations, the management of M-PUL + Ltd were called: the low cost, broad functionality, integration about Microsoft Outlook and a possibility of implementation of flexible configuration of the solution according to corporate regulations of business sales processes and marketing.

Sales opportunity of the CRM project in 2-3 months that also was one of requirements when choosing a system, was provided by specialists of the NORBIT company which became the partner in implementation and the Microsoft Dynamics CRM setup on CITY-FM and Relax FM radio stations.

"Successfully to enter the Moscow market of broadcasting, investments into the equipment and promotion differing in the high competition insufficiently – it is necessary to use the most modern management models. Understanding importance of the high level of technological support of work of radio stations, as one of solutions we selected Microsoft Dynamics CRM. This system is focused on increase in efficiency of commercial and marketing services and its implementation is intended to help our business to achieve the results determined by shareholders".

In total in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system 25 employees, including 15 specialists of commercial service of CITY-FM and Relax FM radio stations, 8 people from marketing department and also the management of M-PUL + Ltd work.

Functionality of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, implemented in commercial service CITY-FM and Relax FM, includes storage of all information on advertisers, including the history of interaction with them, management of a contracted work (maintaining contracts, accounts, annexes to agreements and other) and also efficiency analysis of sales and financial performance of commercial work of radio stations.

For automation of corporate regulations of work of commercial service of CITY-FM and Relax FM radio stations in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system additional opportunities were implemented, including: ensuring multilevel segmentation of advertisers on the industries and implementation of the automated tools for calculation of discounts, the VAT and total sums of transactions.

For the purpose of increase in efficiency of operational work of managers in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system by specialists of NORBIT company developed functionality for maintaining monthly and annual plans of sales by radio stations, managers and departments of commercial service. Creation of the mechanism of automatic reminders on approach of crucial events in a sales management chain, somehow: end of validity period of agreements, lack of a payment on accounts, need of sending acts and other, allowed to increase quality and efficiency of work of commercial service and to improve control procedures of completion dates of works on the signed agreements.

Development of specialized reports for the analysis of financial performance of work of radio stations, including volumes and sales pattern of broadcasting time allowed the management of management company M-PUL + Ltd to estimate authentically commercial opportunities of both projects and to develop optimal schemes for development of radio stations according to the delivered plans. For the most complete and critical evaluation of quality and efficiency of works on sale of advertizing time in a system reports for the analysis of activity of work of managers of commercial service were configured.

"Process sales management of broadcasting time for radio stations on specifics of the organization of commercial work is very close to sale of promotion services. Having experience of automation of similar business processes (the project for ID "Alpina Business of Axle boxes"), we could not only implement in a short time Microsoft Dynamics CRM in commercial service of CITY-FM and Relax FM radio stations, but also to propose to the customer the most effective solutions for automation of operational, commercial and managerial work".

Implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM in commercial service of CITY-FM and Relax FM radio stations allowed to improve the organization of works on sale of broadcasting advertizing time and to create conditions for the most effective development of service of marketing and sales, namely:

• provide information support of processes management of a contracted work due to consolidation of data on contracts and accounts and implementations of the automated instruments of calculation of discounts, the VAT and total sums of transactions;
• simplify work of managers, increase control of completion dates of works due to creation of opportunities of maintaining sales plans of broadcasting time;
• implement new management tools sales for increase in reliability of efficiency evaluation of customer service
• increase the accuracy of assessment of scales and volumes of commercial work due to maintaining detailed information on advertisers.

"Implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM in commercial service of CITY-FM and Relax FM radio stations allowed us not only to increase efficiency of sales of broadcasting advertizing time, including quality and efficiency of interaction with advertisers, but also created necessary conditions for development of commercial service. Thanks to consolidation in a single system of all information on advertisers, contracts, sales plans and implementation of the automated instruments of control of work of commercial service we managed to increase the accuracy of assessment of execution of financial plans and to simplify operational work of managers".

Now the CRM system of CITY-FM and Relax FM radio stations includes standard functionality of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM system on sales management and marketing, additional developments and functional settings of a system which were made for the purpose of ensuring the most effective information support of sales processes. However in the future possibilities of the CRM system of CITY-FM and Relax FM radio stations can be expanded due to completion of functionality of Microsoft Dynamics CRM for management of work with radio listeners and holding specialized marketing actions.

The NORBIT company presents the leading examination on development and deployment of CRM solutions on the basis of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM software product at the Russian market of CRM. The NORBIT is the only Russian Microsoft partner having the status Premium Partner in the Microsoft Dynamics CRM direction and the winner of competition of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Awards 2007-2008 "5 Stars".

In a company asset three largest implementations of Microsoft Dynamics CRM in Russia - VSK Insurance House, the Energy balance group and Afisha company and also industry CRM projects for the leading players of the Russian business: LANIT group, Alpina Business of Axle Boxes Publishing house, CITY-FM and Relax FM radio stations, KA of "DOMELI" and others.

Industry CRM competences of the company are concentrated in the industries information technologies, personnel services, insurance, power, trade and distribution, publishing and media industry. Specialists of NORBIT company also have experience of design and implementation of information CRM solutions for the trading and distribution companies, the investment and financial sector, telecommunication companies, advertizing agencies, realtor business and car dealers.