In a move designed to step up its commercial activity, Chrysalis
Radio has formed a special panel to act as a sales think-tank.
The 'sales board' was formed to come up with new sales initiatives
across the group's national network. And sales directors from the
Midlands and the North will look to move Chrysalis into the emerging
online and digital markets.
'We need to explore partnerships both in radio and online that we can
develop in the coming months,' said Don Thomson, commercial director at
Chrysalis.
When the group took its sales away from national saleshouse Katz in
April 1996, it set up its own inhouse sales operation and now has a team
of 29. Chrysalis Radio Sales then signed a deal with Century Radio to
sell airtime for three Century stations in the London market. It is now
looking for similar alliances to build on its sales operations.
'The Century Radio deal gives us bundles of additional revenue,' said
Gerard Bridges, London sales director and newly appointed board managing
director.
The creation of a new board has resulted in promotions for Chrysalis's
three London sales controllers, who now become account directors. Polly
Anderson will take charge of the Galaxy brands in London, Siobhan
Smullen takes on the Heart brands and John Legg will oversee the Century
Business in London. Other members of the board will include Miriam
Nevill and Steve Parkinson, marketing directors of the Galaxy
brands.
In addition, Ande Macpherson has moved from his post as programme
controller of Galaxy 105 to the newly created position of content
director of Chrysalis Radio Online.
The move follows last week's online developments, when Chrysalis spent
over pounds 1 million on the launch of its client and consumer sites,
hot on the heels of Virgin, which recently launched its Extranet site,
and Capital Advertising, who launched the first online radio site in
Europe.
The Chrysalis consumer site will cover two local Heart franchises and
five local Galaxy stations putting out live radio coverage over the
web.
The client site, still at a basic stage of development, lists the
station's advertisers, while visitors can view client ads or download
sales presentations if required.
