The DRDB (Digital Radio Development Bureau) produces a monthly news bulletin designed to keep all those in the DAB digital radio chain informed and updated on the latest developments in the industry.
2002 Overview
Sales
2002 was a good year for DAB Digital Radio in the UK. Sales of all products increased by 165% year-on-year, and by December total penetration was estimated at 135,000 sets, up from just 50,000 at the start of the year.
Strong Christmas sales saw nearly every digital radio in the country sold, and left many retailers complaining they couldn't get enough stock to meet demand.
Press coverage
Press coverage of DAB digital radio grew progressively throughout 2002, culminating in a bumper month in December when more than 238 different publications ran DAB stories. These included 58 articles in 18 national newspapers, reaching a total of 50.7 million people.
Here are a few of the quotes from the national press in the run-up to Christmas:
- "Digital radios and karaoke machines top Christmas list" - Financial Times
- "A surprise hit this Christmas has been the Evoke digital radio" - Daily Express
- "Here is a digital product which really is different and worth having" - Observer
- "Digital radios have proved popular" - The Independent
- "For radio lovers, there can be no more desirable present. Digital radio is irresistible" - Sunday Telegraph
The product range expanded, presenting consumers with a wider choice of radios in 2002. Early in the year the market consisted almost solely of hi-fi tuners. The focus switched in quarter three to a product with more mass-market appeal, the plug-in portable kitchen radio.
Pure Digital (formerly VideoLogic) launched its Evoke-1 in September and by the end of the year had captured both the imagination and the pocket books of the public. The majority of the 85,000 DAB radios sold in the run up to Christmas were, undoubtedly, Evokes. An attractive price point of £99, on-air radio advertising, and some very positive press and TV coverage all helped to make the Evoke the "must have" Christmas gift in 2002.
December also saw the introduction of the first commercially available hand-held, battery operated DAB digital radio, the DR101 from PersTel. Selling for around £169, this product has been a big hit with the gadgets press and men's lifestyle magazines.
Completing the new range of DAB products available in 2002 was a portable personal stereo combining FM/DAB and CD from Goodmans. The GPS280 launched on December 1 and was nearly sold out across the country by December 31. Priced at £129, the unit comes with a top loading CD player, two line LCD dot matrix display for scrolling text, 10 DAB favourites memory, headphone socket, external aerial connection socket, a telescopic aerial and remote control.
Retailers
Retailer confidence in DAB also grew in 2002. More than 2,000 outlets now stock digital radio products - that's an increase of 350% in twelve months. The mix of stockists includes every High Street multiple, most independent dealers, many department stores, catalogue retailers and online retailers.
The DRDB has delivered nearly 5,000 CD-Rom training packages to retailers around the UK. These are designed to ensure that sales staff understand what DAB digital radio is and how to sell it to consumers. All major retail chains now carry the DRDB designed point-of-sale material.
Leading retailers such as Dixons Group stores and Comet are including generic pages on DAB in both staff and consumer literature, and on their websites.
Consumers
Consumer awareness of DAB digital radio increased enormously in 2002. Much of the credit for this goes to the BBC for its vigorous promotion on both television and radio of the five new national digital radio services it launched in 2002.
On-air radio advertising by the commercial sector in 2002 had an estimated worth of nearly £1 million, which certainly added to the consumer's awareness.
Proof of this new awareness can be measured via the DRDB's new consumer website, www.digitalradionow.com, which is attracting an average of 1,660 unique visitors a day. Consumers are viewing an average of nine pages and spending nearly 10 minutes on the site.
And, in its first ten weeks, the DRDB's consumer help line, 08707 747474, received nearly 3,500 calls from people asking where they could buy a digital radio, and checking what stations they could receive.
New Products
2003 is just six weeks old and already there are two new DAB digital radio products on the market.
PersTel has introduced a new hand-held, portable product to its range. The DR201 delivers DAB/FM and an MP3 music player featuring a 64MB memory and USB connector.
Just 60x84x24mm, the DR201 has a four line full graphic display for programme and station information. Two AA batteries provide up to six hours of listening on the move, and the DR201 also comes with a mains power adaptor. Price around £229.
A new name to DAB products is Ministry of Sound, a company whose interests include an internet radio station, a CD label, the top spot on the UK club scene, and an audio products division. The MOSDR011 from Ministry of Sound is a hand-held, portable DAB only radio selling at around £150.
Measuring 65x100x20mm, this radio is designed to fit into your pocket. The aerial has been integrated into the stereo inner-ear headphones and the MOSDR011 delivers up to 12 hours of continuous listening on two AA batteries.
Control buttons are centralised at the front of the radio for easy navigation, and a joystick keypad allows easy station selection.
More exciting new products are due to launch later in February and in March - details next time.
New Services
BBC7, the fifth and final national DAB station from the BBC, launched on December 15 to much positive press acclaim. Broadcasting the best of BBC comedy, drama and books, as well as daily children's radio, BBC7 is proving to be extremely popular with all ages from grandmas to pre-schoolers and is stimulating many people to buy a DAB digital radio. It's an indication of the consumer's desire for the unique programmes available via digital radio.
Marketing and Promotions News
The DRDB launches its first radio advertising campaign of 2003 in February with a promotion designed to support Ford's commitment to DAB in-car. The ads, which will appear on more than 250 analogue radio stations in the UK, will encourage consumers to visit their local Ford dealer where they can experience in-car DAB via the Blaupunkt Woodstock DAB52 radio.
In just 30 days, more than 1,200 people entered an online competition via the DRDB's digitalradionow site. The prize was a Goodmans GPS280 personal stereo, a Modular Technology PCI card, and a Blaupunkt Woodstock DAB52 in-car radio.
ENDS
The Digital Radio Development Bureau is funded and supported by BBC, Digital One, EMAP Digital Radio, CE Digital, MXR, Capital Digital and Now-Digital. The DRDB's task is to ensure digital radio's wide accessibility and swift adoption in the UK with consistent and effective marketing.
If you have any news you would like included in the next DRDB news bulletin, please email mandy@drdb.org
If you do not wish to receive future copies of this news bulletin please email mandy@drdb.org
Mandy Green
Press and Publicity Manager
DRDB
The Radiocentre
77 Shaftesbury Avenue
London W1D 5DU
020 7306 2636
07973 184995