Radio company to make web waves

By DITA DE BONI

The Radio Network (TRN) will launch into the hotly contested online advertising arena today with an agency designed to spice up the web.

TRN initiative Bluechilli is an alliance of local players Lynley Marshall, Diane Maxwell (ex-Saatchis), and NetX, one of Australia's top three online advertising companies, and will aim to "combine an understanding of brands and creativity with knowledge of the net."

Also on board is adserver DoubleClick, providing information on targeting, reporting and the highly contentious "post click analysis."

TRN is owned by United States company Clear Channel Communications, APN News & Media and the Wilson & Horton Group.

TRN is also expected to announce online plans for its other two independent business units soon. The network's radio advertising agency - The Radio Bureau , which handles about 85 per cent of all of the medium's advertising placement in the country - will launch a website in July. TRN's Independent Radio News is also preparing an internet site for distribution of news.

Bluechilli will be based at the TRN headquarters in Parnell, but is "a completely separate business from our radio advertising agency" says Ms Marshall, director of independent business units for TRN.

"We will be going directly for advertising agencies with our service. Many of them are being expected to come up with comprehensive solutions covering a host of different media, but for some agencies that is not possible or practical. Some simply don't have the resources to develop comprehensive online products themselves.

"Still others focus on the web development side, and clients find their actual advertising needs are not being met. We will pitch our business for the perspective of advertisers."

Bluechilli's team acknowledges the online advertising area is starting to become very hotly contested.

Ms Marshall predicts Bluechilli will turn a profit in two years.

The new agency's above-line advertising account will be held by Bates Palace.