“We Are Building Content Ecosystems For Brands”: Anurita Patel On The Future Of Audio Advertising

Anurita Patel is a prominent figure in India’s radio and audio entertainment industry, known for her expertise in programming, content strategy and audience engagement. As National Programming Director and EVP at Radio City, she has played a key role in shaping the network’s programming vision and driving innovative, listener-focused content across markets.

With a deep understanding of evolving audience preferences and media trends, Patel has helped Radio City strengthen its position in an increasingly competitive audio landscape, while continuing to champion the relevance of radio in the digital era.

In this exclusive interview with loudest.in, Patel talks about radio’s emotional connect, evolving advertiser trends, and the future of audio in a digital-first, creator-led landscape.

Here are edited excerpts:

Radio has survived every wave of disruption, from television to streaming and short-form content. What do you believe the medium still understands about human connection and music culture that digital platforms often miss?

I think you’ve just said it right. One of the most important things radio has,  something many other mediums, no matter how algorithm-driven or digitally savvy they are, do not,  is the element of surprise. You never completely know which song is going to play next.

That, combined with the human connection, is what makes radio special. Like you said, an RJ comes in and talks to you about what’s happening in your life, in the city you live in, the play you may want to watch, or the song you may want to hear. Radio also gives listeners a glimpse into the lives of stars who visit the studios, creating that real touch-and-feel connection.

So I think radio is far beyond just music. It offers a sense of companionship that other mediums either cannot provide or can only provide partially, because so much today is algorithm-driven. I’m not saying radio is not data-driven,  of course it is. Programming itself is very data-driven. But what keeps radio strong through every wave of transition is emotion and genuine connection.

The sense of surprise and human connection is radio’s biggest strength. It creates unexpected moments, and I think listeners truly love that.

Brands are increasingly using music and audio storytelling to build deeper audience engagement. What trends are you observing in the way advertisers approach radio today?

As brands increasingly look to music and audio storytelling to build deeper audience engagement, radio networks are evolving beyond traditional broadcasting into integrated content and marketing ecosystems.

Speaking about changing advertiser expectations, representatives from Radio City said radio today is no longer confined to on-air programming alone, with brands increasingly seeking multi-platform storytelling solutions that combine radio, digital, social media, influencer marketing and on-ground activations.

According to the company, advertisers are now approaching radio as a medium capable of delivering emotional connection, local relevance and audience trust while also extending campaigns across newer formats such as AI-generated content, chatbots, gamification and influencer-led storytelling.

Radio City said its strategy has increasingly focused on building integrated business solutions tailored to client requirements across platforms of their choice.

We are not just integrating solutions through radio anymore. We are building content ecosystems for brands that extend into digital, on-ground experiences, gamification and even chatbot-led engagement.

Among recent examples highlighted by the network was its collaboration with Muthoot Finance, where Radio City developed a storytelling-led advertorial format voiced by its RJs and influencers. The stories, broadcast on radio as branded content pieces, were later converted into AI-generated videos and distributed across the network’s social media and digital assets.

The company described the campaign as a “360-degree integrated plan” combining radio storytelling, influencer engagement and digital amplification.

Radio City also pointed to a recent collaboration with Universal Music Group around a retro-themed branded property titled “JB Vibe.” Hosted by RJ Gaurav, the show features vintage music and storytelling-led content built around Universal’s music catalogue.

The network said the initiative demonstrates how music and storytelling together can create stronger emotional engagement for audiences and brands alike.

Apart from entertainment-led campaigns, Radio City also highlighted issue-based storytelling initiatives as an important part of advertiser partnerships. One such campaign focused on cybercrime awareness in collaboration with brands including Federal Bank and Kotak Mahindra Bank.

The special programming featured dramatized storytelling segments, RJ-led conversations and expert interactions discussing cyber fraud awareness and prevention.

According to the network, the continued relevance of radio lies in its ability to combine music, storytelling and local connection with a strong emotional quotient.

Brands are increasingly using radio to build that last-mile touch and feel. Storytelling, influencer culture and emotional connection are things radio has always done naturally.

Radio City added that while radio continues to evolve technologically with video integration, curated playlists and digital-first formats, its core strength remains its ability to create authentic audience engagement through human connection and local storytelling.

With podcasts, streaming platforms, and creator-led audio booming, where do you see traditional radio fitting into India’s larger audio entertainment economy over the next five years?

So, we have podcasts, nearly 80 of them, which we produce in association with Triton Digital, one of the largest distributors in the world. All our podcasts are available across more than 160 streaming platforms, and that has become another strong business avenue for us.

As I mentioned earlier, we are building specialised spaces for clients as well. We have seen very interesting engagement with real estate and fintech clients because we understand those audiences deeply and have developed expertise in those categories.

Then, of course, we have RC Live, through which we curate, build and produce live events. We recently collaborated with Kabir Cafe in Rajasthan, and that turned out to be a big success for us.

We are also exploring our presence in spoken-word content, areas that are naturally aligned with who we are at the core, but which also open up multiple new avenues for growth. We are the OGs of private FM in India.

Radio City was India’s first private FM station, and we’ve spent over two decades becoming a cultural companion for generations,not just listeners, but audiences at large.

Looking ahead, I think the future lies in going far beyond radio waves and evolving into a complete 360-degree audio-visual experience for businesses and audiences alike.

As you mentioned, our podcasts are available in both regional languages and Hindi. Personally, I’ve always believed that once an RJ, always an RJ. A part of me always wanted to build something around conversations and meaningful participation.

So I wanted to create something that was not restricted to a niche. I wanted to build a platform driven by perspectives, where I could interact with people whose viewpoints truly matter.

Slowly and steadily, it evolved into conversations around relationships and wellness, wellness in every sense: mind, body, heart and soul.

It became a freewheeling conversational format, and fortunately, it received an incredible response. Last year, my podcast was among the top-rated podcasts on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. This year, it also received recognition at the ACF awards in the sex and relationships category.

But it’s not just that one podcast. ‘Teri Meri Kahaniyaan’ also won Gold recognition. It’s a micro audio-drama built around relationships,whether between husbands and wives or couples, exploring themes of love, emotions and modern relationship dynamics. That has done extremely well for us too.

We are also now building another podcast with one of the most popular contemporary dance personalities, and we are very proud of these associations. They have been performing very strongly for us.

With podcast streaming platforms and creator-led audio booming today, I believe traditional radio is naturally evolving into India’s larger audio entertainment economy

Do you believe radio will continue to remain relevant over the next five years, or do you see its role evolving significantly in the changing media landscape?

So, I’ve been giving this analogy to people who have asked me this question since 2009 , from the time private television came in, then podcasts, and now every new platform that emerges.

In Mumbai, there’s a saying that no matter how many flyovers you build, there will always be a traffic jam. And that essentially means that no matter how many new streams of entertainment, competition or platforms emerge, radio’s relevance is never really going to disappear.

Of course, the medium evolves. It changes shape and form. There may be saturation in certain markets. I wouldn’t say radio is equally exciting everywhere in the same way it is in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. But our scope of work and our relevance continue to remain intact because, at the heart of it, we are storytellers and content creators.

Nobody understands content better than radio. In fact, if you look at many social media influencers today with millions of followers, a large number of them still continue to use the word ‘RJ’ in their identity or titles even after moving beyond the medium. That’s because those two letters still carry credibility, familiarity and emotional connection.

So I don’t see the evolution of media as a threat. I see it as an opportunity. Yes, you have to stay relevant. You have to evolve, transition and sometimes even diversify. But to ring the death knell for radio? I don’t think so.

AI and technology are beginning to influence content creation and audience behaviour. Do you see this evolution enhancing radio creativity or challenging the human warmth that defines the medium?

I remember when AI first became a major conversation in music and media, there was a lot of concern around whether it would compromise creativity, music production and the human experience itself. But I think radio, at its core, has always been about emotion.

So, I’ve always seen AI as a facilitator. I’ve never looked at it as something that will simply eat up jobs. I’m sure people once said the same thing about computers,  but eventually, we just became smarter in the way we used them. AI is similar in that sense.

For better or worse, people today are turning to AI for conversations and emotional support too. I know so many people who say they don’t even need someone to talk to anymore because they can chat with AI at 3 a.m. It has become that late-night companion for many.

But what I’m saying is that while AI has its benefits, it still cannot replace genuine human connection. You can type things out or even speak to it, but it cannot truly respond with the emotional understanding that a human being can provide. Too much automation eventually takes away that human warmth.

And radio, for me personally, has always been about warmth,  the warmth in a presenter’s voice, the spontaneity of live conversations, and the emotional connection we build with the city we belong to. A bot cannot feel for a city the way a human can. It cannot genuinely experience local culture, emotions or companionship the way an RJ does.

The local relevance, the emotional connection and the sense of companionship that radio provides , I don’t think AI can fully replicate that. If you overuse AI in content, it still begins to sound robotic, at least for now. What truly makes radio special is the human connection.

That said, I completely believe AI is a massive opportunity. In fact, we also have an AI RJ called Sia at Radio City. She can do brand endorsements and talk about trends, and we are experimenting with those possibilities as well.

But I still believe AI cannot replace HI, human intelligence. If you rely too heavily on AI, you risk losing intimacy and authenticity.

At the same time, we are actively using AI across processes to improve efficiency , whether it’s monitoring content, building content frameworks, checking authenticity or identifying fake news. It helps us generate consumer insights, study listener trends and analyse audience behaviour much faster.

Today, you don’t necessarily need large marketing agencies to provide every insight because AI tools and deep searches can already tell you a great deal about consumer behaviour and trends. We are using those insights to create better experiences for audiences, consumers and brands.

Personally, I think AI is fantastic and can definitely enhance creativity. But the original thought, emotional depth and storytelling journey still need to come from human beings.

We also use AI intelligently in music and branded content creation. For example, while we don’t use AI to compose jingles directly,  because we have musicians and music directors for that , AI is extremely useful for references, mock versions and creative direction.

Since copyright is such an important issue, we are careful not to create anything that resembles copyrighted material. AI helps us create rough samples, voice references and demo versions that we can present to clients before the final human-produced version is recorded.

So, AI becomes a strong base layer to improve efficiency and showcase ideas faster. Everyone today is using AI-powered tools for presentations and creative workflows. The key is to use it intelligently and not become overdependent on it.

Sometimes people rely too heavily on AI, and that can become a problem. That’s why I believe in using it sparingly, but smartly.

Looking ahead, what does the future of Radio City sound like, more creator collaborations, live music experiences, regional storytelling, digital-first formats, or an entirely new audio model?

The radio industry needs to come together to fully realise the incredible pool of talent we have , not just in storytelling, but also in technology, background scoring, music production and the overall craft of building audio experiences.

Looking ahead, I think the future is extremely exciting , bright, brighter and perhaps the brightest it has ever been. As listeners and audiences evolve, we are also being pushed out of our comfort zones to stay one step ahead of them.

Today’s audiences want content that feels personal, relatable and accessible everywhere. And we are constantly trying to make ourselves available to consumers and audiences on the platforms of their choice.

For Radio City specifically, our core focus has always been music, but equally important is building hyperlocal culture alongside our creators and influencers, who are among our biggest assets. Regional storytelling is becoming increasingly powerful, and if we do this right, I genuinely believe the future is beautiful.

As for upcoming collaborations, I’m not at liberty to share details right now, but I can definitely say that we are heavily focused on building more storytelling-led opportunities.

Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets are especially important for us because we believe they are incredibly fertile spaces for innovation and new forms of engagement. With the economy evolving, consumer spending in these markets has grown significantly, and access to content and entertainment is very different from what it was 10 or 15 years ago.

Audience behaviour in these regions is also changing rapidly. At the same time, many of these markets still have limited entertainment resources, and that is where radio continues to play a very important role.

At Radio City, we want to explore every possible medium to take content, music and radio experiences to audiences in these markets. That is a major part of our vision for next year and, hopefully, for many years ahead.