Coles and dmg Radio launch Coles Radio

14 million Australians is a fairly hefty listening audience, which executives at dmg Radio Australia will no doubt be hoping to capitalise on as they launch Coles Radio: a bespoke digital radio station which will stream throughout 750 Coles supermarkets, reaching their 14 million weekly customers.

Cathy O’Connor, dmg Radio CEO said, “This partnership with Coles is a demonstration of dmg’s broader focus on leveraging its skills in broadcast and content creation beyond its own radio brands. We are thrilled to be creating an innovative and world class in-store and digital radio experience for Coles and in joining with them to market the service to advertisers.”

Simon McDowell, Coles Marketing and Store Development Director, echoed this sentiment, adding, “dmg Radio Australia are the experts, and it is great to be working together to create a unique digital music platform.”

Making this move even savvier is that there will be seven separate streams, tailored to each state and territory. This will allow for differing playlists, and – more vitally – localised advertising. 

To kick off the promotion, Coles asked staff and enthusiastic customers to nominate their top ten “classic” Australian songs*, to be blasted from Coles Radio in-store nationally this Sunday – which also happens to be Australia Day.

The top ten songs soundtracking your frantic search for coleslaw this Sunday will be: Down Under – Men At Work, Working Class Man – Jimmy Barnes, Better Be Home Soon – Crowded House, Great Southern Land – Icehouse, I Still Call Australia Home – Peter Allen, You’re The Voice – John Farnham, New Sensation – INXS, Saturday Night – Cold Chisel Dumb Things – Paul Kelly, The Horses – Daryl Braithwaite.

It will be interesting to track whether more supermarket and radio network partnerships emerge in the coming months.

*The list features two songs written by Americans, one penned and sang by a New Zealander, a song about domestic violence, and another about the nightlife in Kings Cross – which has recently been in the media due to a spate of violence incidents.