The importance of replacing and targeting ads on radio streams

In the US, broadcasters have no choice but to replace ads on their streams with ads designed for those streams (legal reasons, of course).

Abroad, however, the choice is not so easy.  In many countries the streams may freely mirror the over-the-air stations.  In fact, some stations like things this way since it theoretically helps to buttress their ratings numbers by adding a (redundant) distribution channel to the already existing one.

In this short video, I take apart that logic and argue, flat out, that stations should NOT settle for this (lazy) strategy.  It sells short a broadcaster's future for what are presumed to be short-term benefits.

I also argue that the primary benefit of replacing ads is that you can target specific individuals rather than a faceless mass audience.  

Advertisers will increasingly trade larger audiences they know less about for smaller audiences where their messages can be tailored to the specific individuals most likely to respond to them.

This snippet is from my presentation last week at the Radio Days conference in Copenhagen.  

I'll have more clips from this presentation over the next couple weeks.