The Targetspot Value Proposition

      Doug Perlson, CEO of our portfolio company Targetspot, has penned an opinion piece in Forbes about monetizing online audio that does a great job of explaining what Targetspot is and why it matters.

      I particularly like this paragraph:

      Yet, ironically, this is exactly the type of high-quality online
      inventory that advertisers are asking for–it is associated with major
      media companies with respected brands in their own right. Furthermore, with all the ad
      clutter on a given Web site (display, video and text–sometimes all on
      the same page), Internet radio advertising offers a unique ability to
      cut through the noise and deliver a message that is both literally and
      figuratively heard
      . It’s a high-impact medium that has only recently
      opened up to the advertising masses through advanced technology
      solutions.

          #My Music#VC & Technology

          Comments (Archived):

          1. Bruce Barber

            Fred,Would Targetspot be a good fit on a site like this?www.thereallifesurvivalguid…I produce six audio “segments” a week for a radio show I independently produce for Connecticut Public Radio. I feature each segment on the Website (along with an excerpt) and I’m trying to figure out how to monetize the site….and for what it’s worth, I’m also trying to figure out how to get more people to comment…Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

          2. Ethan Bauley

            I was so impressed by Doug’s response to my fears/criticism of TargetSpot when you announced the investment last year. Here’s the meat of his post for anyone else who wants to read about the DNA of markets/networks/communities in action:”Our business models have all been based upon 5 min of ads per hour of programming, but up to the broadcaster to decide. But at 5 min, there should be significant monetization. As for the types of ads, that too is up to the broadcaster. Our system allows the partner to exclude certain advertisers or types of advertisers – and again think it will depend on the partner. While I agree that it may not make sense to have a plumber advertise on an indie rock station with a young demographic, it may make sense on an oldies station targeted to a zip code of single family homes. And since the advertiser can measure their performance through click throughs, trackable phone numbers, etc., if the ad doesn’t work, it probably won’t run very long.”I am waaaaaay long TargetSpot.http://www.ethanbauley.com/…Go on with your bad self, USV.