When does a technology company begin to look like an ad agency?
As Google released its AdPlanner at the ARF Conference today, ComScore steps up to the plate to defend its panel-based projections for website demographics.
Nothing new here. One can argue ad nausea the merits of either rating games and no one will win the battle. It’s a battle that deflects attention from the intent of the eight-hundred pound gorilla to step up its media game. Indeed, it’s not a battle for Google that sees its entry into the agency landscape as an all out, if not precipitously quiet, war.
If not for the vociferous suspicions of WPP Group CEO, Martin Sorrell, Google may well just win the war to “disintermediate” agencies in the ad game. Google’s “iterative” process to provoke change at the agency and client level comes as no surprise when they posture themselves as the agent of positive and efficient ROI.
While Google maintains its desire not to be in the agency business, nor displace and eventually replace media reps, what it desires and what will occur are two very different things.
Has Google been reaching out to the agencies? No, not really. Calls to Google (yes I had to reach out to them) were politely returned and meetings held. I concluded that they were ill-equipped to sell through at the agency level, lacking integration with client objectives and overall marketing goals.
Frankly, they don’t quite “get it” . . . . yet.
As for Sorrell . . . .”the greater the doubt, the greater the enlightenment”.