Google Data

I've blogged before about Google's view that our acquisition of DoubleClick will lead to better, more useful online advertising for consumers, and more choices for advertisers and website publishers. We have also seen that the acquisition has been followed by significant investment, innovation, and competition in the online advertising world. Just yesterday, for example, Microsoft announced that it had added 20 new advertising clients after closing its acquisition of aQuantive, a DoubleClick competitor. We see this as yet more evidence that companies are competing in the online advertising space and the free market.

With the the Antitrust Subcommittee of the Senate Judiciary Committee taking a look at online advertising later this week, we thought you'd appreciate seeing what several independent folks have said about competition in the online advertising space and about the DoubleClick acquisition:

Los Angeles Times - Editorial
"The market for advertising online is still in its infancy… And neither Google, DoubleClick nor anyone else dominate the emerging market for video advertising, which in the broadband era may emerge as the most effective and lucrative sector yet." (Los Angeles Times, Editorial 4/17/2007)

Financial Times - Editorial
“Google and DoubleClick are different kinds of business. Buying DoubleClick does not increase Google's share of the total web audience, a more meaningful measure of the market.” (Financial Times, Editorial, 5/25/07)

James B. Stewart, Columnist, Wall Street Journal
"For starters, Google and DoubleClick aren't direct competitors. Google specializes in online search and accompanying text ads. DoubleClick specializes in so-called web display advertising, especially video. It's hard to see how the combined companies would dampen competition when they don't compete to begin with." (Wall Street Journal, 4/18/2007)

Thomas Eisenmann, Harvard Business School
“If the merger is approved ‘there ought to be room for multiple players’ in the online advertising space…’Natural monopolies are very rare, and this is not one of them.’” (Technology Daily PM, 7/18/07)

Andrew Frank, Analyst, Gartner
"'It seems there is a clear distinction between Google's business and the business it is entering with the acquisition of DoubleClick,'..If so, Google is not acquiring extra market power through the proposed deal." (Financial Times, 4/16/2007)

John Deighton, Professor, Harvard Business School
"Google has had a long history of resisting the impulse to exploit individual surfing histories. I think they understand that it's even more important to show that restraint now." (Los Angeles Times, 4/17/2007)

Gene Munster, Senior Research Analyst, Piper Jaffray
“Fears that advertisers are worried about sharing info [between Google and DoubleClick] are likely overblown.” (Note, 4/23/07)