Publicis revealed limited details of the collaboration last week, saying that the two companies were planning a “talent exchange” to share their respective creative and technical know-how. But behind the warm words, sceptics are wary of Google’s real intentions.
As they should, Google views them as technically backwards firms that have some larger clients, in Google’s opinion, these agencies do not deserve those clients.
Google has always maintained it has no desire to become an advertising agency, but Sorrell has seen it as enough of a threat to refer to it as a “frenemy” in the past. Last week, he suggested that Publicis’ partnership with Google lacked substance and indicated a “bit of an Achilles’ heel when it comes to technology” on the part of the French advertising group. Levy hit back, calling Sorrell’s comments “really cheap”.
Sure Google doesn’t want to be an advertising agency, they want to remove the industry entirely.
Their vision of the future is not exactly filled with WPP’s and Publicis Ad Agencies, it’s filled with small marketing departments that fill massive pay per click budgets. With automated tools, it’s our guess that Google can totally wipe out the entire second layer that Ad Agencies have inserted themselves in online. Google’s stance appears to be ‘Ad Agencies don’t belong on the Internet’. Honestly, we can’t blame them.. we share that view as well to a point.
Put it this way, the 20% over spend plus hourly shouldn’t be going to WPP or Publicis or whoever.. it should be going to Google. To them it means that clients are spending 20% less than they should be spending.
And the best part of the Interview:
Mark Howe, Google UK’s head of sales, says: “This [deal with Publicis] dispels the myth that we are trying to disintermediate agencies. Agencies are our friends and allies.” He adds that those claiming that Google is a threat to the industry know “little” about the company. “There will also be a bit of back-biting from a few agencies because they did not get there first,” he says, adding that Google wants to help the advertising industry understand how it works.
trying to disintermediate agencies………. now that’s hot… great phrase.
