Wednesday, June 02, 2004
Google and the trades
Advertising Age has an article on Google's impact on trade publications:
"Google has created a revenue stream from being the card catalog or the newsstand, not the magazine," Mr. Kenealy said. Those he addressed at the ABM convention "have spent less time than they should looking at what search does to the seeking and finding of specialized information."
Others see the matter more bluntly. "If Google can slice and dice [information]," said one b-to-b publishing executive, "and give highly qualified users to very targeted advertisers, then what do you need a trade publication for?"
Well, er, original reporting?
As I suggested earlier, trade publications should develop their own version of Google paid links to accommodate small businesses.
They should also promote their stories with bloggers to extend their audience.
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3 comments:
I agree with your observations regarding the needs of IDG and others to offer advertising solutions to small businesses, but I don't know if that is directly related to the concerns Pat raises. I believe Pat's point is this: Today, Google actually supports business-to-business publishers via the revenue it generates for and shares with them via Adsense. However, if you begin to anaylize the underlying economics and fast-developing trends (primarily that Google today has $200 million of business-to-business advertising revenue that has to come from somewhere and the company is about to have some deep, deep pockets of cash) then what does that portend for the future? Pat's company, IDG, is a multibillion dollar enterprise employing hundreds of staffers and hundreds more free-lancers, who create vast amounts of content that is linked to and discussed by the rest of us. Google merely (and elegantly) helps us navigate the mountain of information that IDG and others collect and provide free online. The question that Pat is asking. Indeed, the only issue that he is raising, is this: Is it in the best longterm interest of IDG to, in effect, support Google's syphoning of business-to-business advertising revenue away? I think if one reads the story carefully and listens to what Pat says, he doesn't really have any answers. I certainly don't. I think, however, he raises an interesting (yet esoteric, perhaps) hypothetical question.
Rex Hammock
http://rex.weblogs.com
Well, suppose there was an IDG version of Adsense? Where small, micro, advertisers could buy ads based on search links within the IDG empire? Then IDG could take back some of that advertising money.
Alice Marshall
Presto, Vivace Inc.
Technoflak
But why put ads on IDG only when you can put ads on multiple sites/networks? Your plan, Alice, is great for IDG but not necessarily helpful for everyone else. Supporting one network's need for survival isn't necessarily what's best for the flock.
Tom Biro
themediadrop.com
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