Commentary

On dMarc, Get Set

Plenty of high-flying enterprises have fallen by sticking too closely to what they've already accomplished and missing chances to blaze new trails. Google seems intent, even obsessed, with avoiding this fate. Starting out as a search technology firm, it has quickly morphed into an online advertising giant now taking on all media.

That's one way of explaining the search giant's acquisition of dMarc Broadcasting, a digital solutions provider for the radio industry, whose technology automates functions connected with selling, buying, and scheduling radio ads. The firm's automation software allows a potential advertiser to search for a particular set of criteria, ages, or demographics when executing an ad buy. Google plans to integrate dMarc's platform into its AdWords platform, which will create an integrated online and radio ad distribution channel for Google advertisers.

The dMarc deal allows Google to offer its ad customers a package that now includes radio. While it will become easier for advertisers to use Google to buy both radio and online ads, Google may also be able to stake out the budgets of big radio advertisers, giving them an attractive platform to which to migrate their spending online. Long term, the move may also position Google to snare a share of the heretofore undeveloped stream of online ad spending for podcasting and Internet radio.

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