Far from resting on its PPC laurels, Google is breaking new ground in advertising, writes Diane Francis of
The New York Sun. It has now announced three deals with three different high-profile
broadcasters: Fox Interactive, MTV and XM Radio. The three companies have agreed to let Google provide search technology for their Web sites and sell ads on the sites in return for a cut of earned
revenue. Google plays all sides of the deal, as an ad technology vendor/provider, a key ad resource for direct marketers, a key revenue driver for Web publishers, and now, a distributor of media
firms' content. So what happens if the company really decides to move into the media buying and selling business? The perennial question still lingers: "Is Google friend or foe?" Ask Google's Patrick
Keane, head of ad sales strategy, and he'll say "friend." The truth is, it depends on whom you ask (try eBay). The answer is probably closer to "neither." The Web giant is now publicly traded, and
enjoying sustained momentum during a down period for tech stocks. The pressure to perform each quarter is great; the slightest disappointment could cripple share prices, as Yahoo can attest. Google
will do what is necessary to keep momentum going, regardless of whether that means severing ties with friends.
Read the whole story at The New York Sun »
