When Google officially bought DoubleClick on March 11, 2008, one could have seen this coming. In fact, many did; but were unsure what form it would take. Along with DoubleClick came their Affiliate network known as Performics; which is one of the oldest networks, started back in 1998.
In actuality, Google already owned one of the largest affiliate networks; Google Adsense. The only difference was that it operates on a cost-per-click basis. Traditionally, Affiliate Marketing is conducted on a cost-per-action or cost-per-lead basis.
Many people were unsure how Google would proceed with Performics. On June 30th, 2008, Google and DoubleClick made it official, releasing this statement:
“We are pleased to introduce Google Affiliate Network. Effective Monday, June 30, 2008, DoubleClick Performics Affiliate will operate as Google Affiliate Network. The integration with Google’s brand is a reflection on efforts to quickly assimilate our business and teams, as well as reinforce Google’s commitment to the Affiliate channel. Together with our new colleagues at Google we are creating new opportunities for monetization, expansion and innovation in Affiliate Marketing.”
So there it is. The Google Affiliate network has been born. Personally, I think this can be good for Affiliate Marketing as an industry. Along with Google comes credibility and recognition which can help to attract new advertisers and publishers to this channel. Performics has a history of attracting some big names and that shouldn’t change. With the potential influx of new merchants, there will be more choices for publishers. Advertisers will have to take their program t the next level to keep the affiliates they have and to attract new ones.
With that being said, you can probably expect the other affiliate networks to step up their game as well. One thing that this shows is that Affiliate Marketing is here to stay. So in order for other networks to compete and maintain their market share, expect improvements and innovation. Going up against the big G can be tough. Just ask MSN, Yahoo and the likes.
The changes to date have been minimal. The reps at Performics now have @google.com email extensions and the interface was given a face lift to reflect Google’s look and feel. Currently the platform will still be hosted on Connect Commerce, but will eventually be migrated to a google.com product url. Once that happens, you should be able to incorporate the Google Affiliate network into your current Google account.
In conclusion, this is an exciting time in the Affiliate Marketing industry. I think the majority are hoping that this brings new technologies, increased competition, improved service and more selection. Only time will tell…
Since Google’s proposed purchase of DoubleClick for $3.1 billion back in April, it seems as though the internet world has been waiting to see how congress would react to the purchase. Congress has finally shown its first reaction. Congress claims they plan to analyze Google’s proposed acquisition of DoubleClick to determine the potential impacts on consumer privacy and competition in the online advertising business.
With the announcement of its $3.1 billion acquisition of DoubleClick, Google seems poised to lead the online advertising industry like never before. DoubleClick offers Google a wide technological expertise coupled with practical domination of the display advertising market.
DoubleClick is to display advertising what Google is to search, and in making this purchase Google has made an exponential leap forward in the entire online advertising market.
While estimates of the total market share aren’t definitive — by the very nature of the partnering, it is apparent that this deal is monumental in scope and potential impact. And it’s not only Google that can benefit, but rather each member in the cycle: publishers, agencies, advertisers, marketers, and internet users each have an incredible opportunity to profit from this deal.
Up until this point, online advertising has been made up of a couple multi-faceted but wholly divided playing fields: content & search vs. display & banners…the groups have existed separate but relatively equal, until now. Google plus DoubleClick equals the blurring of those independent categories into one comprehensive mix.
This acquisition, combined with Google’s forays into the traditional sectors of radio (including its just-announced deal with Clear Channel), print, and television, stands to increase ad relevancy for users. In addition, by monetizing multi-channel, multi-form advertising at a level that’s accessible to a wider business audience, Google is expanding the advertising and marketing reach of companies that may not otherwise be able to enter into the realm of display advertising. And, though some competitors may argue otherwise, this acquisition will benefit publishers with a more reliable and steadfast platform through which to receive ads.
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