Google Expands into Radio
Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Two previous competitors - Radio and Internet - could now forge new paths for success as collaborators

BIA Financial Research (BIAfn) believes that Google's acquisition of dMarc Broadcasting is an indication that Radio is still viable as a strong advertising medium.

In the late 90's, as the dot coms were attempting to attract visitors to their sites, Radio did a very good job of getting people to take a look. Now that the Internet business has matured, it is taking a hard second look at legacy media in order to make itself a larger player in the advertising world.

In regards to Google specifically, they have announced their intentions to extend targeted-advertising technology beyond the Internet, and their collaboration with dMarc Broadcasting will likely benefit the radio advertising business. Using dMarc's trafficking and sales technology that allows companies to schedule, deliver and track advertisements, Google can now create a new radio AD distribution channel along with its Internet channel for advertisers.

By embracing radio into its plans, Google is both validating itself as evolving into the "media space" from the "Internet space" which in turn revalidates that Radio continues to serve as a valuable niche in this evolving ecosystem.

Steven Levingston, a Washington Post Staff Writer, recently spoke with Mark Fratrik, VP of BIAfn, to explore Google's newest business acquisition. As Fratrik explained, "The arrangement combines two niche advertising media - Internet and Radio - with Google's ability to laser focus on the tastes of consumers. Now, advertisers looking to connect with men in the 18-34 age bracket, for instance, could buy time on the appropriate radio stations and complement the exposure by buying space on Websites that cater to the same age group."

Mark continued, "Radio's been around for 80 years, and it's been a strong advertising medium. This is a signal that it's still around and viable - and with this tool, it will continue to be very viable."

To read the Washington Post Story, please click on the link below:
Google Buys Company To Expand Into Radio
By Steven Levingston
Washington Post