Major advertisers protest Google-Yahoo search advertising deal

Computerworld - A trade group that represents large national advertisers like Ford, Sara Lee, Wal-Mart and Pepsi has sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice objecting to a proposed Google-Yahoo search partnership.

The Association of National Advertisers -- which represents 400 companies that spend more than $100 billion annually in advertising -- said yesterday that it sent the letter to Assistant Attorney General Thomas Barnett after what it called a comprehensive independent analysis of the deal, under which Yahoo Inc. would run advertising from Google Inc. alongside its search results.

In a post on the organization's Web site, ANA President and CEO Bob Liodice said the letter contends that "a Google-Yahoo partnership will control 90% of search advertising inventory" and expressed "concerns that the partnership will likely diminish competition, increase concentration of market power, limit choices currently available and potentially raise prices to advertisers for high quality, affordable search advertising."

The Justice Department is reviewing the four-year deal, which Yahoo has estimated will generate $250 million to $450 million in operating cash flow during its first 12 months, and up to $800 million annually in subsequent years.

When contacted for comment on the ANA's objections, representatives from Yahoo and Google sent Computerworld a list of URLs to news stories and Congressional testimony of advertisers and advertising agencies that have thrown their support behind the deal.

"Numerous advertisers have recognized that this agreement will help them better match their ads to users' interests, and that ad prices will continue to be set by competitive auction," noted Adam Kovacevich, Google's senior manager of global communication and public affairs, in a statement.  "While some have raised questions about the agreement's potential impact on ad prices, advertisers care far more about getting a good return on their advertising dollar than they do about buying cheap ads that don't bring in customers. This agreement will clearly help advertisers reach Yahoo users more efficiently."

Yahoo added that it is disappointed in the ANA position. "Yahoo remains steadfast in its belief that this deal -- in which prices are determined by advertiser demand-driven auctions, and not by collaboration between Yahoo and Google -- will strengthen Yahoo!'s competitive position in online advertising and will help to drive a more robust, higher quality Yahoo marketplace for our advertisers," Kovacevich's statement went on to note.

In a post on MarketingPilgrim, a blog site that focuses on Internet advertising, Andy Beal said that the sheer volume of advertising dollars spent by ANA members like American Express, Bank of America, American Airlines, Anheuser-Busch, General Motors, Hasbro and Johnson & Johnson might catch the eye of DOJ regulators.