SouravSharmaDotCom

In 2007 many big giants like Google, Microsoft and WPP acquired various small and healthy companies. We can call it an intelligent strategy as if you think they can give you a good run for your money, it’s always smart to either put them out of the business or buy them. And Google, Microsoft has done like that only.

Here is the list of most popular acquisitions of 2007

Google:

• DoubleClick - $3.1bn (£1.5bn) - April

The deal gives Google a big display ad client base, and some estimate the company will control 83% of the contextual ad market after the deal goes through.

• AdScape - $23m (£11.8m) - Feb

Adscape’s technology allows advertisers to place ads within games, as well as giving marketers the ability to measure ad performance. It doesn’t have any game publisher customers yet, but the deal gives Google the patents for Adscape’s technology and the experience and contacts of the current management team.

Yahoo:

• RightMedia - $680m - April

Online ad exchange Right Media acts as a stock market for publishers, networks and advertisers to trade inventory. More than 20,000 buyers and sellers use the platform daily.

• Blue Lithium - $300m – September

This deal added around 1,000 sites to the web giant’s Publisher Network, while Yahoo! also got hold of BlueLithium’s behavioural targeting technology, which should enable its clients to serve more relevant ads.

Microsoft:

• aQuantive - $6bn – May 2007

This deal gave Microsoft ownership of ad technology provider Atlas; interactive agency AvenueA/Razorfish; and Drive PM, which provides targeting tools for internet advertisers and publishers.

• AdECN – undisclosed - July

AdECN operates a virtual marketplace for display advertising, similar to the Right Media. It will also compete with the exchange set to be launched by Google after the Doubleclick deal.

• ScreenTonic – undisclosed - May

The software giant has created a new ‘Advertiser and Publisher Solutions’ unit to promote its online ad platforms to publishers and brands and carry the fight to arch-rivals Google and Yahoo!.

AOL:

• Adtech – undisclosed - May

The acquisition of Adtech provides the company with an ad serving platform which serves web publishers in 25 countries and allows them to manage and report on their online ad campaigns.

• Tacoda - $275m - July

Tacoda, located in New York, operates an online ad network based on behavioural targeting, and will be used by AOL to glean user data from its sites and those of its publishing partners.

• Quigo – $340m (£162m) - Nov

Quigo, which supplies search marketing tools and contextual placements on sites such as Time’s digital properties, will be integrated into AOL’s newly-formed Platform A ad network.

• ThirdScreenMedia - $80m – May

A mobile advertising network and ad-serving management platform provider.

WPP Group:

• 24/7 RealMedia - $649m (£329m) - May

The deal will strengthen WPP’s position in online advertising, giving the group added technology and search marketing skills, as well as a presence in Asia.

• Blast Radius - undisclosed - October

Blast Radius, which employs 400 staff, is an interactive agency with experience in building ad campaigns for social networks. It will be aligned with WPP’s Wunderman network.

• Schematic -$100m - September

Schematic specialises in creating ‘branded experiences’ on emerging digital platforms. It was recently hired by ITV to design its video-on-demand service and has also done work for the likes of ABC, MTV, CNN and Time Warner.

Omniture:

• Touch Clarity - $51.5m – February

Touch Clarity provides behavioural targeting tools – some UK banks have been using this technology.

• Visual Sciences - $394m – October

Formerly known as WebSideStory, Visual Sciences provides real-time customer intelligence and enterprise web analytics solutions.

iCrossing:

• Spannerworks - £10m - February

Less than three months after Spannerworks’ main UK search competitor Bigmouthmedia merged with Global Media, UK search marketing agency Spannerworks was acquired by the US digital agency.

• Proxicom - undisclosed - July

The acquisition of the web development agency created the largest privately-held global digital marketing company.

Digital Marketing Group:

• Graphico & Hyperlaunch - £12.1m – July

Graphico, a full service digital agency with expertise in mobile marketing was acquired for £8.6m, while the deal for digital creative marketing agency Hyperlaunch was worth £3.6m.

Source: eConsultancy