Faced with antitrust inspection in the US and EU, and with concerns from some quarters of the advertising business, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) has launched a 28-page new site, yahoogooglefacts.com, to counter “misconceptions” about its upcoming ad deal with Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) with “facts” on “why it is good for consumers, advertisers and publishers”.
The information stresses that “Yahoo (will) remain a vibrant and innovative presence on the internet” (as opposed to falling to a bid from Microsoft). And it likens the arrangement to one in which Toyota makes hybrid engines for Ford (after all, who could argue that hybrid engines are a good thing?). A presentation there urges: “Ad agreement does not need pre-approval. DOJ and FTC have never blocked a non-exclusive commercial deal like this one.”
And Google says neither company will get to see auction prices for each other’s ads. The move seems designed to soften public skepticism about the deal, which Google plans to go ahead with in October regardless of DOJ ruling.