GOOGLE, THE SAVIOR OF MAGAZINES?

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Author: Elgin, BenBeucke, Dan

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WITH ALL THE CONCERN about ads shifting to the Web, guess who's buying up print ads? Google. It expects to make $4 billion in online ad revenues this year, but execs say they aim to sell across radio, TV, and print, too. The first foray into "offline" media began in September, with Google buying ads in magazines such as Maximum PC, PC Magazine, and Budget Living. It divvied up the space and resold it to a few of the several hundred thousand advertisers that buy keywords next to Google Web searches. Now, Google is about to greatly expand the program. Scores of additional magazines have signed up and will soon be promoted as an option for advertisers, say participating marketers.

Google hopes to serve as a nexus between advertisers, publishers, and customers, in all forms of media. The plan is to use its buying clout to negotiate prices and, by offering bite-size space, pull in a new breed of marketers that have avoided pricey print ads. That may prove difficult: Some early participants -- from software makers to a debt-management company -- were disappointed with the ads, which are bunched as many as seven to a page. Google says the program is new and it is working out the kinks.

Copyright The McGraw-Hill Companies, Copyright 2005

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By Ben Elgin

Edited By Dan Beucke