Google cancels print ad programme

21 January 2009

The global economic slowdown that has resulted in a reduction in advertising budgets has forced  Google to end its programme that sold print ads for newspapers "because it did not produce the desired impact".

"While we hoped that Print Ads would create a new revenue stream for newspapers and produce more relevant advertising for consumers, the product has not created the impact that we - or our partners - wanted," said Spencer Spinnell, director of Google Print Ads, in a blog post.

It said, "As a result, we will stop offering Print Ads on February 28. For advertisers who have campaigns already booked, we will place their ads through March 31."
Google Print Ads brings measurement, data-driven planning, and ease of use to print advertising, enabling afvertisers and agencies plan more effective reach and actually see what results they drove. It was supposed to offer advertisers and agencies the flexibility to select the newspapers based on demographics, location and publication type, submit an offer, and create ads – all online.

The internet search and advertising giant had launched the Print Ads programme with 50 newspapers in November 2006 and was soon able to expand the network to include more than 800 US newspapers.

Google, which gets most of its sales from Internet-search advertising, has sought to expand beyond the Web by selling print and television ads. The recession has curbed overall marketing spending, forcing the company to slow expansion plans. Google announced last week that it's cutting about 100 jobs from its recruiting department as it scales back hiring.

The company has been pulling back on services that aren't performing. Spinnell said, "In the last few months, we've been taking a long, hard look at all the things we are doing to ensure we are investing our resources in the projects that will have the biggest impact for our users and partners."