Google, Double Click and how to get attention in Japan’s business press

April 23, 2007
By Ken Worsley

A few days back, in my post on Dentsu’s report concerning internet advertising in Japan, Gen Kanai replied with a prescient comment about Google’s planned buyout of Double Click. Dentsu’s report was written a bit too early for that possible acquisition to play into their report, and the deal hasn’t received so much coverage in Japan…

Until now. How do you wake up the Japanese business press? Tie together foreign acquisitions with allegations of consumer privacy violations. Consumer privacy is something that was not taken all that seriously in Japan until May 23, 2003, when 2003 Law No.57 was passed by the Diet: Japan’s Personal Information Protection Act. Although the law did not come into effect until April 1, 2005, it has sparked quite a bit of panic and over-reaction from businesses afraid that asking a customer for their phone number might land them a fine or perhaps some time in prison (Think I’m exaggerating? I’m not).

Point is, talk of privacy concerns wakes people up, and soon after a consumer privacy advocacy group known as the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) filled a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission to investigate and block Google’s proposed $3.1 billion deal to buy Double Click (unless the companies improve their consumer privacy protections), the story was picked up by Nikkei Net.　

Let’s see how this one plays out in the media. I’m willing to bet that, intentional or not, the attention ends up being a marketing coup for Google.

Filed Under Business, IT, M&A, Marketing

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