MediaBank CEO Wise: Google May Be Open, But Not Neutral

In the wake of Google Vice President of Product Management Neal Mohan's claim that calling Big G's display system closed is "ridiculous," MediaBank CEO Bill Wise (keynote speaker for OPS Markets, April 18 in NYC) retorts on Digiday that Google's system may be open, but it certainly isn't neutral.

"Google’s media planning and buying technology ostensibly exist to help advertisers and agencies find the right inventory and audiences for their business," Wise says. "But it’s hard to honestly act as the neutral platform when you own so much of the inventory and have power and influence over the supply side of the market. It’s a little like using a buy-side real estate broker who owns half the houses he or she shows you: It’s a conflict of interest that’s just too big to ignore."

Wise also comments on reducing complexity in the display, arguing for agencies should be empowered to build customized media-buying stacks. This is something MediaOcean, the entity formed by the merger of MediaBank and Donovan Data Systems (pending Justice Department approval), will likely offer.

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