ACCC Special Report: 'Still futile' says Mark Ritson on government response to contain Google, Facebook
Mark Ritson: "As I keep reminding everyone, Australia is about three-quarters of Texas and not even the interesting part. That we have any heft at all here is nonsense."
It's an anti-climax. In this Special Mi3 Audio Edition Mark Ritson is joined by Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) CEO Gai Le Roy and Omnicom Media Group's Chief Investment Officer Kristiaan Kroon in a duke out on the federal government's response to the ACCC's Digital Platforms Inquiry, the media industry's 'advertise or die' campaign blitz to business and whether anyone other than Facebook or Google will see advertising growth in 2020 (unlikely for anyone beyond broadcast video and out-of-home). Listen here for the fast, feisty and smart listen over summer.
"It's a vain effort. It's noble but it's going to lead to virtually no impact whatsoever. Not that it's a good thing but that's the inevitable outcome here. The 20s decade will carry on much like it's doing now. It may even tighten a little."
If you're serious about staying informed, get this Mi3 Audio Edition in your ears. Mark Ritson remains gloomy and doomy for any material impact on Facebook and Google from the federal government's response, OMG's Kristiaan Kroon agrees on the duopoly's low impact but says Google's domination in the tech stack could come under pressure. The IAB's Gai Le Roy, meanwhile, says there's a lot of resource pressure coming on industry to respond next year in a tough advertising market to the ACCC's adtech and agency inquiry. That it's the first investigation backed by the federal government, though, is significant.
Ritson, who is also fronting the media industry's just-launched "Advertising or Die" campaign blitz, defends the execution and cops a diplomatic serve from Le Roy. Ritson also hints at what he's doing next year after finishing up his long tenure at Melbourne Business School.
It's all here for your ears in a fast moving debate for 2020. Stay smart and up to speed.
Kristiaan Kroon, Chief Investment Officer, Omnicom Media Group
"Australian media companies will be or should be somewhat disappointed versus the expectation they had from the ACCC at the beginning. I disagree with Mark a little. Will we impact Google, Facebook and the adtech industry globally? No. But where there is a difference is in the day-to-day interactions between agencies and clients and governance. It's not headline grabbing but it's a good thing."
Gai Le Roy, IAB CEO
"Yes, Google controls a lot of the tech stack. Short-term there's not much change. The intent with the adtech inquiry is going to be great in terms of long-term confidence in the market. But it's going to add a bit of a burden to all of us working in the industry in a tough time."
