DoubleClick#Acquisition

{{short description|Subsidiary of Google that provides Internet ad services}}

{{Infobox company

| name = DoubleClick Inc.

| logo = File:Logo of DoubleClick Inc. (2005).svg

| traded_as = {{NASDAQ was|DCLK}}

| foundation = {{start date and age|1996|2}}
New York City

| location = New York City, U.S.

| industry = Online advertising

| founders = {{Plain list|

}}

| products = DART family includes DFP (For Publishers), DFA (For (for Advertisers), DS (DART Search), Motif (Rich Media), DE (Enterprise), Sales Manager (Publisher), Media Visor (Advertisers), Adapt (Publishers), Doubleclick Advertising Exchange (Both Publishers & Advertisers)

| defunct = March 11, 2008

| fate = Acquired by Google

| website = {{web archive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060717124504/http://www.doubleclick.com/us/|title=doubleclick.com}}

| footnotes = {{cite web | url=https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001049480/000095012305003222/y06461e10vk.htm | title=DoubleClick Inc. 2004 Form 10-K Annual Report | publisher=U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission}}

}}

DoubleClick Inc. was an American advertisement company that developed and provided Internet ad serving services from 1995 until its acquisition by Google in March 2008. DoubleClick offered technology products and services that were sold primarily to advertising agencies and mass media, serving businesses like Microsoft, General Motors, Coca-Cola, Motorola, L'Oréal, Palm, Inc., Apple Inc., Visa Inc., Nike, Inc., and Carlsberg Group.{{Cite news |last=O'Reilly |first=Lara |date=October 30, 2015 |title=Google is bringing DoubleClick to billboard ads for the first time — which could be huge for outdoor advertising |work=Business Insider |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/google-brings-doubleclick-to-ooh-billboards-2015-10}} The company's main product line was known as DART (Dynamic Advertising, Reporting, and Targeting), which was intended to increase the purchasing efficiency of advertisers and minimize unsold inventory for publishers.

DoubleClick was founded in 1995 by Kevin O'Connor and Dwight Merriman and had headquarters in New York City, United States. It was acquired by private equity firms Hellman & Friedman and JMI Equity in July 2005. On March 11, 2008, Google acquired DoubleClick for $3.1 billion. In June 2018, Google announced plans to rebrand its ads platforms, and DoubleClick was merged into the new Google Marketing Platform brand.{{Cite news |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=June 27, 2018 |title=Google Killing Off DoubleClick, AdWords Names in Rebranding of Ad Products |work=Variety |url=https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/google-doubleclick-adwords-rebranding-1202859088/}} DoubleClick Bid Manager became Display and Video 360, DoubleClick Search became Search Ads 360, DoubleClick Campaign Manager became Campaign Manager 360 and DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) became Google Ad Manager 360.{{Cite news |last=Dave |first=Paresh |date=June 27, 2018 |title=Google retires DoubleClick, AdWords brand names |work=Reuters |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alphabet-google-advertising/google-retires-doubleclick-adwords-brand-names-idUSKBN1JN0EH}}

History

In 1995, Kevin O'Connor and Dwight Merriman developed the concept for DoubleClick in O'Connor's basement. They created a system to display banner ads across a network of websites and track their performance to better target internet users. The product caught the attention of entrepreneur Kevin Ryan, who later joined as the company's CFO and later became its CEO.{{Cite news | url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jjcolao/2013/07/24/gilt-10gen-doubleclick-meet-the-duo-behind-new-yorks-most-successful-tech-companies/ | title=Gilt, MongoDB, DoubleClick: Meet The Duo Behind New York's Biggest Tech Companies | last=Colao | first=J.J. | work=Forbes | date=December 16, 2017}}

Later that year, O'Connor and Merriman met Fergus O'Daily, the CEO of Poppe Tyson. Poppe Tyson had created an Interactive Sales division, but lacked the technology to deliver online ads across its network of client's sites. O'Connor, Merriman, and O'Daily decided to merge the two companies.{{Cite news | url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1996/07/08/214327/index.htm | title=DOUBLECLICK INTERNET ADVERTISING | first=MELANIE | last=WARNER | work=Fortune | date=July 8, 1996}}{{Cite book | title=The Click: A Memoir and Lessons Learned During the Great Internet Boom | last=Sidor | first=David | publisher=iUniverse | year=2004 | isbn=978-0-595-32784-3 | pages=5}} To prevent competition from each company's sales teams, in November 1995 DoubleClick was spun off as an independent, wholly owned subsidiary.{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QpLtCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT2080 | title=The Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising | first1=John | last1=McDonough | first2=Karen | last2=Egolf | publisher=Routledge | date=June 18, 2015| isbn=9781135949136 }} DoubleClick was founded as one of the earliest known Application Service Providers (ASP) for internet "ad-serving"—primarily banner ads.{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1FC9FRxlnckC&pg=PA16 |title=The Definitive Guide to Google AdWords: Create Versatile and Powerful Marketing and Advertising Campaigns |last1=Weller |first1=Bart| last2=Calcott|first2=Lori |publisher=Apress| isbn=9781430240150 |date=July 13, 2012}}

In February 1998, during the dot-com bubble, the company became a public company, trading on NASDAQ under the symbol DCLK, via an initial public offering.{{Cite web | url=https://www.nasdaq.com/markets/ipos/company/doubleclick-inc-7108-5111 | title=DOUBLECLICK INC (DCLK) IPO | publisher=NASDAQ}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/doubleclick-enjoys-banner-ipo/ | title=DoubleClick enjoys banner IPO | work=ZDNet | date=March 2, 1998}} Shares rose 75% on the first day of trading.{{Cite news | url=https://money.cnn.com/1998/02/20/technology/doubleclick/ | title=DoubleClick shares soar | work=CNN | date=February 20, 1998}}

In June 1999, DoubleClick acquired Abacus Direct, which marketed consumer-purchasing data to catalog firms.{{Cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB92931652622688372 | title=DoubleClick, Abacus Direct Are Set To Merge in $1 Billion Stock Deal | last=Petersen | first=Andrea | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=June 14, 1999 | url-access=subscription}}{{cite news | url=https://apnews.com/article/75047d06cab50913e89be60416b0e72c | title=DoubleClick To Buy Abacus Direct | work=Associated Press | date=June 14, 1999}}

In July 1999, DoubleClick acquired NetGravity and rebranded NetGravity AdServer as DART Enterprise.{{Cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB931823854604934844 | title=DoubleClick to Acquire NetGravity In Push to Own Online-Ad Market | first=Andrea | last=Petersen | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=July 13, 1999 | url-access=subscription}}

As of 2002, DoubleClick faced six lawsuits, including class-action lawsuits, related to invasions of privacy.{{cite news |last1=Hu |first1=Jim |title=Consumer group blasts DoubleClick in report to FTC |url=https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/consumer-group-blasts-doubleclick-in-report-to-ftc/ |access-date=12 August 2024 |work=CNET |date=January 2, 2002 |language=en}} Privacy groups complained that DoubleClick's plan to combine its online profiling information with offline information gathered by Abacus Direct would violate privacy rules, including the Stored Communications Act, the Wiretap Statute, and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, as it would allow the company to match a person's identity with their online habits, which it tracks through cookies.{{cite news | url=https://slate.com/technology/2005/11/why-web-surfers-love-to-hate-cookies.html | title=Cookie Monsters | last=Penenberg | first=Adam L. | work=Slate |date=November 7, 2005}} In February 2000, the FTC announced it had launched an investigation into the matter.{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/02/17/technology/us-investigating-doubleclick-over-privacy-concerns.html |title=U.S. Investigating DoubleClick Over Privacy Concerns | work=The New York Times | date=February 17, 2000 | url-access=subscription}} The investigation was concluded in January 2001, with the FTC stating that it found no evidence that DoubleClick used or disclosed consumers personal identifying information.{{Cite news | url=https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=99060&page=1 | title=FTC Closes DoubleClick Investigation | work=ABC News | date=January 23, 2001}}See In re DoubleClick Inc. Privacy Litigation, 154 F. Supp. 2d 497, 505–06 (S.D.N.Y. 2001) DoubleClick eventually entered into a settlement agreement where DoubleClick was required to explain its privacy policy in "easy-to-read" language; conduct a public information campaign consisting of 300 million banner ads inviting consumers to learn more about protecting their privacy; and institute data purging and opt-in procedures among other requirements.In re DoubleClick Inc. Privacy Litigation, [http://epic.org/privacy/internet/cookies/dblclkproposedsettlement.pdf Settlement Agreement] (2002).

In 2004, DoubleClick acquired Performics, which offered affiliate marketing, search engine optimization, and search engine marketing products. These products were integrated into the core DART system and rebranded DART search. DoubleClick Advertising Exchange connected both media buyers and sellers on an advertising exchange much like the financial negotiations of listed companies' capital stock. Google sold Performics in 2008 to Publicis.{{cite news | url=https://www.networkworld.com/article/2277671/google-to-cut-doubleclick-jobs--sell-performics-piece.html | title=Google to cut DoubleClick jobs, sell Performics piece | first=Juan Carlos | last=Perez | work=International Data Group | date=April 2, 2008}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2536446/google-to-sell-off-doubleclick-s-performics-unit.html | title=Google to sell off DoubleClick's Performics unit | first=Linda | last=Rosencrance | work=Computerworld | date=April 3, 2008}}{{cite news | url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/BL-TB-8343 | title=Google Sells Performics Unit To Publicis Groupe | first=Eric | last=Savitz | work=Barron's | date=August 6, 2008}}

In April 2005, Hellman & Friedman, a San Francisco-based private equity firm, agreed to acquire the company for $1.1 billion.{{Cite news | url=https://adage.com/article/digital/doubleclick-acquired-1-1-billion/45636 | title=DOUBLECLICK ACQUIRED FOR $1.1 BILLION | first=Kris | last=Oser | work=Advertising Age | date=April 25, 2005 | url-access=subscription}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.computerworld.com/article/2556871/doubleclick-bought-for--1-1b.html | title=DoubleClick bought for $1.1B | first=Laura | last=Rohde | work=Computerworld | date=April 25, 2005}}

Acquisition

On April 13, 2007, Google agreed to acquire DoubleClick for US$3.1 billion in cash.{{cite press release |url=https://googlepress.blogspot.com/2007/04/google-to-acquire-doubleclick_13.html | title=Google to Acquire DoubleClick | publisher=Google | date=April 13, 2007}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/14/technology/14DoubleClick.html | title=Google Buys DoubleClick for $3.1 Billion | last2=Helft | first1=Louise | last1=Story | first2=Miguel | work=The New York Times | date=April 14, 2007 | url-access=subscription}}{{cite news | url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB117649916507469517 | title=Google to Pay $3.1 Billion For Web Firm DoubleClick | first1=Dennis K. | last1=Berman | first2=Kevin J. | last2=Delaney | first3=Robert A. | last3=Guth | work=The Wall Street Journal | date=April 14, 2007 | url-access=subscription}} The deal raised concerns surrounding competition with both the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the European Union. In May 2007, the FTC requested additional information about the deal after it was urged by competitors, including Microsoft, which believed it would give Google too much control over online advertising.{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/16/technology/16soft.html | title=Microsoft Urges Review of Google-DoubleClick Deal | first=Steve | last=Lohr | work=The New York Times |date=April 16, 2007 | url-access=subscription}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/google-microsoft-clash-over-doubleclick-90463/ | title=Google, Microsoft Clash Over DoubleClick | first=Brian | last=Morrissey | work=AdWeek | date=September 27, 2007}}{{Cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1832669720070719 | title=US lawmakers plan Google-Doubleclick deal hearings | first=Peter | last=Kaplan | work=Reuters | date=July 18, 2007}} On December 20, 2007, the FTC approved Google's purchase of DoubleClick from its owners Hellman & Friedman and JMI Equity.{{cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/mergersNews/idUSN2039512220071220 | title=Google wins antitrust OK to buy DoubleClick | last=Bartz | first=Diane | work=Reuters | date=December 20, 2007}} European Union regulators approved on March 11, 2008, and Google completed the acquisition later that day.{{Cite news | url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-doubleclick-eu-idUSBFA00058020080311 | title=Google closes DoubleClick merger after EU approval | last=Lawsky | first=David | work=Reuters | date=March 11, 2008}} On April 2, 2008, Google announced it would cut 300 jobs at DoubleClick due to organizational redundancies. Selected employees would be matched within the Google organization as per position and experience.{{cite news | last=Mills | first=Elinor | url=https://www.cnet.com/news/google-to-lay-off-300-at-doubleclick/ | title=Google to lay off 300 at DoubleClick | work=CNET | date=April 2, 2008}}

In November 2007, shortly after the announcement of the acquisition, it was reported that DoubleClick had been serving ads designed to trick users into buying malware. This occurred after a malicious website tricked several name-brand websites into serving the ads.{{Cite news | url=https://www.theregister.com/2007/11/13/doubleclick_distributes_malware/ | title=DoubleClick caught supplying malware-tainted ads | first=Dan | last=Goodin | work=The Register | date=November 13, 2007}}

{{pic|File:Doubleclick.svg|Logo after the acquisition by Google}}

In June 2010, Google confirmed its acquisition of Invite Media, a demand-side platform, which it later renamed DoubleClick Bid Manager.{{cite news | title=Google Confirms Invite Media Acquisition, Brings Bidding To Display Ads | url=https://techcrunch.com/2010/06/03/google-confirms-invite-media/ | last=Schonfeld | first=Erick | work=Techcrunch | date=June 3, 2010}}

On July 24, 2018, the names and logos of all DoubleClick products were updated, and DoubleClick Bid Manager is now Display & Video 360 (DV360).{{Cite web |date=2022-01-31 |title=Google Marketing Platform's DV360: Everything You Need to Know |url=https://spaceads.digital/blog/google-marketing-platforms-dv360-everything-you-need-to-know/ |access-date=2022-11-30 |language=en-GB}}