Thread by @aripap

In the wake of the massive Google Ads re-org reported by @SarahSluis and @adexchanger I'm going to indulge in some kremlinology and speculation about what's ahead for Google. A thread.... 1/
adexchanger.com/platforms/goog…

@SarahSluis @adexchanger 2/ Before I start, a quick note that while I'm personal friends with several of those involved, I have not had any conversations with them and I have no inside info, this is pure speculation.

@SarahSluis @adexchanger 3/ To start, this marks the end of an era. Since the acquisition ten years ago this is the first time all of the major ad products are led by non-DoubleClick product leadership. It was a good run!

@SarahSluis @adexchanger 4/ You've got to see this change as a negative signal for Google's POV on DoubleClick and the display business, if for no other reason than the people who got it this far are being pushed aside.

@SarahSluis @adexchanger 5/ Specifically, layering the buy-side under AdWords is a big political/power loss. The AdWords team are the kings of Mountain View, and I can tell you from personal experience that trying to keep their hands off of DoubleClick was a full-time job.

@SarahSluis @adexchanger 6/ I'd expect DV360 to get a lot closer to AdWords now (it already was happening), and there will constantly be questions like "why should that feature/data/privacy issue be different in the two products"

@SarahSluis @adexchanger 7/ Followed, inevitably, with, "why are these two products at all"

@SarahSluis @adexchanger 8/ The move to separate privacy seems smart, and past due given how important the subject is to Google. Ironically, while the O&O business has far more data about consumers, the display business *appears* worse on the privacy front because of all the ID syncing, connections, etc.

@SarahSluis @adexchanger 9/ So with a separate, powerful, privacy group looking at reducing risk around data and regulation, I'd expect the display business to have more internal pressure and less flexibility than previously. Certainly less political clout to push back.

@SarahSluis @adexchanger 10/ The sell-side got the least shake-up, with responsibility moving from Jason to Sissie, but helpfully this unites the mobile and non-mobile sides, which was probably also past due.

@SarahSluis @adexchanger 11/ The job she inherits is really tough with angry customers, regulators breathing down her neck, and a confusing mishmash of Header Bidding, Open Bidding (formerly Exchange Bidding), and Authorized Buyers (formerly AdX).

@SarahSluis @adexchanger 12/ Will the privacy side put pressure to reduce the number of parties and complexity of these data sharing relationships? Will Open Bidding and Authorized Buyers merge at some point, into something with a newly absurd Orwellian name? Freedom Bidding?

@SarahSluis @adexchanger 13/ Anyway, the net-net is that the Google display business is now firmly in control of folks who came up in the search-centric, Mountain View-centric world, and the result is likely to be a more "Googley" approach moving forward, with the associated pros and cons. :)