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Ad-Nauseam – What Kind Of Google Do We Want?

Google didn’t just lose a lawsuit.

It received a high-profile reminder of how deeply embedded – and essential – it has become to the digital economy.
Last week, a United States federal judge ruled that Google had violated antitrust law by tying together two of its core advertising tools – DFP (publisher ad server) and AdX (ad exchange).
Critics say this unfairly limited competition.

But let’s pause before declaring the end of Google’s ad empire.

Here’s the bigger story:
Google built one of the most efficient, scalable, and successful advertising ecosystems in the history of media.
That’s not dominance by default – that’s innovation by design.
The same systems now under scrutiny have lowered costs for advertisers, delivered billions in revenue for publishers, and helped democratize access to advertising for small businesses around the globe.
There’s a reason 25% of U.S. digital ad spend flows through Google’s pipes – the system works.
Yes, the courts may push for changes – a spin-off of Google Ad Manager, perhaps, or a retooling of how auctions are run.
This isn’t an existential threat.

It’s an opportunity.

An opportunity for Google to lead (as it has done).
To define what efficient, and user-centric ad technology looks like in the next era of the Web.
Let’s not forget: Google has already shown a willingness to evolve.
There were signals last year that it was considering a divestiture of parts of its ad stack to align with EU regulations.

The deeper truth?

We’re not debating whether the internet needs Google.
We’re debating what kind of Google the internet needs.
Because in a time when tech companies are chasing all things AI, Google is still the quiet infrastructure that holds up the searchable and monetizable Internet.
If Google plays it right, it won’t just weather this moment – it could help redefine what trust, transparency, and innovation look like in digital advertising.

Let’s hope it’s the start of a new chapter going forward.

This is what Elias Makos and I discussed on CJAD 800 AM. Listen in right here.

https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2083840731

Mitch Joel · Ad-Nauseam – What Kind Of Google Do We Want? – The Elias Makos Show – CJAD 800

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Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.