Article on the new invite-only beta for Google publication ads
Quote:...Google Publication Ads. Currently in invite only beta testing, Google Publication Ads is new direction for Google, giving advertisers the power to place performance based (direct response) print ads in newspapers, magazines and other forms of print ads (list not yet made public by Google).
full article:
http://www.searchenginejournal.com/index.php?p=2498
Google Publication Ads home page:
https://adwords.google.com/publicationads/login
Quote:...Only one of 10 advertisers interviewed by BusinessWeek said their print ad performed well enough to recoup the money it cost. And eight of the 10 were unhappy enough with the results that they say they're unlikely to do further print advertising with Google.
Besides Search and Adwords/AdSense have any of Google's side ventures actually been successful? Froogle is fairly useless for attracting buyers, early indicators point to Microsoft's Fremont being a much more user friendly better thought out classifieds marketplace than Google Base, and the list goes on...Sometimes diversifying away from your core strengths isn't the best choice (especially if your stock price is in bubble land).
Quote:Sometimes diversifying away from your core strengths isn't the best choice
There is a vast difference between Internet and print advertising. Kill the project before you embarrass yourselves Google.