CPGs to Increase Online Spending 37%–(eMarketer) While CPGs have cut every other category in 2007, online is growing. They are seeing performance and realizing consumers are looking for healthy food choices online. CIQ: CPGs traditionally have been slow to the party, with J&J and P&G as notable exceptions. More internal and agency expertise is necessary for CPGs to successfully navigate the online space.

DoubleClick-Google Impact on Banners–(Business Week) This editorial writer notes that, “when we ran banner ads our search campaigns performed better and when we didn’t run banners our search yields declined.” The Google-DoubleClick merger may breath life back into the lowly banner ad. CIQ: We wonder when Google will make the leap to showing images/banners alongside search results.

Ruling: Buying Competition’s Trademarks in Paid Search Is Okay–(CNet) The ruling involved Zales jewelry stores and a competitor. The court reaffirmed that buying a competitor’s trademarks as keywords is ok. But using the trademark in the text link or any other display ad is not. CIQ: We wonder how many CPG brands words are being purchased by smaller, savvier competitors– CPGs being unsophisticated players in search.