Google, WPP Partner to Research Online Media's Impact

Curious about how online media influences consumer behavior? Google and WPP are. They’re willing to contribute a collective $4.6 million over the next three years in grant money to endow the Google and WPP Marketing Research Awards Program, a joint research program to look into how online media influences consumer behavior, attitudes, and decision making.

The program will be overseen by professor John Quelch, senior associate dean of Harvard Business School and a non-executive director of WPP; Dr. Hal Varian, Google’s chief economist; and professor Glen Urban, former dean of the Sloan School of Management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The committee will work with WPP and Google to decide which grant proposals will be funded and ensure the integrity, delivery, and impact of the research. The program is immediately reviewing grant applications, and information is available here.

This is another case in which Google is forging stronger relationships with agencies. Last month the search giant outlined its relationship with Publicis, which was initially announced in January.