Google Signs $100M Upfront Deal With Magna

Google and Interpublic Group’s, Magna Global, have partnered in a single-year (renewable) upfront deal. The $100 million move will give the ad buyer (Magna) access to Google’s properties including the company’s inventory, data, and direct client assistance.

It is the first time Magna has formed such a partnership with Google. For Google, the deal is its latest effort to attract big brand advertisers, after its recent partnership with comScore. Providing access to its ad inventory and data is hoped to help lubricate Magna’s buying and planning process. The two companies may also work closely to create quality content on YouTube and other Google properties.

Google has brokered this kind of deal with other ad buyers before, including MediaVest, DigitasLBi, and Razorfish. By building relationships with media agencies, Google is making the process of creating, buying, and monitoring ads online similar to the way it is done in the television business.

In addition to the newly formed partnership with Magna, Google also cooperates with its peers in the tech and media industries, such as Yahoo, Microsoft, and Hulu, to create connections between the television business and digital marketing. These companies founded the Digital Content NewFronts in 2012. This year’s event, which is scheduled to run from April 28 to May 8 in New York, is the digital version of the television industry’s annual upfronts, where advertising spaces valued at billions of dollars are purchased in advance.