It must be Friday in lobbyingland, with the anti-Google coalition FairSearch mocking the search giant’s efforts to talk up the benefits of its proposed acquisition of ITA Software.
In a blog post on the FairSearch site, it has added its own sarcastic notes against each element of the animated ad created recently by Google.
[Click image for a bigger version]
Turning to apparent satire might come as light relief after what some might say was a slightly unconventional week for FairSearch, with coalition member Kayak saying in a TV interview that it would welcome competition from Google and that it can compete.
Given that FairSearch – depending on how you read the rhetoric – has spent much of the past four months rolling out lines such as “[Google] threatens the competitive online travel search market, and could limit the competition and innovation that benefits consumers”, some might’ve been a touch confused.
FairSearch, however, moved quickly to restate its strategy in the light of Kayak CTO Paul English’s remarks, when asked by Tnooz:
“Members of FairSearch have always said that more competition in travel search is good for consumers. Â Our concerns arise from the means that Google is using to expand its travel search offerings. Â By taking control of ITA and combining this dominant flight search technology with Google’s dominant general search engine, Google would be poised to undermine – not expand – competition in online travel search. Â The result could lead to less transparency in online travel search and higher airfares for consumers.”
NB: There is a single Google ad unit running on Tnooz. FairSearch also ran an ad on Tnooz during February 2011.
NB2: Some might say satire should be left to the experts.
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