DoubleClick
| Company type | Private (before acquisition) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Online advertising technology |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Kevin O'Connor, Dwight Merriman |
| Defunct | 2008 |
| Fate | Acquired by Google |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Kevin O'Connor (Co-founder), Dwight Merriman (Co-founder), Kevin Ryan (former CEO) |
| Products | DART (Dynamic Advertising, Reporting, and Targeting) |
Number of employees | Approximately 300 (reduction after Google acquisition) |
| Parent | Google (from 2008) |
DoubleClick Inc. was an American company specializing in online advertising technology, operating from 1995 until its acquisition by Google in 2008. Its primary offering, DART (Dynamic Advertising, Reporting, and Targeting), improved the efficiency of advertiser media buying and minimized unsold inventory for publishers. Among its clientele were prominent companies including Microsoft, General Motors, Coca-Cola, Motorola, L'Oréal, Apple Inc., Visa Inc., and Nike, Inc..
Established in 1995 by entrepreneurs Kevin O'Connor and Dwight Merriman, DoubleClick was based in New York City. In July 2005, the firm was acquired by private equity groups Hellman & Friedman and JMI Equity. On March 11, 2008, Google completed its $3.1 billion purchase of DoubleClick, incorporating its technologies into Google's advertising framework.
By June 2018, Google consolidated DoubleClick’s offerings under the new Google Marketing Platform brand. This rebranding included renaming key services: DoubleClick Bid Manager became Display & Video 360; DoubleClick Search was rebranded as Search Ads 360; DoubleClick Campaign Manager transitioned to Campaign Manager 360; and DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) was renamed Google Ad Manager 360. This initiative aimed to unify Google's advertising solutions, strengthen its market position, and streamline global digital ad operations.
History
In 1995, Kevin O'Connor and Dwight Merriman created DoubleClick in O'Connor’s basement, designing a system to serve and track banner ads across websites to enable targeted advertising. Entrepreneur Kevin Ryan joined initially as CFO before advancing to the role of CEO.
That same year, DoubleClick merged with Poppe Tyson’s Interactive Sales division, headed by CEO Fergus O'Daily, combining their technological capabilities with an expanded client base. Subsequently, in November 1995, DoubleClick was established as an independent subsidiary. It became one of the pioneering Application Service Providers (ASP) focusing on internet-based ad-serving solutions.
Amid the height of the dot-com bubble in February 1998, DoubleClick launched its initial public offering on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol DCLK, with shares surging by 75% on opening day.
The company pursued growth through acquisitions such as Abacus Direct in June 1999, which provided consumer purchasing data tailored for catalog companies, and NetGravity in July 1999, after which its ad server was rebranded as DART Enterprise.
By 2002, DoubleClick confronted several lawsuits concerning privacy issues stemming from merging online user profiles with offline data from Abacus Direct. Although the FTC investigated these practices in 2000 without uncovering any misuse, DoubleClick responded by improving privacy policies, initiating a public education campaign, and implementing data deletion protocols alongside opt-in consent mechanisms.
In 2004, DoubleClick expanded its capabilities by acquiring Performics, thereby adding affiliate marketing as well as search engine optimization and marketing services integrated into DART search. This division was later divested by Google to Publicis in 2008.
In April 2005, private equity firm Hellman & Friedman purchased DoubleClick for $1.1 billion, marking a notable investment transaction for the company.
Acquisition by Google
On April 13, 2007, Google announced its plan to purchase DoubleClick for $3.1 billion in cash. This proposed acquisition triggered antitrust concerns from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the European Union, as competitors such as Microsoft expressed apprehension about Google's expanding dominance in the online advertising sector. In May 2007, the FTC sought further information before ultimately granting approval for the transaction on December 20, 2007. Subsequently, European regulators authorized the deal on March 11, 2008, with Google finalizing the acquisition on the same day. Shortly thereafter, Google revealed it would reduce DoubleClick’s workforce by approximately 300 employees due to overlapping roles, while aiming to reassign many of those impacted within its organization.
In November 2007, it was reported that DoubleClick’s advertising network had been exploited to disseminate malware through compromised websites linked to prominent brands.
In June 2010, Google expanded its advertising capabilities by acquiring Invite Media, a demand-side platform that was later renamed DoubleClick Bid Manager. On July 24, 2018, Google rebranded all DoubleClick products; DoubleClick Bid Manager was renamed Display & Video 360 (DV360), signifying a unified approach to digital advertising and enhancing Google’s presence in the programmatic advertising marketplace.