Google has announced the end of the European Best Practice Funding. As of January 2009 the whole BPF scheme will be removed and from January 2008 the "growth kicker" will be removed.

The Best Practice Funding was used by Google to encourage agencies to appropriately increase their cost-per-click spend and try out new initiatives such as Google's new Gadget Ads.

Speaking about the move, bigmouthmedia UK MD, Lyndsay Menzies commented "We at bigmouthmedia had budgeted assuming the removal of BPF from early 08 so we are pleasantly surprised to get another year of BPF, till Jan 2009. This buffer will hopefully help those agencies reliant on BPF to make their margins and restructure their business model to cope. Of course, clients too will be affected to a degree. Higher management fees will cut the ROI efficiency of campaigns meaning that agencies will need to maximize efficiency through excellence to counteract this; resulting in a more professional industry overall."

Was it expected?

Lyndsay stated, "We've been anticipating this type of announcement for some time. It makes perfect business sense that Google would do this, now that search is so established in these regions. For bigmouthmedia as a company, the removal of best practice funding presents a fairer and more stable system in the future even though it affects our service costs."

Who'll be affected?

The announcement, whilst not unexpected, nevertheless could put in some jeopardy the financial health of some agencies involved in search, and along with them, the client campaigns. In this competitive industry, some agencies based their business model on paying the kicker directly to the client as an incentive. In fact, there has been a growing trend amongst some heavy users of Google PPC to systematically move PPC work between agencies to benefit from ongoing growth kickers. These agencies are going to feel the pinch as they are reliant on kickers and BPF to provide their margin.

Are there going to be benefits?

Bigmouthmedia believe there will; it will encourage billing transparency. Recently bigmouthmedia have seen agencies hugely undercutting to win big contracts. This announcement will put paid to that. It will also be a fairer system as it won't penalise agencies for seasonal spend, for example, Travel and Finance clients whose spends are very high in Jan compared with the other 11 months of the year. Then of course, it puts the focus on excellence; client campaigns will need to be even more professionally run, and efficient which is in everyone's interest.

Are Google biting the hand that feeds them?

Naturally Google has used agencies as a platform to gain the clients they wanted, and the resulting market share. As the market share has increased, they have wound down the agency benefits, and bigmouthmedia expect this to continue. But this is business, and savvy agencies will have seen the changes coming. Bigmouthmedia USA, for example is used to operating in a paid search environment without Best Practice Funding.

What's next?

Google will still use agencies like bigmouthmedia to take their new product opportunities to clients. They need agencies on their side as much as the agencies need them so bigmouthmedia expect to see Google continuing to communicate closely as always. Next for bigmouthmedia is increased geographic expansion, a major worldwide recruitment drive, and a big celebration to mark the companies impending 10 year anniversary!

Job Purpose:

To shape the bigmouthmedia affiliate marketing strategy, managing client relationships for the affiliate marketing function and key relationships with affiliate networks and key affiliates. To grow the affiliate marketing function and service offerings within bigmouthmedia.

1. To take ownership and responsibility for the running of affiliate schemes for bigmouthmedia clients.
2. To initiate and develop a company wide affiliate marketing strategy.
3. To manage the day-to-day maintenance of the affiliate marketing offering
4. To coordinate and integrate affiliate marketing with other marketing services provided by bigmouthmedia

About you:

1. You are a savvy digital marketer with fire in your belly
2. You have a strong track record of managing online affiliate campaigns across a range of verticals
3. You have strategic abilities to be able to shape and grow an affiliate department
4. You adhere to and enforce best practice affiliate marketing techniques
5. You have experience of operating affiliate schemes in conjunction with other online marketing services
6. You have account management and project management skills
7. You are a natural communicator
8. You are pretty comfortable with being analytical when required and can generate and provide accurate performance reports to clients
9. You enjoy working in a friendly team and hate to be micro-managed
10. You like the seaside –bigmouthmedia’s 4-floor converted whisky bond HQ is in the heart of Leith’s waterside district
11. You enjoy a work-hard, play-hard atmosphere
12. You are a bit of a stickler for meeting deadlines
13. You want to join a company with real opportunities to shine, and be rewarded
14. You are based in Edinburgh, or within an easy commute
15. You like a fluid approach to training. A bound and laminated ‘Company Training’ guide would make you think you’d suddenly become a banker.
16. You would hate to be a banker

Please send CV to vacancies@bigmouthmedia.com quoting the reference AFF-EDI-08/07

Job Purpose:

To join our fast-growing PPC team, managing and maintaining a portfolio of client relationships, manage the PPC campaigns for these clients and consult with clients and their agencies on developing their campaigns in order to achieve maximum potential.

1. Ensure timely delivery of all client materials (strategy deliverables, monthly reports and ad-hoc tasks as agreed with client)
2. Adhere to bigmouthmedia standards on all deliverables and communication
3. Ensure regular communication with client contacts
4. Progressively increase PPC industry knowledge to increase independence and ownership of client campaigns
5. Contribute to industry news stories and white papers
6. Demonstrate continued understanding of client projects, performance reporting, communication and strategy development
7. Effective management of client campaigns

About you:

1. You are a savvy digital marketer with fire in your belly
2. You ideally have prior experience with PPC providers
3. You have account management and project management skills
4. You are a natural communicator
5. You are naturally analytical
6. You enjoy working in a friendly team and hate to be micro-managed
7. You like altitude –bigmouthmedia’s PPC team occupy the trendy loft office at bigmouthmedia’s Edinburgh HQ in the in the heart of Leith’s waterside district
8. You enjoy a work-hard, play-hard atmosphere
9. You are a bit of a stickler for meeting deadlines
10. You want to join a company with real opportunities to shine, and be rewarded
11. You are based in Edinburgh, or within an easy commute
12. You like a fluid approach to training. A bound and laminated ‘Company Training’ guide would make you think you’d suddenly become a banker.
13. You’re smart with numbers but would hate to be a banker

Please send CV to vacancies@bigmouthmedia.com quoting the reference PPC-EDI-04/07