Google and WPP Marketing Research Awards Program accepting 2nd-round submissions

New grants to help researchers understand digital marketing and its connection to offline marketing

NEW YORK — WPP [NASDAQ: WPPGY] and Google [NASDAQ: GOOG] today announced that their jointly funded award program, which supports research into how online media influences consumer behavior, attitudes and decision making, is accepting submissions for its second round of grants.

WPP and Google last year agreed to contribute up to $4.6 million over three years to fund the Google and WPP Marketing Research Awards Program. In keeping with the program’s goals, the current round will help some of the finest minds from academia, the marketing community, media owners, and client partners of both WPP and Google, to collaborate.

The program is being 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. This committee is working with WPP and Google to decide which grant proposals to fund and to ensure the integrity, delivery and impact of the research.

“The rigorous research enabled by the program stands to offer a fuller understanding of digital marketing at a critical time in its development. It is gratifying to enlist some of the keenest minds in marketing academy to examine the complexities faced by today’s marketers. I am confident that the quality of this round’s submissions will compare favorably to the impressive projects funded in the first round. The combined learning from the studies in progress and those selected in this second round, should prove influential” said Professor Urban.

The deadline for submitting proposals is October 30, 2009. For full details on the research award program and to explore participation in the second round, visit the program’s online site at http://research.google.com/university/marketingresearchawards/.

In the first round, 11 studies were selected for funding from a field of more than 120 entries received. These first round studies are presently underway and results are to be released in November. For a full listing of first round studies, visit http://research.google.com/university/marketingresearchawards/FAQ.html.

In addition to funding, WPP will provide access to BrandZ -- the annual study of brand perceptions published by The Kantar Group – and the media data and research generated at GroupM. For a listing of available datasets, visit http://research.google.com/university/marketingresearchawards/datasets.html.

About WPP
WPP is the world’s leading communications services group. Through its operating companies, the Group provides a comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services including advertising; media investment management; information, insight and consultancy; public relations and public affairs; branding and identity; healthcare communications; direct, digital, promotion and relationship marketing and specialist communications. The company employs 135,000 people (including associates) in 2,400 offices in 107 countries. For more information, visit www.wpp.com.

About Google Inc.
Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit http://www.google.com.