Search agency to offer IP initiative

Thu, 19 Feb 2009

VCCP Search, the search arm of Vallance Carruthers Coleman Priest, is offering its clients the opportunity to retain their intellectual property rights.

The agency previously kept the rights of any search keywords it purchased on behalf of the client, but in an effort to retain clients, it is now letting them retain those rights. VCCP Search says it is the first agency to offer such a service.

VCCP Search managing director Paul Mead says: "A client pays for an agency's expertise to manage their search campaigns and ensure the best use of their budget. What we are offering is an extension of the transparency clients want, reassuring them they have nothing to fear over shifting the power to their clients."

The agency says the move will put the power into the hands of its clients and means they will be able to move their account wherever and whenever they choose, without any disruption, loss of history or downtime.

The move follows Google's recent changes to its trademark policy and the ending of its Best Practice Funding scheme, which has seen search agencies renegotiate commercial terms with their clients.

Mead adds: "Traditionally, media and search agency contracts state that the intellectual property rights to clients' paid search accounts, such as Google Adwords, remain with the agency, and only by negotiation and with the agency's consent can this be passed on to a different provider or taken in-house."

The agency is offering the new deal to its clients from tomorrow (February 19). Existing clients set to benefit include Dyson, Somerfield, Fortnum & Mason, Cheapflights and MTV.