T
he entire media supply chain is mired with examples of conflicts of interest, which are situations in which the concerns or aims of two different parties are incompatible. And yet, we tolerate it when Google, the owner of YouTube, pushes its own media platforms - YouTube, paid search, the display network - on to advertisers and media agencies using its self-serve advertising tools. And for some reason, people are appalled by the idea that an advertising group could own a TV channel. The rationale here is that if Taher Anwer Khan owns both the Interflow Group of Companies and Airwaves Media - which are respectively an advertising group and media house involved in broadcasting television, radio, and allied media content - it would no doubt place its own media in plans for advertisers with high priority. There is little proof, aside from industry gossip, to quantify claims of this manner, nevertheless, they do occur. The biggest elephant in the room behind the Conflict shop phenomenon in advertising story is that Facebook and Google - which control 75% of digital media spending around the world - serve competing for category advertisers and no one bats an eye. But for some reason, when a media agency does
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