When Microsoft bought aQuantive back in 2007 its main purpose was to create a stronger online advertisng network for the brand and be in a better position to compete with Google in online advertising. The benefits of owning Avenue A/Razorfish, as the agency was then called, were secondary to other aspects of what aQuantive could offer Microsoft in terms of expanding its online advertising presence and give the company a much better chance of competing with the biggest online contender, Google. Acquiring an advertising agency, though, left Microsoft with a possible conflict of interest as Razorfish would be competing directly with the companys own advertising efforts for marketing Microsoft products online.

Razorfish is a high profile agency with clients including Nike, Mercedes-Benz USA, Levi-Strauss & Co and Audi. The estimated price of the agency may seem like a mere drop in the ocean of Microsofts finances, but ridding themselves of the conflict of interest could enable Microsoft to put more emphasis on marketing their own products across different media. The FT report names French marketing company Publicis Groupe as the most likely contender to buy Razorfish, following rumours that Publicis and Microsoft are planning to join forces for a TV ad campaign in the near future.

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