Redefining policy advice, advocacy and business networks across Europe.
The Initiative for a Competitive Online Marketplace (ICOMP)
With over 70 members representing thousands of individual companies, ICOMP engaged policymakers and influencers directly, arranged conferences, debates, studies and media campaigns that helped initiate, and then support a number of formal complaints to DGComp.
THE SITUATION
European businesses, from vertical search to picture licensing agencies, from rights holders to online mapping providers, and from advertising agencies to news and media organisations were seeing their livelihoods threatened by the anti-competitive actions of a single player. However, the sheer size and dominance of that player, and the diverse and dispersed nature of its victims, made it almost impossible to tackle.
THE CHALLENGE
Bring together a multitude of voices from across industry sectors and geographies to coalesce around a focused set of objectives; identify and illustrate the common elements of the harm; and create a common groundswell of support for action against an overwhelmingly popular provider of free services.
THE SOLUTION
The Initiative for a Competitive Online Marketplace (ICOMP) created a unifying platform for the many harmed parties. It presented consistent messages, data and calls to action that transformed isolated complaints to industry-wide issues of concern. It provided the security for individual companies to speak out, as well as the weight of evidence to influence opinion and initiate action. With over 70 members representing thousands of individual companies, ICOMP engaged policymakers and influencers directly, arranged conferences, debates, studies and media campaigns that helped initiate, and then support a number of formal complaints to DGComp.
THE IMPACT/OUTCOME
Ultimately several complaints (and parallel legal actions) led to statements of objections against the dominant party and ultimately a record fine and enforced remedies.
