Will $100 Million save Microsoft Search?

Google is the undisputed king of search. The search engine has continued to dominate the search arena with about 72% (or more by now) of the total market share. Now, Microsoft, sitting with about 7% of the market share, is saying enough is enough. They just announced that they will be launching an online, print, radio and TV campaign totaling close to $100 million to re-brand themselves as the search engine that will serve up fewer but more focused results, so you don't have to sift through the clutter.

The $100 million Microsoft campaign announcement immediately reminded me of the Ask.com campaign launched in 2007 to promote their algorithm-based search results. And we all know how that did. Lisa Barone at Bruceclay put it perfectly: Ask.com is the "king of failed advertising...depicting their users as vapid idiot searchers." Throughout the campaign, Ask.com tried to break down the search process to show how easy it is for the average searcher, but instead, just made them look like they didn't know how to search intelligently. At last check, Ask.com is still near the bottom of the market share board, with a dismal 2%, so the results speak for themselves.

Hopefully, Microsoft will not insult their users, but instead focus on what makes them unique in the search industry.

About the Author: Ellen Stevens

As the Search Media Manager for Off Madison Ave’s interactive division, Mighty Interactive, Ellen develops and manages strategic online paid search and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) campaigns for clients of all sizes. She is also the head of the internship program at Off Madison Ave. Ellen uses her previous agency internship experience to be an effective mentor and help the students develop skills they will need professionally after graduation. Ellen graduated from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a certificate in international business.