The figures coming out now for search marketing in 2008 may surprise you.
Everyone knows that for the last couple of years, search has been big and getting bigger all the time. Right? Well, that was not the case in the US.
Efficient Frontier, the large California-based global search consultancy, has just released some interesting figures in a report entitled U.S. Search Engine Performance Report: Q4 2008.
The report indicates that US retailers spent 9% more on search marketing in 2008 compared with the previous year. However, retail was the only growth sector.
US spending on search marketing declined overall last year by 8% compared with 2007.
For specific sectors, the 2008 declines included:
Automotive industry – down 10%
Travel and entertainment – down 24%
Financial services – down 25%
The report is based on an analysis of 92 billion search ad impressions and 600 million ad clicks.
Google in the US, however, maintained its dominant market share of 76%, while Yahoo increased its share slightly to 20%, followed by Microsoft Live Search at 4.2%.
In Australia, the Google market share is around 90%, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, and it seems that the growth of Google is continuing without pause.
Highlights of Google’s December 2008 quarter results include excellent growth in paid clicks – 18% more than the previous year, and 10% up on the September quarter.
“Search query growth was strong, revenues were up in most verticals, and we successfully contained costs,” said CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt last month. At the end of 2008, Google in Australia had some 20,222 full-time employees.
04 February 2009
A Year for Brands: 2008
So what was the most talked about brand in 2008?
Well, if you count ‘Obama’ surely he must have been near the top. But the creators of the latest list, US social-media-services provider Vitrue, stuck to regular brands. This is their top 12 from the US:
1. iPhone
2. CNN
3. Apple
4. Disney
5. Xbox
6. Starbucks
7. iPod
8. MTV
9. Sony
10. Dell
11. Microsoft
12. Ford
Essentially, what they measured was online chatter. So you can certainly question the value of being on the list. They counted online mentions. Nothing more.
The ‘mentions’ may have been positive or negative.
Vitrue explains the survey by saying that they measured the conversation volume for some 2,000 brands on a variety of social-networking, blogging and micro-blogging sites.
If you accept that it’s a good list to be on, there’s a fair chance the guys at Apple had a celebratory drink when the list was announced last week. Having your name or products coming in at positions 1, 3 and 7 would surely indicate they are doing something right.
Maybe the list finds the brands that are active in social media and continually reaching out to consumers via social-media tools. Or maybe this list highlights the brands that offer an incredibly useful, well designed or great value product. You be the judge.
Well, if you count ‘Obama’ surely he must have been near the top. But the creators of the latest list, US social-media-services provider Vitrue, stuck to regular brands. This is their top 12 from the US:
1. iPhone
2. CNN
3. Apple
4. Disney
5. Xbox
6. Starbucks
7. iPod
8. MTV
9. Sony
10. Dell
11. Microsoft
12. Ford
Essentially, what they measured was online chatter. So you can certainly question the value of being on the list. They counted online mentions. Nothing more.
The ‘mentions’ may have been positive or negative.
Vitrue explains the survey by saying that they measured the conversation volume for some 2,000 brands on a variety of social-networking, blogging and micro-blogging sites.
If you accept that it’s a good list to be on, there’s a fair chance the guys at Apple had a celebratory drink when the list was announced last week. Having your name or products coming in at positions 1, 3 and 7 would surely indicate they are doing something right.
Maybe the list finds the brands that are active in social media and continually reaching out to consumers via social-media tools. Or maybe this list highlights the brands that offer an incredibly useful, well designed or great value product. You be the judge.
Holiday town misses the boat
Probably all Victorians know Sorrento on the Mornington Peninsula. Unfortunately, sleepy Sorrento – affluent as it is – knows little about marketing.
Over the holiday period, my wife and I escaped to Sorrento for some time out and to catch up with friends. The place was buzzing with crowds, traffic and fun. The tiny local population was overwhelmed with people from the well-to-do southern and eastern suburbs.
You might expect the traders to look forward to a profitable ‘harvest time’ with equipment primed, staff trained, product ready and systems going. But not in Sorrento.
In the afternoons, with hordes of potential spenders in the main street, most shops close at 5pm right through the holidays. As a visitor, you get the feeling you are not wanted.
In bold letters at the top of its menu, one coffee shop states “no variations to orders allowed”. (Maybe they don’t know that 48% of orders at McDonalds ask for a ‘variation’.)
One of the food outlets on the main drag at Sorrento is Just Fine Food, which is apparently renowned for its vanilla slice. We visited there on a sunny afternoon just before New Year with some dear friends.
As we gave the order we were sternly told, “there’s a twenty minute wait on all coffees”. We were not in a hurry, so that was OK. Seeing the size of the vanilla slice, my wife timidly asked, ”could we have it cut in two, please”.
“We don’t do slices,” the swift reply came back.
OK, we’ll manage. After all, we are on holidays.
Some 45 minutes went by. Suddenly the coffees appeared. One of our group asked, “could you tell us which one is the extra hot one that we ordered?” The reply: “I don’t know, I just bring them out, I don’t make them”.
We were all amused. Nothing was going to spoil our afternoon. But as each day went by and a stream of friends continued through our house, we advised them all to avoid that place.
Maybe next year, the Sorrento traders should take themselves to Queensland for the holiday period. The town would then probably feel more welcoming.
Over the holiday period, my wife and I escaped to Sorrento for some time out and to catch up with friends. The place was buzzing with crowds, traffic and fun. The tiny local population was overwhelmed with people from the well-to-do southern and eastern suburbs.
You might expect the traders to look forward to a profitable ‘harvest time’ with equipment primed, staff trained, product ready and systems going. But not in Sorrento.
In the afternoons, with hordes of potential spenders in the main street, most shops close at 5pm right through the holidays. As a visitor, you get the feeling you are not wanted.
In bold letters at the top of its menu, one coffee shop states “no variations to orders allowed”. (Maybe they don’t know that 48% of orders at McDonalds ask for a ‘variation’.)
One of the food outlets on the main drag at Sorrento is Just Fine Food, which is apparently renowned for its vanilla slice. We visited there on a sunny afternoon just before New Year with some dear friends.
As we gave the order we were sternly told, “there’s a twenty minute wait on all coffees”. We were not in a hurry, so that was OK. Seeing the size of the vanilla slice, my wife timidly asked, ”could we have it cut in two, please”.
“We don’t do slices,” the swift reply came back.
OK, we’ll manage. After all, we are on holidays.
Some 45 minutes went by. Suddenly the coffees appeared. One of our group asked, “could you tell us which one is the extra hot one that we ordered?” The reply: “I don’t know, I just bring them out, I don’t make them”.
We were all amused. Nothing was going to spoil our afternoon. But as each day went by and a stream of friends continued through our house, we advised them all to avoid that place.
Maybe next year, the Sorrento traders should take themselves to Queensland for the holiday period. The town would then probably feel more welcoming.
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