May 15th, 2007
Ask vs. Google: Can $100 million buy IAC search happiness?
IAC's Ask.com is not Google, but it aspires to be! Is $100 million in media spend all it will take?
We have a number of ways to tell people about Ask, its tools, and why it should be used (and) why you should make a change from Google," IAC Chairman and CEO Barry Diller said at the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit yesterday.
"We'll spend this year probably, on media, close to a hundred million dollars to promote Ask," he said.
Easier said then done? After all, Google proclaims: "Google has built the most loyal audience on the web, and that growth has come not through TV ad campaigns."
And THAT who needs TV advertising cry from the number one search engine and Internet advertising company that wants to sell all the world's TV ad campaigns!
Ironic? Google is consistenly inconsistent, as CEO Eric Schmidt's commentary at the company's annual shareholders' meeting last week once again reaffirmed: SEE Google CEO sends mixed messages to investors, again.
Ask has some major inconsistencies of its own, as I have been chronicling. My latest installment last month followed the IAC Q1 earnings call: SEE Google showdown: Can Barry Diller win IAC search advertising war?
I have been asking if Ask will finally bite the who needs Google bullet and NOT renew the Google sponsored advertising links deal this year? Diller has promised to act within the coming months.
One thing is certain, unlike Google, Ask will indeed be turning to TV advertising as part of an integrated marketing campaign to drive visitors to Ask.com.
What will Ask be pushing? SEE Google showdown: Can Barry Diller win IAC search advertising war? for the Ask vs. Google growth strategy.
