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New Study Shows 45% of Search Marketing Campaigns are Isolated from Offline Efforts

posted on August 4, 2008

New research from iProspect and JupiterResearch reveals that 45% of search marketing campaigns aren’t integrated with offline marketing efforts.

In fact, the study finds that just over half of search engine marketers (55%) intentionally integrate their efforts with at least one offline marketing channel. Specifically, that integration most often takes place with direct mail (34%) and magazine/newspaper advertising (29%), while both television (12%) and radio advertising (12%) trail behind.

It seems to me that 55% is a healthy number. Search marketing is only just finding a dedicated place in the marketing budgets of companies, so it’s still early days, when it comes to blending SEM with other channels. iProspect suggests a few reasons why more campaigns aren’t integrated:

  • lack of budget (19%)
  • lack of human resources (15%)

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Time Warner to Split and Sell AOL?

posted on August 4, 2008

AOLIt seems that Time Warner has had enough of AOL, so it’s expected to announce its division and seek buyers, according to the WSJ.

If the paper is correct, Time Warner will split AOL’s dial-up services from its online advertising unit and seek a buyer for one or both new entities.

Both Microsoft and Yahoo have expressed an interest in the more lucrative online advertising unit, with Yahoo apparently offering more than what Wall Street estimates it’s worth.

The Yahoo discussions have valued AOL at around $10 billion, excluding the dial-up business. In contrast, Time Warner’s current stock price — around $14 — suggests a value of no more than $3 billion to $4 billion for the ad-sales and content businesses, some analysts say.

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Pilgrim’s Picks for August 1

posted on August 1, 2008

August? Really? Already?

Is it just me, or do the months (and years) fly by more quickly, the older you get? Anyway, before December creeps up on us, let’s get to today’s Picks.

  • The IAB has proposed a new template for online video ads.
  • Are AOL’s blogs growing or not? RWW takes a look at the ups and downs of AOL’s blog empire.
  • Some idiot used YouTube to post bogus threats; he could now face 10 years prison time.
  • Li Evans sends word of SearchCamp (coinciding with PodCamp) in Philly on September 6, 7 2008 at Temple University.
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The Reputation Round Table; An Analogy to Explain Reputation Management

posted on August 1, 2008

If you know me, you know I speak in analogies. I’m not quite sure why I’m always plucking them from the air–maybe it helps me to get my own mind around a concept–but I find myself coming up with new ones all the time.

My latest? The Reputation Round Table.

Speaking to a journalist recently, I wanted a clear way to explain why your reputation is no longer controlled 100% by you–you, being an individual or company.

The Old Way: The Board of Reputation

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Is Icahn Skipping Yahoo Annual Meeting so Shareholders Can Do His Dirty Work?

posted on August 1, 2008

UPDATE: The votes are in and there are no surprises from the annual meeting.

On the surface, it appears newly appointed Yahoo board member Carl Icahn, is staying away from the company’s annual shareholder meeting for the good of the company.

On his blog, Icahn states:

I will not be attending. The proxy fight is over and it will not do shareholders or Yahoo! any good to have the annual meeting turn into a media event for no purpose.

It’s those words that have the rest of the media praising Icahn for knowing the difference between “activist shareholder” and troublemaker. But this Pilgrim’s not convinced Icahn’s motives are all selfless.

The AP is reporting that the Yahoo shareholder meeting will likely turn ugly, as unhappy shareholders voice their concern over not selling to Microsoft.