Marketing Pilgrim

It seems Google is starting to realize that any attempt to keep secrets is pretty futile in today’s era of transparency.

The latest proof of this wake-up call is its announcement that it will eliminate 100 jobs from its recruiting department.

Our first step to address this was to wind down almost all our contracts with external contractors and vendors providing recruiting services for Google. However, after much consideration, we have with great regret decided that we need to go further and reduce the overall size of our recruiting organization by approximately 100 positions.

Which makes me wonder; just how big is Google’s recruiting organization anyway? 100 positions is a lot, so how many do they have left in that department?

Wednesday, Wednesday—can’t trust that day.

• Silent films are coming to YouTube—but not because of DMCA requests. Instead, YouTube is giving users the option to remove infringing music from videos. Or they’ll do it themselves.
• A New York court dismissed Amazon’s objections to paying state taxes, filed after the New York law passed back in May.
• A new AdGooroo report takes a look at search ad marketshare. SEL looks at Microsoft’s success formula (More Ads = Better Ads = Better User Experience); meanwhile, Silicon Alley Insider focuses on Yahoo’s 36% drop in share.
• Ad Age outlines viable opportunities for the recession including online video, analytics, e-books and online coupons.

By Peter Young

According to the IPA’s Bellwether report, UK advertisers substantially reduced their budgets in the final 3 months of 2008, with just 7% of respondents saying they had increased budgets during the final quarter of 2008. That was in stark contrast to the 49% who reported that they had cut their marketing spend during the same period. It was also the fifth successive quarterly reduction in spend, with initial forecasts suggesting 2009 is set to see further cuts.

One of the most noticeable statistics to come from the report however was that online advertising spend—which had managed to escape the downward trend in Q3 2008—started to see a decline with 7% of organisations reporting a reduction in spend for the following quarter (Q4). It should however be caveated with the fact that online was affected less than any other channel, indicative of further growth in terms of overall UK market share—according to IPA estimates now around 10% of total advertising spend.

A new study from the Internet Safety Technical Task Force (ISTTF) suggests that Internet threats faced by minors are overblown. According to the study, Internet and social networking sites aren’t as dangerous as we all think they are. Clearly Chris Hansen from NBC’s To Catch a Predator needs to give them a call.

I really don’t understand the merit this study has (or the point of it, for that matter). The report says, “Minors are not equally at risk online. Those who are most at risk often engage in risky behaviors and have difficulties in other parts of their lives.” I feel like we need Seth and Amy to break into a “Really?!?” session.

Since they’re not here, I’ll do it for them!

I doubt that anyone (aside from maybe Sue Decker, the Yahoo President who announced her resignation in the official announcement of the new CEO) envies Yahoo’s new CEO, Carol Bartz. It’s going to take more than just business acumen to turn around the company’s failing fortunes—but does Bartz have what it takes?

Popular opinion is divided so far. Henry Blodget is pretty excited about her take-charge attitude and her track record of turning a failing company around.

The more we learn about Carol, the less she seems like the safe choice and the more she seems like the smart choice. We LOVED her attitude on yesterday’s short introductory conference call:

In Yahoo’s conference call this afternoon, she lectured everyone sternly to give Yahoo some “friggin’ breathing room” and also noted that the company “frankly, could use a little management.” (Swisher)

Naturally, privacy watchdogs answer the question in this post title with a resounding “Yes!” The answer is so emphatic, in fact, that the Center for Digital Democracy and U.S. Public Interest Research Group are filing a 52-page complaint with the FTC today alleging that mobile marketers collect so much “non personally identifiable information” that it infringes on users’ privacy—and are “unfair and deceptive.”

Mobile devices, which know our location and other intimate details of our lives, are being turned into portable behavioral tracking and targeting tools that consumers unwittingly take with them wherever they go.

(Shh! Don’t tell them the FBI can remotely turn on the microphone of several cell phone brands and convert your phone into a roving bug, even when it’s off!)