Marketing Pilgrim

Each time you sign up for a new site you create a profile which is unique to that site. You’ve got to upload a picture and fill everything out. It’s a pain to keep up with it all, which is why I haven’t yet added my picture to my Digg or LinkedIn profile.

MySpace has launched the Data Availability initiative which can make MySpace your home base for profiles. With this new initiative you’ll be able to integrate elements of your MySpace profile on partner sites that so far include Twitter, eBay, Yahoo! Instant Messenger, and Photobucket.

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Yahoo India has launched a new feature in their search results called “Glue” pages. As Barry Schwartz explains:

Glue Pages are specialized pages that contain an enhanced visual search result page, for select search queries. The search results that trigger the special “Glue Pages” run across searches in health, sports, entertainment, travel, technology, and finance categories.

The new pages are not quite equivalent with Google’s Universal Search blended SERPs, as the various types of information are broken out into separate columns. Instead the results more closely resemble those of Ask3D.

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Yep, Yahoo working to make the world a safer place—to search.

Yahoo will now display warnings on SERPs to indicate that some of the sites listed in their results may not be entirely safe. Yahoo’s SearchScan feature will be a new default for SERPs served to the US, Canada, the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and Spain. Potentially dangerous sites will feature a highly visible red warning tag under the page title.

The advisories in action:

The advisories even specify what kind of dangers might lurk in the pages to come.

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With this weekend’s news that Microsoft has withdrawn its offer to purchase Yahoo, the news media is having a field day analyzing the “if,” “ands”, and “buts.” Instead of regurgitating the same stuff, let’s take a look at the winners and losers here.

Losers

• Yahoo: It should have taken Microsoft’s increased offer. There were no other suitors in sight, and Google is hardly its best pick for a knight in shining armor. I don’t expect the market to be kind to Yahoo today, and I suspect employees are deflated, not elated.

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Well, that SOMETHING has finally happened, but no one is really willing to be much more specific than that. However, anonymous sources who apparently don’t know enough to give a hard number (or don’t want to get in trouble) say that Microsoft has increased its bid for Yahoo.

The AP reports that Microsoft’s price will now exceed its original offer of $44.6 billion ($31/share). Microsoft had lowered the offer to $42.4 billion, and its exact value has fluctuated with stock prices. However, Yahoo stockholders were rumored to be holding out for at least $35/share. Analysts have long predicted that the deal would come once the price came into the $32-35/share range.

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Raise your hand if you’re tired of hearing about the pending Google-Yahoo and/or Yahoo-Microsoft deals. All right, everyone who isn’t me—you’re excused from reading this post. Me—you still have to write it, even though now there’s no one left out there.

Somehow, it’s suddenly news again that Yahoo might do SOMETHING at SOME POINT. (Can you tell I’m not overly impressed?) Sources tell the WSJ that late yesterday, Microsoft was leaning toward a hostile bid. Moments ago, Reuters‘ sources say that Yahoo and Microsoft talks are intensifying to avoid a hostile takeover. Microsoft’s bid has allegedly gone up several dollars.

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In recent interview with CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo, Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt spoke out about his biggest concerns. Most pressing issue is the possible merger of Microsoft and Yahoo - which could happen as early as next week. Then there’s the problem of how to make money off YouTube – which is costing the company millions a year in hosting costs.

First, the tale of good (Google) and evil (Microsoft) and the fight over struggling Yahoo. In the interview, Schmidt talks up Yahoo’s strengths and warns about Microsoft’s evilness.

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As Microsoft weighs its acquisition options with Yahoo, it’s interesting that its board is pretty much leaving the decision to CEO Steve Ballmer. Could it be that Ballmer’s next move be the one that decides his future at Microsoft?

Ballmer really doesn’t face an easy option when it comes to his company’s takeover bid with Yahoo. There’s not a "no brainer" decision that he can opt for, and walk away with everyone smiling. Consider his choices:

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And so the Microhoo saga continues.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Microsoft plans to allocate $1.5 billion dollars to employee retention if the merger goes through. This is according to court documents in a shareholder lawsuit cited by the WSJ. According to CNET:

The documents include transcripts of a March 24 conference call hearing between attorneys for Yahoo and two Detroit-based pension funds. During the call, a Yahoo attorney noted Microsoft had informed the company that it “earmarked $1.5 billion for employee retention at Yahoo,” cites the Journal.

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Have you ever wondered what information advertisers are collecting about you? More often than not the individual advertising that you are seeing when you visit your favorite website is based on an advertising profile that has been built up over time based on your individual online behaviors.

CNET is reporting that Jeff Weiner, Executive Vice President of Yahoo’s Network Division, can already imagine a day in the not too distant future where when you see an advertisement on Yahoo, there would be an icon that would allow you to view your ad profile so you can understand why that particular advertisement was delivered to you.

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As Andy mentioned in today’s Pilgrim’s Picks, Reuters reports that Google’s confident about the proposed ad deal with Yahoo receiving the OK from the FTC.

If you don’t remember, almost three weeks ago, Yahoo announced that they would conduct a two week test of Google’s AdSense for Search program. A scant eight days later, Yahoo was reportedly very happy with the deal—and talking about making the arrangement permanent.

Reports surfaced late last week that the US Department of Justice was investigating the deal, which could possibly be a prelude to an FTC investigation.

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The weekend deadline for Yahoo to accept Microsoft’s buyout offer has passed, with no new news.

Now AP is speculating whether Microsoft is bluffing about its talk of abandoning its bid or if the software company might actually walk away from the deal.

The public remarks of Ballmer and Liddell could be just part of a negotiating ploy aimed at pressuring Yahoo to the negotiating table.

But some analysts think Microsoft would be smart to walk away now.

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