Microsoft, in its attempt to control every aspect of your computing experience, is set to compete directly with Google and change the way you search. Its yet-to-be-unveiled new search engine is called Bing, and Microsoft is making a huge gamble on persuading users to switch from Google.
Advertising Age reports that Microsoft will be spending up to $100 million on a new ad campaign that includes online, print, TV, and radio spots that promote Bing. This is a huge advertising campaign, even by national brand standards. The average new product roll-out on a nationwide scale runs about $50 million. Google spent $25 million all of last year on advertising, with almost half of that on recruiting. Microsoft is betting big that users will love Bing.
Recent data has shown that 42% of searches require refinement and 25% of search clicks are on the back button. This may indicate that search needs improvement, thus justifying Microsoft’s large investment in a supposedly superior search engine. However, I don’t think this data proves that anything is wrong with search, or Google for that matter.
When most people use Google or any other search box, they are usually exploring a topic they need to know more about. Because of this, many first search terms are off the mark. If I don’t know anything about a topic, I probably won’t know the precise search string to get what I’m looking for either. My first search results on a vague term will usually guide me to a more appropriate search string. All of this happens in about 3 seconds, and it seems to be a natural way to learn.
How does Microsoft plan on improving upon this method? Google has satisfied every search need I have ever had, from text to video to images. And, it only keeps getting better. I’ve noticed many searches lately that have taken my current location into consideration when presenting results. Geo-location technology is a big part of the future of software (as I reported last week), and Google in on the forefront.
Google has absolutely dominated the search engine world for the last few years. So much so that Google has risen above just a brand name and become part of our language. Google is now a verb and part of the world vocabulary. Can Microsoft spend $100 million and convince the world to start saying, “I just Binged that restaurant and the reviews look great”? I don’t think so. Google is just too entrenched in the national subconscious.
Still, if anyone could go up against Google, Microsoft is the one. They already have an enormous following and a established network of popular websites. Replacing Live Search and MSN Search with Bing, and making Bing the default search engine of Internet Explorer would be a great first step.
The official launch of Bing will take place in June, and with $100 million in ads out there, I’m sure you will know when it happens. They are also set to give a demonstration this week at the All Things Digital Conference, and I am curious to see the technology that warrants such a large marketing effort on Microsoft’s part. Go ahead and Bing this blog in a month and let me know if the search results are superior enough to make you switch.
1 comment
Zac says:
May 28, 2009 at 11:30 am (UTC -7 )
If you ask me, Microsoft is going to be throwing away their money trying to compete. They would be better off spending their $100 million elsewhere