Bing, Bing, Bing: Get Ready To Hear About Microsoft's New Search, Again and Again
Microsoft is expected to launch its new search engine this week and AdAge reports this morning that it will ride a huge wave of new advertising to promote it. The company has long offered Live Search, it had been talking about a new product called Kumo and now rumor has it the new search product will be called Bing. Except Microsoft just lost an attempt to trademark the word Bing, so who knows.
Reports indicate that the ads won't mention Google by name but will claim that other search engines don't work well. It's hard for us to imagine switching from Google search, but perhaps Microsoft will come out with something special. What would it take you to switch? Google did very little advertising to get where it is today; too much Microsoft search advertising could backfire.
Microsoft won't be able to claim that Google is too expensive to use (as it does about Mac computers), it probably couldn't claim that Google is hard to use or ugly. It could provide examples of Google search results that don't seem intuitive or accurate, but I know I at least am quite satisfied with Google's results day in and day out.
Oft-cited logic regarding the market opportunity that still exists goes like this, from a Microsoft memo:
"In spite of the progress made by search engines, 40% of queries go unanswered; half of queries are about searchers returning to previous tasks; and 46% of search sessions are longer than 20 minutes. These and many other learnings suggest that customers often don't find what they need from search today."
What will it look like? SearchEngineLand has covered testing of Kumo extensively and has screenshots. Thankfully, they aren't super ugly; they look nice and simple, in fact. There's no indication that Kumo/Bing/Whatever will include search of additional things like Mesh storage or locations your car with Microsoft software in it has driven past. That could be cool.
We'll have to wait and see what the company comes up with, but we hope this next flood of advertising won't be as bizarre as the canceled Seinfeld ads, or totally patronizing.
Technology is all about disruption and surprises, though, so it would be a mistake to have no hope that Microsoft is going to offer something truly new and compelling.
Disclosure: Microsoft is a sponsor of ReadWriteStart, the section of our site focused on new startup companies.
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Microsoft would have to practically pay me to switch from Google. Do they really think there going to be able to compete?
The only thing that MS can tackle is accuracy, or rather user understanding and interfacing. Perhaps the Powerset acquisition has played a role here. Having combined and the Kumo rumors I expect a search engine where categories (presented to the left in the image in this post) will be built automatically, a sort of point and click research model(which is auto-documented). But who knows :)
I use live search all the time.
Goog has no edge in my book. Typically the top 5-10 spots returned are the same for both search engines. Plus my own domains come up higher in live so I am hoping to see them get more market share.
Google might seem invincible, but their brand has taken some hits lately thanks to uncontrolled spam and privacy concerns. Google's lethargic reaction to these issues might be a sign of future troubles to come.
In contrast, Microsoft's brand seems to be having a mini-renaissance lately. These are times when things can change very, very quickly...
"Except Microsoft just lost an attempt to copyright the word Bing, so who knows."
Copyright != Trademark
Badda Bing? I doubt it ... Microsoft you are no longer the Don
I'll never go Bing, Live Search or other stuff by Microsoft.
Google just fits now.
ms suck
To tell the truth, if they can sort out a url that is as fun to type as google 100 times a day, then they'll get my business :)
why not advertise on google homepage - 125x125 ?? hee hee.so how much would that cost ?
I would consider switching back to Bing or Kumo or whatever only if it is atleast equalent to google in performance, simplicity and search relevance and Kumo should not track my search keywords and run something similar to google analysis behind the screens.
I would prefer to hide my identity virtually.
As Google is putting advertising in their suggestions, we will change over to Kumo/Bing fast.
Hi,
Google is relevent to my search. I have this many sites of my own. when I give the urls in google, it returns the correct page. Live search has failed my plans in that area.
Hopefully the new one might work. I love Google. It has serverd me more that it has served Google, due to the reason that I dont pay a dime to Google for doing what I do.
Why would I use Google when Yahoo works so well!!!!?????
Google used to be good, now it takes a while to find genuine info.....trawl through all the sites that want you to buy something. I guess thats the internet in general.
"why not advertise on google homepage - 125x125 ?? hee hee.so how much would that cost ?
Posted by: Ricky | May 25, 2009 10:30 PM"
Microsoft already runs search ads for Live on Google. :P
I have always had more success finding content on the Microsoft website by searching it via Google than by using the website's built-in Microsoft search feature. Why on Earth would I think Microsoft could do a better job of searching the entire web?
I use google all the time and live some times. whenever i have used the two of them together i find results are very similar, i just did not like the UI of live very much, but the new UI looks very nice.
Google is great, but there is always room for improvement and competition is good for the market place as it breeds innovativity and creativity. Moreover, Google results are now getting more and more flooded with advertising even the first few result are geared more towards the sponsored/advertised links. Seems like there result set is prioritized by adverts. Dont get me wrong ofcourse thats how they generate revenue, but it has increased alot more recently.
Lets see what this new one has to offer.
BING: But It's Not Google
Google is great! But, competition is required to keep it tops! Time will tell if MS can provide that? If so; they will have to make themselves available on Linux as well! :-)
MS is trying to out do a fierce competitor - Google. MS has in the past tried a lot of new methods to up stage google but all the attempts were feeble, true Google also came up with things that most people do not use but that didn't hurt Google's reputation as it did with MS. Some sources indicate that Kumo/Bing is MS last and best effort to take on Google to get a good share of the search engine market but MS will really need to come up with something special as Google now is something like a house hold brand name. This could either turn out to be a though competition for Google or send MS on a camping trip some where on a remote desolate island. Once Bing is out and about I am going to see the rankings of Company Formation to determine the difference in rankings.
Well, Kumo/Bing/Whatever has to be very free! Otherwise G will remain...
Google did very little advertising to get where it is today; too much Microsoft search advertising could backfire.
Seems like there result set is prioritized by adverts. Dont get me wrong ofcourse thats how they generate revenue, but it has increased alot more recently.