At the airport “being searched” is a royal pain. On the Web it’s the golden rule.
According to The Wall Street Journal, marketers are becoming more savvy searchers. For instance, VW is sharing information across its dealer network so dealers and corporate don’t compete for a key phrase like “GTI Atlanta.” The article also argues that social media marketing campaigns lead consumers to search more.
Xerox registered a substantial increase in the number of searches related to its brand after launching a promotion in May, anchored by a video about a fake psychological disorder called Information Overload Syndrome. The goal was to get consumers to think about Xerox as a company that can help them manage information better, not just help them print or copy paperwork. A spoof video generated more than a million hits, Xerox says, and the campaign generated buzz on blogs and social-networking sites. That buzz translated into a 65% surge in searches related to the brand and the subject of the campaign, Xerox says.
“Everyone is growing their search budgets and has been for a long time. There is no exception to that,” says Barbara Basney, head of global advertising for Xerox. Social media “is giving us another way to help influence people’s propensity to search.”
Here’s the Information Overload Syndrome video in question:
