eBay's 2009 holiday marketing campaign is the most integrated to date, ranging from rich-media digital ads, to television and print ads (including Lucky Magazine, Bon Appetit, PC World and Popular Mechanics) to "mobile boutiques" and a store in New York City during the holidays. eBay Vice President of North America Marketing Greg Fant joined AuctionBytes Editor Ina Steiner in a podcast interview to discuss the messaging behind the campaign.
With a tagline, "Come to think of it, eBay," the company is trying to re-engage lapsed customers and expand the categories in which current buyers shop, and the campaign is designed to convey the message that eBay is a smarter way to shop with unmatched value and selection, Mr. Fant said. A Mobile Boutique is travelling to a dozen major U.S. cities equipped with holiday merchandise and interactive shopping kiosks, with live listings on the Marketplace from local eBay sellers and personal shoppers. Staff wear clothing decorated with the words, "Gift Happily/Gift Merrily/Gift Lovingly/Gift Originally."
eBay also launched a digital magazine for shoppers called The Inside Source featuring insights and stories based on what more than 89 million active users are searching for, buying and selling on eBay. The Inside Source offers daily content with original articles, analysis and opinions from journalists as well as eBay community contributors.
Mr. Fant revealed that eBay will continue advertising into the first quarter to keep the momentum going, and will be looking at ways to facilitate gift giving on eBay. In the podcast interview, he also answers questions such as:
- Do any of the campaign TV or banner ads focus on the antiques and collectibles categories?
- How important are eBay Bucks, email marketing and special landing pages and category sales?
Mr. Fant also talks about the campaign tagline and whether eBay will continue with its couponing and Microsoft (Bing) Cashback tie-in from last year. "We're adapting our approach to marketing. You'll see a lot more innovation on the marketing side as we go into 2010," he said.
Link to podcast interview
