skibum - 10:32 pm on May 18, 2006 (gmt 0)

Has any search engine been built through a branding campaign? MSN threw a fortune at offline ads a while ago and they are losing market share.

It's not like branding consumer packaged goods where if you see enough commercials for something you might be inclined to buy it the next time you walk down the aisle at the grocery store. Chances are whatver you see advertised you will run across in the store. Unless you go out and actively look for Ask or go to Ask.com you may never come across it in the course of everyday life.

Ask can advertise on all the traditional media outlets they want but there is nothing like being there when someone is looking for what they have to offer. Branding could of course help to reinforce it.