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This means that Overture will retain MSN as a partner. This is big news because there has been a lot of speculation that Overture was going to get the boot from MSN.
But then you get the Associated Press reports [news.mysanantonio.com] that Overture is fighting not to go under.
What gives? Who is Overture fighting, stock broker perceptions? Overture is a healthy business- they have enough juice to get them through the next couple years, and beyond.
Their management team seems to have an eye toward the 5-10 year horizon. That's good, it demonstrates that they are a moving target, and are looking ahead to changing scenarios. Thus, they are developing search technologies, as well as a Local PPC product. Local PPC could be the next great opportunity.
From my view, Overture is a smart company making smart moves for the long term. So what is Wall Street in a panic about? I think they a focus on short term metrics, added to a lack of understanding of search plays into it too.
I'm waiting to see what Overture unveils in the near term, as well as how it will unfold it's long term plans.
I disagree. They are waaay behind where it matters most, serving the people who actually buy their services. Overture is much harder to work with than several other PPCs I could name, and some of their tactics are, um, ethically debatable. Think of their "matching" that drives junk traffic from off-target searches, and their partnership with Gator, for a couple of examples.
INTERNATIONAL.
;)
serving the people who actually buy their services.
I'm in the United States, and have never had a problem calling their offices and discussing my issues with them. Their form support is fine, too: There were two occasions on which they telephoned to speak to me personally about my concerns (about their editorial policy).
Certainly their partnership with Gator has raised eyebrows, but what I'm concentrating on is the fact that for Overture it doesn't end at PPC and that they have some great plans for the future.
What's perplexing is the press and the stock brokers who are pushing down the price because it reflects a reaction to short term pressures to the exclusion of Overture's smart moves to strengthen long term viability.
In a way Google and OV are the only real success stories in the websearch market. Starting from completely different angles, the companies now have come close to mirror each other.
Both are search providers, both are global leaders in the search advertizing business.
Google however has one additional trump card: massive eyeballs. They are not dependent on anybody, other than OV.
What's perplexing is the press and the stock brokers who are pushing down the price because it reflects a reaction to short term pressures to the exclusion of Overture's smart moves to strengthen long term viability.
exactly.
In fact, I think I'm going to buy more OV stock. ;)
Its funny, I know tons of stockbrokers, and 99% of them do'nt have the foggiest clue as to what is actually going on in the market to give what I would consider an informed eval of OV (IMO). Soooo many times they just buy or sell based on what whoeever joe-schmoe-expert might have said at any given moment. Any stock brokers here keeping up on their own PPC campaigns and relevant threads? HEEELLOOOOO?
<cricket chip>
<dog barks in distance>
=P Heck, I know my broker pretty much only knows how to open a send email (or maybe download porn. lol, jk). I think the Y and MSN dependence factor is easily mitigated by OV's future product developments and international expansion.
Further, for all the OV bashing I see around here at times....they are not stupid. Certainly, Bill Gross is no dummy either. There is no way they aren't very aware that Y and M could jump ship, and as such, I am sure are very much preparing for the eventuality.
Frankly, I don't like OV, but I sure as heck respect what they got going.
Given that most ppl around here do NOT represent the majority, (ie: waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy more internet and online advertising savvy) we are, as such, much much more critical of OV then most, (expectations are higher). But most advertisers, I assert, have a fairly boring-as-expected-fair-to-good OV experience. Heck, I know tons of ppl who still read spam because "they sent it my email! so I must ACTUALLY be the winner of a new plasma TV! (Don't know why they think I need my thingy enlarged though.)"
lol. =P
What do the stock brokers know
They know that Overture's cost of doing business - essentially, the fees it pays its partners - has increased dramatically as a percentage of total revenue and is likely to continue to increase as its partners look to increase their own revenues.
But that's not exactly fighting for survival or reason to think they are doomed to failure.
less profit per click...is still profit.
wait, are we on the same side? lol :P
