Rafael Grillo

Online Ad Revenues Up: Is the Worst Over?

In a tough economic situation, advertisers indeed cut their advertising budgets. But they don’t eliminate them. They can’t afford to. They need to keep selling! If any, as an advertiser you re-direct your reduced budget to the most effective touchpoint you have available. If you had campaigns going in different mediums, you focus on the most effective ones and cut the rest. Search advertising raises to the top in a situation like this. And If you had campaigns going in Google, Yahoo and Microsoft, you cut the last two and put all your money behind Google. I expect to see an increase in Google's share in the forthcoming quarters.

On Yahoo/ Microsoft: Jerry Yang Should Be Fired

Interesting action on YHOO today. It seesm the doom and gloom scenario didn't play out. The market is waiting for Act II and I think we will se more of this MSFT-YHOO deal. bill d: hold onto those options. You may break even. In any case, I seriously doubt YHOO has any significant future. As per MSFT, I think their corporate culture is way screwed up as to ever build a significant presence in the Web. The would simply smother anything they touch. Gosh, even their software is flailing! (Vista anyone?)

What Should Microsoft Buy Instead?

Extraordinary article! In all the intensity of this Yahoo-Microsoft almost-deal, we might have forgotten to ask the most relevant question in the first place: why does Microsoft need Yahoo? Which is to say, how come Microsoft, with all its might, has been unable to build a relevant, coherent Web presence by itself? In part, this link to an incredible video in YouTube entitled "Microsoft Re-Designs the Ipod Packaging" explains it: www.youtube.com/watch?...

Microsoft has grown to be a soul-less corporation that has lost touch with what consumers value today. Yahoo is not far behind -hence its woes-. The difference between these two companies and the portfolio mentioned in your article is that the latter includes true representatives of the Web 2.0 ethos: nimble, personal, creative, emotional. I am afraid Microsoft's corporate culture will simply smother everything it touches. It is good that the deal Yahoo-Microsotf didn't take place: most likely, it would have been another AOL-Time Warner or Sprint-Nextel.