posted on March 25, 2001 10:45:01 AM
First time I've seen or heard of any advertising on this scale.
Full page advertisement in the Sunday Washington Post newspaper, page A11.
Since I don't believe you can access Wash. Post ads online I'll provide a short summary.
Full page ad. Headline, in green, "We're not just for collectors" followed by "(Unless you happen to collect things like brand new, shiny, super-powerful computers.)"
Page shows four rows of three pictures each.
Top row is a laptop, a flat screen monitor and a VCR. Followed by the headline and three more rows of items, all in color, including Home Printer, Cell Phone, DVD Player, Video Game System, MP3 Player and Digital Camera.
Under each picture is an Item number, generalized title (as in Digital Camera)and a statement such as "this is a self- contained fun machine" which was under the Video Game System.
The bottom of the ad contained the eBay logo in color, Go to (with the URL)and "Register where you see (with a graphic of the welcome new users button).
All in all a very impressive ad.
I did search for several of the Item numbers and they come up "no longer in data base". They are all six digit numbers and I don't believe that type of number has been used for some time. Not sure why they bothered with including out of date Item Numbers but that's of small importance considering the over-all positive impact of the advertisment.
Has this been done before in major newspapers and/or is it appearing elsewhere today?
posted on March 25, 2001 02:16:53 PM
I can see why they'd want to promote electronics for their higher dollar value, but isn't ebay supposed to advertise to represent all sellers? Can you imagine a mall promoting just several of the big stores and not the smaller one's? I can't believe my fees are being used with bias. Time for everyone who this negatively effects to fire off some letters to ebay.
posted on March 25, 2001 02:18:13 PM
Could be some test marketing, but more likely they are lobbying Congress for some special legislation to improve their bottom line.
posted on March 25, 2001 03:56:34 PM
Being a registered buyer on eBay means eBay has already monetized you whether you buy anything or not. You're one of the 22 million registered users that eBay exhibits to get the big corps to sell on eBay.
When we did the oldest FB search on another thread, I was surprised at how many users are basically inactive- no FB for 2 years.
I have a feeling that while ebay claims 22 million users, there may be less than 2 million active buyers and sellers.
I am surprised that a savvy wall streeter hasn't did an analysis of this already.
posted on March 25, 2001 07:44:17 PM
speaking as "2" of the 22? million users (since I have 2 ID's, LOL) I can say that I agree with kerryann- I wouldn't buy a computer or electronics on Ebay. Those are things I want to try out before buying, and wouldn't risk having them shipped to me.
However, I am glad they are advertising. Yes the advertising is biased but hey, it's better than nothing.
posted on March 26, 2001 09:45:17 AM
eBay has all the pretense of being a marketplace, but by doing so invariably impels the user to go elsewhere, whether it be Half.com or anyone's banner ad. Just the word implies one should be shopping around--and I do anyway. Many times that brings one back to eBay, but it is almost as easy to go elsewhere for a bargain.
Yesterday I compared what was on eBay to elsewhere on the web for something I wanted. As a consumer, the whole web is part of the marketplace and eBay offerings could not compete.
For hard to find and collectible items, eBay does much better.
posted on March 26, 2001 01:22:59 PM
mballai- I agree- hard to find and collectibles is what eBay is about. However, for eBay to meet revenue projections, it can not depend on hard to find and collectible items.
If ebay stalls revenue by being limited to hard to find and collectibles, its stock should be around $5 a share.
posted on March 26, 2001 06:43:22 PM
Same ad in the Philadelphia Inquirer. Made me feel like a less-than-special seller, since I don't sell any of that stuff. But who knows, it might entice people to come and look at the site and bid on my stuff anyway.
