Community key to eBay's bid to maintain the magic

Community key to eBay’s bid to maintain the magic

Kilby N. Marketing Week, 7 Jun 2007, Start page: 20, No of pages: 2

Purpose – to describe how online auction site eBay is to renew its focus on how it relates to consumers following the appointment of integrated agency Albion to its £10m UK creative account. Design/methodology/approach– questions eBay Inc.’s business strategy and how it will exploit its disparate assemblage of websites and technology companies. Findings – eBay needs to take radical steps to keep up people’s interest in the site following the first flush of excitement they enjoy when buying goods from the world’s foremost second-hand goods retailer. States that brand perception among consumers is very positive and consumers have real resonance with the brand across the UK and the globe and above-the-line advertising will be a significant tranche of marcoms, using the coloured logo people characters. However, asserts that eBay struggles to generate a buzz among consumers and the agency’s job is to re-engage users. Suggests that the long-term strategy could be to bring the constituent parts of its business together, hence eBay’s determination to focus on its community of users, but the brand will have to work on the concept as the logo people have failed to portray the sense of community. Originality/value – notes that while some believe eBay’s acquisitions are erratic and that it has failed to integrate businesses successfully into the auction site, others consider that it has a clear vision for its approach to marketing that is at the cutting edge and across all media channels, with digital and community at its core, and that it has the capabilities to truly connect consumers across its own site and via sibling companies, which would pay huge dividends.

Keywords: Auctions, eBay, Internet, Marketing strategy, United Kingdom