Observations
Online Travel: A Game of Inches
by Blake Suggs on 09/28/2009 at 2:21 pm in Conferences, Observations, Within Range
I had the opportunity to attend the Eye for Travel conference in Chicago, Il from September 15th through 17th, and I thought I would share some of my observations from the show. Overall there was a wide range of attendees – everyone from Supplier side VPs to OTA Executives to the newest technology companies – which made for a good cross-section of the travel vertical. The biggest impression I came away with was that online travel has become a game of inches.
Full StoryGoogle, Aren’t You Big Enough Already
by Danielle Smith on 09/10/2009 at 6:01 pm in Observations, Within Range
Why is the Google font so big today? Did my mom call the search company and ask that they magnify it to the size of those old lady bibles? Whatever the reason, I’m not a fan. Perhaps I should don Pee-wee Herman sized sunglasses and change my attitude. Is this one of the key items they discussed at the investor webcast?
Full Story3 Point Wednesday
by Danielle Smith on 08/19/2009 at 5:53 pm in Observations, Opinion Editorial, Within Range
Danielle’s three random points of the day! Much like Woot.com’s two for Tuesdays only I’m not selling anything and this won’t be a recurring theme. But you’re welcome to bid on my three things regardless.
Full StoryWhat’s the Deal with All These Retreads?
by Jeremy Hull on 07/15/2009 at 1:44 pm in Commentary, Observations, PPC, Within Range
Is paid search out of ideas? Don’t get me wrong, I love paid search. It’s my specialty. It’s logical, predictable, and organized, which appeals to my OCD nature. Social media and mobile may be the next “big things,” but from my vantage point, they’re still very nebulous and unorganized. Give me a basic paid search campaign any day, and I’ll sculpt it into something that will make you some money. That being said, I can’t help but feel paid search as a whole is getting a little stale. The past several years have seen lots of new ideas and innovations—improved targeting, more control, the capability for real-time changes—the list is actually kind of long. However, recently it seems like every time I hear about a new paid search feature from any of the major engines I get a strange feeling of déjà vu.
Full StoryHello New Shoes, Bye Bye Blues
by Vic Drabicky on 06/09/2009 at 5:57 pm in Commentary, Market Research & Data, Observations, Performance Marketing
I like music, I have never hidden that fact. Whether it is Wilco (who I will be lucky enough to see play this weekend) or any of the 10+ musicians that currently work at Range, I love listening to each and every one of them. But one thing I have always tried to stay away from is relating my work life to my music life. It just seems cheesy. Well, ladies and gentlemen (aka the 2 people that read this blog), I have decided to be cheesy this morning and try to work a music reference into my article on retail sales numbers. The victim of my cheesy attempt here is a Scottish singer named Paolo Nutini (he has two great albums – buy them both). That said, here goes nothing…
Full StoryA Catheter Connecting You to Hollywood
by Danielle Smith on 05/28/2009 at 1:18 pm in Commentary, Observations, Within Range
One thing I’ve been thinking about lately is just how pervasive celebrity culture is online. You really can’t open a browser without catching some headline of some famous person’s antics. It’s even tiring for me to keep thinking about it but dang if something new and titillating doesn’t break every day. My favorites of late are Kate Gosselin’s crazy hair and Madonna’s successful campaign against looking natural. I am not a fan of aging anyway, but thanks to the internet, well, let’s just say I’m really serious about moisturizing both day and night. Imagine some sort of new fangled headgear that allows you to shed the 20 years you fought so hard to put on starting at age 10.
Full StoryDead Men Tell No Tales, But Google Trends Sure Does
by George Popstefanov on 05/13/2009 at 4:54 pm in Commentary, Observations, Social Media, Within Range
Just when you thought the internet had had enough of pirates, the recent activity of those Somali scalawags has filled the sails of pirate-related searches. If we look into Yahoo! Buzz and Google Trends, it the term “Somali Pirates” is being searched 1200% more than in the past. Not surprisingly, Facebook has gone on the account with pirate talk, recently deciding to update their language platform with version 2 of English (Pirate).
Full StoryRecession Proofing: Is That Like Winterizing?
by Parks Blackwell on 04/20/2009 at 1:32 pm in Observations, Opinion Editorial, Within Range
The term most recently being used is “recession proof”. This makes me a little concerned. Marketers calling things recession-proof? And car companies providing “assurance”? Scary. Car dealerships aren’t typically known for being trustworthy. But what do I know? It seems like these promotions are actually working. It’s not drawing people out of the woodwork, but it is causing a bit of an uptick in large ticket purchases like vehicles. Terms like sympathy and compassion are being tossed about quite often as well. From car dealers. Possibly even with straight faces.
Full StoryThe Fear of the Dream Realized
by Danielle Smith on 02/06/2009 at 12:26 pm in Observations, Opinion Editorial, PPC, Within Range
The frustration felt when you see a client throw hundreds of thousands of dollars at short-lived, easily forgotten campaigns while allowing their brand positioning in something as basic as paid search to be ignored is maddening. You go home after days like that and just beat your head into a wall. Then you wake up and go at it again. That is until now.
Full StoryThis Episode of the Range Blog Brought to You By:
by Range Blog Admin on 04/14/2008 at 12:03 pm in Observations, Opinion Editorial, Within Range
So anyway, as another week goes by without a new episode of Lost, I’m left with my imagination running wild, pondering the possibilities of what I’ll see when the show returns on the 24th. Is the Temple another station or does it have something to do with the statue? Why did Michael get a haircut? Will they have written Walt’s apparent sprint from whiny, obdurate ten-year old to morose, scowly teenager as a function of the Island’s peculiar temporal effects? And what brand will exclusively hold my attention during the story breaks?
Full Story