Over $1 million investment.
It’s grown from an auction-style business to a retail dynamo and for its 18th birthday eBay is embarking on one of its biggest branding campaigns in years with a million dollar plus spend that is rolling out now and runs until early November. And its new technology that is powering the company forward.
The campaign reach takes in Free to Air TV with 30-and 15-second advertisements, digital video, outdoor, bus and cinema advertising, as well as social and digital display. A very comprehensive, integrated campaign, managing director, Tim MacKinnon told AR. The campaign kicked off on Thursday with eBay’s biggest ever site-wide sale.
eBay managing director, Tim MacKinnon with a Harmon Kardon amplifier, the first item sold on eBay in 1999
And there is more to follow with new brands and releases to come in the next 12 months. “You will see eBay turning up in more different environments,” MacKinnon said. This has already started with the launch of Buy APIs platforms designed for Australian partners. It allows social sites, merchants, marketplaces and developers to virtually increase the inventory they offer to their customers. Products listed on the partner or affiliate site link to eBay’s data and commerce platform, but buyers remain on the partner site rather than be diverted to ebay.com.au.
“Any retailer or site can extend their aisle and add up to 60 million Australian listings as a new source of revenue. We are going to see more examples of conceptual shopping too where you take a photo of the product, instead of using words, to search eBay’s catalogue and purchase. Set to roll out later this year, Image Search recognition technology can take a photo or use an existing photo of an item the user wants to purchase.
Image Search uses pictures instead of words to search the eBay catalogue
“My responsibility is to grow the retail business here and I believe that the Australian selection we have sets us apart. Australians are savvy and fast adopters of technology and love the fact that on eBay they get good deals, the simplicity of eBay appeals and with one shopping app can access the entire retail site. Our business has changed and it’s more about what people are buying locally.”
When it comes to Amazon MacKinnon’s view is that: “competition makes us better, but what sets eBay apart is that we represent Australian retail, we partner with Australian retail and don’t seek to compete with them, disrupt the retail landscape or destroy it”.