MicroHoo?

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February 1, 2008
Breaking news this morning is that Microsoft has made a $44 billion offer to buy Yahoo. There's a lot of shock & surprise out there, but I think it makes a lot of sense. Here's why:
  • MSFT has been lagging behind Google in many areas, and this is a way to shore up the gap
  • YHOO owns some pretty attractive social media sites: Flickr, del.icio.us, Upcoming, to name a few - this is a great way for MSFT to get in the game
  • The combined search capabilities of the two would be something
  • And the online advertising opportunities would abound
Lots of people are excited about it. But no one more so than Microsoft's CEO. Let's see just how crazy Steve Ballmer gets:



Happy Friday.

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Posted by Scott Monty at 7:20 AM
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 Comments:

At 2/01/2008 8:23 AM, Blogger Joe C said...

It does make a lot of sense that MS try to buy its way into a game it has shown utterly no talent at playing itself. But I would not bet on this working out for a couple of reasons.

First, Yahoo itself has been losing the innovation race to Google. Like MS, Yahoo is stuck with the strategic view of the world it first was successful at, which is more the first web boom of the 90s.

Second, since it is MS doing the buying, it is far more likely that Yahoo and its properties will become assimilated into the MS Windows-centric mindset, than their more web-centric view will take over MS.

And Scott, thanks for the video, but... Ballmer before breakfast? Ewww.

 
At 2/01/2008 8:49 AM, Blogger Jason Falls said...

Can you say "Howard Dean"?

Interesting stuff. It's also interesting that the best Yahoo! can do to get really involved in social media is to have someone else offer to buy them. Maybe the acquisition will change that.

 
At 2/03/2008 6:15 PM, Anonymous Eileen Chang said...

This standing offer makes me thank that Google came in the picture several years ago. It is Microsoft's main competitor, and without it, social media might not be as developed as it is now.

It will be interesting to see if the aquisition does follow through. If it does, and Microsoft is able to increase its social media presence to the amount of Google (as well as make it user-friendly), Microsoft may have the upper hand in technology. What happens if Google begins releasing their own version of Microsoft Office (not the word processing on the Web site, but a complex software program to be purchased)? This will be interesting.

 
At 2/05/2008 1:43 AM, Anonymous Yianni Garcia said...

What a great post. Wait, where you the first one to call it MicroHoo? That video of Ballmer always gets me. His HR lady must have been having a heart attack backstage.

 
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Ranked by Forbes as one of the top 10 influencers in social media, he has been called "an unstoppable force of nature," "the best corporate social media lead on the planet," and Alan Mulally, the CEO of Ford Motor Company, called him "a visionary."

At Ford, Scott heads up the social media function and holds the title Global Digital & Multimedia Communications Manager. He is a strategic advisor on all social media activities across the company, from blogger relations to marketing support, customer service to internal communications and more, as social media is being integrated into many facets of Ford business.


Prior to joining Ford, Scott served as Consigliere for crayon and spent a number of years with PJA Advertising + Marketing, a boutique BtoB agency specializing in health sciences & high tech.

In addition to his professional responsibilities, Scott is an active blogger and podcaster. He writes about the intersection of advertising, marketing and PR at The Social Media Marketing Blog and also writes The Baker Street Blog and cohosts I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, two literary undertakings. Scott has been featured in hundreds of news and business publications in print and on the web, in nearly dozens of books, and on a variety of mainstream media, including NBC, NPR, CNN and The Wall Street Journal. Scott is a recognized thought leader in the social media industry and frequently speaks at industry events.

Scott received his Master's in Medical Science from Boston University's School of Medicine concurrently with his MBA from BU's Graduate School of Management. He lives in the greater Detroit area with his wife and two young sons, golfs all too infrequently, and has a hidden talent for voice over work.

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Hi, I'm Scott. I'm the global head of social media for Ford Motor Company. This is my personal blog, where I share my perspectives on social media - the convergence of marketing, advertising and PR on the Web - for marketers, agencies, the enterprise and the individual. This blog contains my personal views. My bio is available here and my headshots can be found here.

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