Bing! There's the bell.
Microsoft's
Third place is still impressive -- as are the latest engagement stats from comScore. The researcher says that Mr. Softy's search sites increased their market share from 13.8% to 15.5% in the week of Bing's debut. Translation: Bing is reaching more people than Live.com had been.
But the real target is Google
Calling that troubling would be unfair; it's only Bing's first week. And yet, in a sense, these numbers are troubling. They suggest that being good isn't nearly as important as being the Known Brand.
Google has a reputation for delivering quality search results. Mr. Softy's own tests during Bing's development -- back when it was still called "Kumo" -- found that users rated its results highest when they were disguised as being from Google, The Wall Street Journal reports.
In other words, brand is as much an advantage for The Big G as it is for Nike
Bing is a strong first step. But in the battle of the brands, good isn't good enough. Show us remarkable, Mr. Softy.
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