Comments on: eBay to retire the Kijiji brand? http://tamebay.com/2009/03/ebay-to-retire-the-kijiji-brand.html eBay & ecommerce made easy Fri, 25 May 2012 10:31:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: David Merit http://tamebay.com/2009/03/ebay-to-retire-the-kijiji-brand.html#comment-17074 David Merit Wed, 11 Mar 2009 09:33:17 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/?p=6279#comment-17074 I think Kijiji is a pretty crappy name but "eBay Classifieds" is not much better. (Then again, craigslist is a pretty silly name but it sure took off; then again, those were early days.) I list a rental property on Kijiji and get a fair amount of response (more than craigslist, but then again I often forget that every 7 days I have to repost on craislist whereas I do not have to on Kijiji) so it's clear to me that despite the awkward name a lot of people know about and use Kijiji. I would think that an eBay branding could hurt Kijiji since users could have a preconceived notion that it's not free and that they'll be nickle-and-dimed for everything like with eBay (unless that's ultimately how things will end up if eBay is not able to monetize the classifies sufficiently with ads and maybe something not-to-offensive like premium placement fees). Also, I think it would be a real leap for users to think of eBay classifies as offering housing and services all the non-product kind of stuff that they would not associate with eBay. Surely eBay has the talent to come up with a great new brand and the money and cross-marketing to make people aware of it. "eBay Classifieds" sounds like a pretty lame cop-out that will result in the opposite of what eBay is trying to accomplish with a rebrand. A branding consultant wold probably say it should be two syllables, preferably with an "o" sound (Yahoo, Google, Hotmail, Mobil, Exxon, Jonas) or not (eBay, Gumtree) and not have "list" in it to not be seen as the copycat that it is. Why not hold a competition for great names among both Kijiji and eBay users and get them vote for their favorites? The publicity for that exercise alone would raise awareness of a rebrand with Kijiji users and of the classified service with eBay users and create an emotional investment with both to see what results. Kijiji could during that time be rebranded with a provocative question mark that would link to contest rules and such. I think Kijiji is a pretty crappy name but “eBay Classifieds” is not much better. (Then again, craigslist is a pretty silly name but it sure took off; then again, those were early days.) I list a rental property on Kijiji and get a fair amount of response (more than craigslist, but then again I often forget that every 7 days I have to repost on craislist whereas I do not have to on Kijiji) so it’s clear to me that despite the awkward name a lot of people know about and use Kijiji.

I would think that an eBay branding could hurt Kijiji since users could have a preconceived notion that it’s not free and that they’ll be nickle-and-dimed for everything like with eBay (unless that’s ultimately how things will end up if eBay is not able to monetize the classifies sufficiently with ads and maybe something not-to-offensive like premium placement fees). Also, I think it would be a real leap for users to think of eBay classifies as offering housing and services all the non-product kind of stuff that they would not associate with eBay.

Surely eBay has the talent to come up with a great new brand and the money and cross-marketing to make people aware of it. “eBay Classifieds” sounds like a pretty lame cop-out that will result in the opposite of what eBay is trying to accomplish with a rebrand.

A branding consultant wold probably say it should be two syllables, preferably with an “o” sound (Yahoo, Google, Hotmail, Mobil, Exxon, Jonas) or not (eBay, Gumtree) and not have “list” in it to not be seen as the copycat that it is.

Why not hold a competition for great names among both Kijiji and eBay users and get them vote for their favorites? The publicity for that exercise alone would raise awareness of a rebrand with Kijiji users and of the classified service with eBay users and create an emotional investment with both to see what results. Kijiji could during that time be rebranded with a provocative question mark that would link to contest rules and such.

]]> By: Morocco Mole http://tamebay.com/2009/03/ebay-to-retire-the-kijiji-brand.html#comment-17073 Morocco Mole Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:37:46 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/?p=6279#comment-17073 Kijiji always reminds me of that bit in 'Witches Abroad' - <blockquote>Anywey one good thing is the drink here is v. cheap theres this one called a Bananana dakry which is basicly Rum with a banananana in it. [Footnote: Nanny Ogg knew how to start spelling "banana," but didn't know how you stopped.] </blockquote> Kijiji always reminds me of that bit in ‘Witches Abroad’ -

Anywey one good thing is the drink here is v. cheap theres this one called a Bananana dakry which is basicly Rum with a banananana in it.

[Footnote: Nanny Ogg knew how to start spelling "banana," but didn't know how you stopped.]

]]> By: John Melchiot http://tamebay.com/2009/03/ebay-to-retire-the-kijiji-brand.html#comment-17072 John Melchiot Sun, 08 Mar 2009 11:57:40 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/?p=6279#comment-17072 How is Kijiji difficult to spell? How is Kijiji difficult to spell?

]]> By: John Rathert http://tamebay.com/2009/03/ebay-to-retire-the-kijiji-brand.html#comment-17071 John Rathert Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:20:41 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/?p=6279#comment-17071 Hi Jose Mallabo, Great to see you out posting and twittering! Let me ask you a question - are you still making it a practice to haunt industry blogs and finance boards with anonymous IDs pumping eBay and dissing dissenters? Gosh, there are some great examples of your work out there! John Hi Jose Mallabo,

Great to see you out posting and twittering! Let me ask you a question – are you still making it a practice to haunt industry blogs and finance boards with anonymous IDs pumping eBay and dissing dissenters? Gosh, there are some great examples of your work out there!

John

]]> By: Chris Dawson http://tamebay.com/2009/03/ebay-to-retire-the-kijiji-brand.html#comment-17070 Chris Dawson Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:07:43 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/?p=6279#comment-17070 Ohh no I hadn't! Thanks so much for letting us know - very interesting Ohh no I hadn’t! Thanks so much for letting us know – very interesting

]]> By: Anuncios http://tamebay.com/2009/03/ebay-to-retire-the-kijiji-brand.html#comment-17069 Anuncios Tue, 03 Mar 2009 09:46:48 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/?p=6279#comment-17069 have you seen the new www.eBay.es homepage? new classified sites under eBay brand: www.eBayPisos.es (housing), www.eBayCoches.es (cars), www.eBayAnuncios.es (goods) have you seen the new http://www.eBay.es homepage? new classified sites under eBay brand: http://www.eBayPisos.es (housing), http://www.eBayCoches.es (cars), http://www.eBayAnuncios.es (goods)

]]> By: Jose Mallabo http://tamebay.com/2009/03/ebay-to-retire-the-kijiji-brand.html#comment-17068 Jose Mallabo Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:40:33 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/?p=6279#comment-17068 Yes. They provide a lot of great learnings from which to build on. The eBay Classifieds Group as it is today really is a pretty "young" group as it started with the launch of Kijiji in '05. You'll see a lot more in the way of best practice / synergy work this year across the group now that it's a bit further along. From a global PR perspective, that's something I'm tasked with. While those companies obviously have great grass roots / community building lessons to teach we actually entered the U.S. on the strength and success of Kijiji in Canada -- demographically and geographically the closest to the U.S. market. But as you saw with these upcoming tests in Pittsburgh and San Antonio, we're not afraid to keep tweaking it to get it right for the local market, for the customer...and drive growth. I wasn't around for the Marktplaats acquisition so I can't really comment on that deal. (And, the other half of my job is to look after M&A communications globally.) But having been to the Netherlands many times and working closing with that team...there's no question about how strong that business is there. It is the number 2 web site in the country behind Google. Yes. They provide a lot of great learnings from which to build on. The eBay Classifieds Group as it is today really is a pretty “young” group as it started with the launch of Kijiji in ’05. You’ll see a lot more in the way of best practice / synergy work this year across the group now that it’s a bit further along. From a global PR perspective, that’s something I’m tasked with. While those companies obviously have great grass roots / community building lessons to teach we actually entered the U.S. on the strength and success of Kijiji in Canada — demographically and geographically the closest to the U.S. market. But as you saw with these upcoming tests in Pittsburgh and San Antonio, we’re not afraid to keep tweaking it to get it right for the local market, for the customer…and drive growth.

I wasn’t around for the Marktplaats acquisition so I can’t really comment on that deal. (And, the other half of my job is to look after M&A communications globally.) But having been to the Netherlands many times and working closing with that team…there’s no question about how strong that business is there. It is the number 2 web site in the country behind Google.

]]> By: Dan Wilson http://tamebay.com/2009/03/ebay-to-retire-the-kijiji-brand.html#comment-17067 Dan Wilson Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:28:34 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/?p=6279#comment-17067 Jose, I take the point. I personally think that motors is a bit different from other general classifieds. Mobile was a very effective business and remained so after acquisition. That said, many key personnel made the leap from Hamburg to Berlin. Marktplatz was bought, as I recall, because it effectively trounced eBay in NL. It's a great business with enviable cut-through in Holland. Gumtree, however, offers the english-speaking playbook for the US. With grassroots community building and clever execution it remains strong. My mum uses Gumtree but not eBay. I assume the eBay Classifieds team are getting a good dose of 'best practice' from veterans and experts in Germany, UK and Holland? dw Jose,

I take the point. I personally think that motors is a bit different from other general classifieds. Mobile was a very effective business and remained so after acquisition. That said, many key personnel made the leap from Hamburg to Berlin.

Marktplatz was bought, as I recall, because it effectively trounced eBay in NL. It’s a great business with enviable cut-through in Holland.

Gumtree, however, offers the english-speaking playbook for the US. With grassroots community building and clever execution it remains strong. My mum uses Gumtree but not eBay.

I assume the eBay Classifieds team are getting a good dose of ‘best practice’ from veterans and experts in Germany, UK and Holland?

dw

]]> By: Jose Mallabo http://tamebay.com/2009/03/ebay-to-retire-the-kijiji-brand.html#comment-17066 Jose Mallabo Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:56:37 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/?p=6279#comment-17066 Completely agreed. Pretty solid playbook for classifieds PR/marketing sitting in Germany at Mobile.de and in the Netherlands with Marktplaats. Cheers, Jose Completely agreed. Pretty solid playbook for classifieds PR/marketing sitting in Germany at Mobile.de and in the Netherlands with Marktplaats.

Cheers,
Jose

]]> By: Dan Wilson http://tamebay.com/2009/03/ebay-to-retire-the-kijiji-brand.html#comment-17065 Dan Wilson Mon, 02 Mar 2009 23:38:43 +0000 http://www.tamebay.com/?p=6279#comment-17065 Jose, It's not just strong brand. Gumtree is the playbook. dw Jose,

It’s not just strong brand. Gumtree is the playbook.

dw

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