• by Newswire Report , July 11, 2003

Responding to the intense activity in the online search marketplace, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) will launch its first-ever interactive search marketing road show in San Francisco on Tuesday, with additional stops in Chicago (7/17/03) and New York (7/21/03). The event will feature new research from comScore Networks and case studies from marketers including (dependent on city) eBay, Scotts Fertilizer, AndrettiPowersports, CBS MarketWatch, and more.

"Search marketing is red-hot right now - tripling its take of all interactive advertising revenues from 4% in 2001 to 15% in 2002. This road-show offers a unique forum for marketers to convene and learn first-hand how they can increase their ROI and best integrate sponsored listings into their marketing mix," said Adam Gelles, Director, Industry Initiatives, IAB.

During the event, the IAB and comScore will for the first time unveil the results of their research: Measuring the Effectiveness of Sponsored Search Marketing, which objectively demonstrates and measures the impact of sponsored listings as a marketing tool. The study tracked and analyzed sponsored search results from click-thru to conversion on leading brands in the Travel and Financial Services categories across the leading portals and search engines. Brands studied include: Expedia, Delta, American Airlines, United, Hertz, Avis, Marriott, Holiday Inn, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citibank and State Farm to name a few.

Key highlights from the study include 1) for the three months ending May 2003, an estimated more than two million consumers applied for financial services and booked more than $200 million in travel services immediately following the response to a sponsored search and 2) the study revealed the specific and significant value to marketers of a sponsored search throughout the weeks following a search.

"We're confident that marketers will be compelled not only by the direct-response value of sponsored search, but also by its longer-term impact," noted James Lamberti, comScore Networks vice president of Media Industry Solutions. "comScore was delighted to conduct this landmark research in partnership with the IAB, and we're looking forward to sharing our findings in the days and weeks to come."

The study was based on comScore technology, which continuously and confidentially captures the complete Internet activity - including specific keyword queries across all major search engines - of a representative cross-section of more than 1.5 million global Internet users. comScore methodology combines industry-endorsed random digit dial (RDD) sampling methodologies with massive population samples across key home, work, university and non-U.S. locations. This unique combination of technology and methodology enables searching activity to be accurately linked - immediately and over time - to consumers' Web-wide visiting and actual buying behavior.

The IAB Interactive Search Marketing Road Show is sponsored by AskJeeves, Business.com, Click Squad, Did-It.com, DigitalGrit, Google, iCrossing, Looksmart, Overture, Performics, Sprinks - an About, Inc. Company, Terra Lycos and Yahoo!. For more information on the search road show or its content please visit www.iab.net/searchevent.

comScore's Measuring the Effectiveness of Sponsored Search Marketing research was sponsored by: Google, Overture, MSN, Sprinks and Yahoo!