• by Misty Locke , November 29, 2005

A few months ago, my partner in crime, Cheryle Pingel, gave a pre-launch toast to the prospect of msn's new search product in this magazine. Our team members had been working with msn on a daily basis since July to prepare these tests, and our MSN Search pilot programs did not begin until mid-October. It's a bit like going through three wedding showers, a bachelorette party, and a rehearsal dinner -- all to get ready for "the big day."

A beta test, by definition, is not a finished product. Some of the processes are not complete, and that is what we signed up for. So our partners at msn will have to understand that we are a bit impatient and always perfectionists, as I detail the progress -- including the negatives --of this beta test.

Set-up and training. The Range team members, along with clients, were ready to hit the road when this beta test began. But the lack of training on the product's capabilities and nuances became a stumbling block. Some basic elements, such as the template for upload and bid interface, are cumbersome and difficult to maneuver. We've watched both our experienced account managers and those at msn struggle during this launch. They've all kept up positive, patient attitudes as deadlines, forms, and procedures changed on a weekly basis. But everyone in this beta has spent a lot of precious time mastering basic product elements that do not fit the industry norm.

Service and support. To combat the lack of "official" training on the product, msn has improved its one-on-one support. We have one msn rep assigned for each vertical involved in testing, which tops our normal ratio. Though it's clear that msn's internal communications are not quite in synch, we've found this team more willing than ever to research answers and come back with solutions.

Our biggest concern is our fear of the unknown, rather than any issue with MSN Search itself. There is a feeling of being "blind" in this beta launch. Although the auction model has a current minimum bid of just five cents, the account managers are unable to determine which competitors are bidding against them. In addition, we cannot tell at this point what the reporting will look like. Our clients' success or failure depends on this reporting, so this is not a detail that can be taken on faith.

We are excited by the potential of msn Search, including the prospect of having higher return on investment (ROI) and the ability to target more specifically -- not just by location but, in theory, by demographics as well. Our team is eager to gain the ability to run more tests for clients at a lower price point, an option MSN Search is said to allow.

In this controlled environment, it's clear that msn has created a product catering to the needs of elite online retailers and sophisticated marketers. As we continue to learn all about the capabilities, we have high hopes that the product will address the needs of other online marketers as well.

The most exciting aspect of msn's search product, though, is the competition it will create. With this new and improved model in the market, Google and Yahoo! will have to continue improving their own performance, pricing, and service. Products and price bucketing, such as Google's new Quality Based Bidding tool, may need to be re-mapped as testing, promotional events, and ROI may be more effective to run through msn.

So there we have it. It may be a bit like picking apart the food and flowers at a rehearsal dinner when we know the wedding will be the "event of the year." We feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to be a part of this test for a product we know will prove a major force in the online industry. We will continue to give our feedback to the MSN team and here in OMMA.

In a follow-up article, I'll provide more detail on launch, performance, and -- presumably --success stories on the accuracy of the new msn Search.