Sellers asked to use Promoted Listings Advanced to drive holiday sales while eBay does no TV ads?
If you're a seller and you've logged into your My eBay recently you've probably noticed a banner near the top of the page "Wrap up more sales this season with Promoted Listings Advanced. Get your listings in front of interested buyers and drive holiday sales with ad placements across eBay."
My question to eBay is where is eBay advertising to help sellers and ultimately themselves bring in business? Where are all the tv ads to drive traffic to eBay? Most of eBay's competitors are doing some type of tv advertising: Amazon, Poshmark, Mercari, Threadup, Etsy, Stock X, Bonanza, Dealdash, Overstock, Walmart, Target, etc etc. These are all competitors of eBay and they're all doing some form of advertising simply to remind buyers about their site. eBay isn't the only game in town any more and they used to have some rather good tv commercials. The only commercials I've seen from eBay over the past 5 years are from eBay Motors. It would be extremely helpful for eBay to ramp up some type of ad campaign as we move toward the holiday season. Part of what eBay should be offering to it's sellers is a legitimate ad campaign that benefits not just eBay Motors, but all categories.
suprchad
·2 years agoThe shift from eBay's previous practice of offering free ad placements to the current model of charging for them has had significant repercussions. Initially, eBay used to provide this service without charge, but they quickly recognized its monetization potential. If sellers choose not to pay for ad placements, there's a noticeable impact on their sales.
It seems that eBay initially displayed similar listings of the lowest price, intending to create a competitive environment. However, some sellers, particularly larger eBay stores, raised concerns about this practice. These bigger stores, dominating search results with multiple slightly different listings, felt that eBay was undermining their efforts by consistently displaying cheaper alternatives on their listing pages. To address their concerns, eBay shifted its strategy, favoring sellers willing to pay for ad placements. This change has been perceived as a move away from prioritizing buyers and cheaper sellers and instead catering to those willing to pay for visibility.
For sellers like me, who aim to offer competitive prices to drive sales, the shift to paid ad placements poses challenges. The doubling or more of selling costs to maintain previous sales numbers forces a difficult choice: either raise prices to preserve profit margins, contradicting the strategy of being competitively priced, or absorb the additional cost from profits.
The discontent with paying for promoted ads is heightened by existing issues with eBay's fee structure. Seller fees, calculated as a percentage that includes shipping costs and taxes, result in higher effective shipping costs and taxes. This diminishes eBay's incentive to negotiate for cheaper shipping rates, as they profit more from higher shipping fees.
The imposition of state sales taxes compounds the financial impact. If, for example, a seller used to profit $50 on a sale, the introduction of a 10% state tax reduces the profit to $45. eBay, however, adds another fee by considering this tax as part of the total sale price, further decreasing the profit to $44.50.
Concerns are raised about eBay's commitment to resisting new taxes despite their financial gain. The frustration extends to the company's advertising strategy, particularly the absence of TV ads, which some sellers view as neglectful. This shift appears to devalue sellers and buyers, compromising eBay's historical edge in providing the best deals easily.
In summary, the changes in eBay's ad placement policies, coupled with existing fee structures and the imposition of state sales taxes, have led to a challenging environment for sellers. The perceived neglect in advertising strategies adds to the frustration, prompting sellers to question eBay's commitment to their interests and the overall marketplace dynamics.
reallynicestamps
·2 years agoI've been seeing more eBay ads in the past month on my FaceBook, than I usually do.
These are part of the regular posts. I use AdBlockPlus for others.
The last two were for some guy with a long beard selling auto parts out of a barn (quick impression, not an interest of mine) and one for modern collectibles (Funko Pops I think).
Hmmm- there may be an algorithm inplay here. I don't collect FPs but I am a science fiction/fantasy fan so I see a lot of stuff about various fandoms. And I've been discussing public transit for a couple of months with friends across the continent.
TV is more scattershot.
If anyone does see a TV ad in the wild, it would be useful to know what program specifically the ads are on.
Like, are the car ads on football games or reruns of The Gilmore Girls? Are the sneaker ads on basketball games or on Abbott Elementary or Resident Alien?
kensgiftshop
·2 years agoWatching a collage football game this afternoon and there was a couple banners shown for Ebay Motors, but didn't see any more.
If I was looking for a vehicle or auto parts, Ebay would be the last place I'd look.
It would be nice if they promoted something other then Ebay Motors, high priced shoes or watches.
They need to start advertising stuff normal people can afford to buy.
onefootflipper
·2 years agoEveryone talking about how Wal-Mart, Target and General Motors are still advertising is missing a huge point.
Those other companies have actual, honest to goodness competition.
Ebay has essentially no effective competition in the sell anything arena.
Ebay something like a 95 percent marketshare in what it does with 20 competitors fighting over that 5 percent of scraps left over.
joliztoyco
·2 years agoWhat are you talking about??
You do realize what this implies? The FACT that 80% of the items on eBay are NEW means they are DIRECTLY in competition with "Wal-Mart. And Target. And Amazon.
Which, for your information, do "advertise".
And are CRUSHING eBay.
Just what do you think happens when the sellers of "new" merchandise (Many of them are mega-sellers) watch their sales steadily fall here on eBay?
Yeah...they leave.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoThat’s a good point as well.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·2 years ago@joliztoyco
Since the current CEO came on, ebay has been VERY clear that ebay is NOT interested in competing in the "New, in season" space. THAT is the space WalMart, Amazon and Target compete in. Yes, ebay has a lot of stuff that is "new" condition, but that doesn't mean it's "new, in season" While there is some "new in season" stuff on ebay, ebay stopped trying to attract that stuff ...it is here, ebay isn't going to tell people to remove it, but, unlike back in the days of Wenig and Donahoe, ebay isn't making an effort to bring it on to the site.
There are new in season items ebay does want: the latest sneaker drop, for example....because of its appeal to ebay's targeted "enthusiast" buyers...but a lot of ebay's "new" stuff is last season (or older's model)...often stuff WalMart and Amazon aren't carrying anymore.
So, in a very broad sense, sure, ebay competes with everyone. But ebay has been narrowing its focus because it does NOT want to directly compete with Amazon and WalMart....in fact, one of the first things the new CEO said when he came on was basically: Wenig tried that, and LOST. Game over. We aren't going to continue fighting that losing battle.
Today, ebay sees itself as competing against etsy, StockX, Mercari, etc, not the giants of new, in season retail.
It is a very different mindset from previous CEOs.
That said, I too wonder about onefootflipper's stat. That might be from the initial statement ebay made at an Investors Conference when Jamie took over....they had a list of competitors and their relative sizes. But I question how up to date that is, as many sites have been growing while ebay has actually been shrinking (in terms of buyer numbers and GMV)
nuclearomen
·2 years agofunny thing is many many buyers these days don't go for the "New, in Season" stuff, they go for the "new, last or out of season" stuff for reduced prices - reason why retail stores like Marshalls, TX Maxx (let's just say TJX stores) do so well.
onefootflipper
·2 years agoI do think that 80 percent goes way, way down once you take chinese crap out of the equation. Goes down much further once you take all the new old stock that other retailers don't have.
And also, even though most items are new, most of the people complaining about this are those with garage sale picker type stores and not people who have amazon as an option.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·2 years agoebay has been very clear: they can't win against Amazon and WalMart, and they aren't even trying. As I said, this is one of the first things the CEO said when he came on.
They've also been very clear that they think they CAN compete---successfully---in their Focus categories, and so that's where they are putting their resources.
What is much less clear for those of us who do not sell new-in season AND do not really sell in the Focus Categories: has ebay also given up on non-Focus Categories? We know the plan is to add more Focus Categories, but ebay hasn't given much of a hint as to which categories will eventually qualify for that. And, since adding P&A a couple years ago, there has been little in the way of new categories added....streetwear is really the only one I can think of, and , let's face it, that's really just an extension of the sneaker category.
For many sellers of vintage and used, a few years ago ebay was pretty much the no-brainer choice, with etsy maybe a secondary option. But ebay hasn't really been doing anything to maintain or grow this part of the business, and ebay is losing ground in areas where ebay used to be the clear front runner without really any effort.....but ebay now either needs to start putting in some effort--the sort of effort they apply to things like sneakers---or they will soon find they are no longer THE place to buy this stuff.
IMHO, either ebay does not realize how quickly it is losing its position in this particular space, or ebay has already written it off, as they've written off competing with Amazon.
thelongball
·2 years agoAll that is needed on any form of media is a 15 second ad that says:
Need a holiday gift for that toughie on your Shopping list ?
Chances are that you can find something on eBay.
No actors or actresses needed. (They are on Strike anyways) Just the eBay Logo.
This way its a generic for all sellers, not just one category. Just to drive clicks. It could be paid for by all the extra dollars that the Advanced Promotion revenue bring in. If your paying for clicks then the ads will cause them. Then sellers see what their dollars are doing for themselves.
thelongball
·2 years agoI'm probably showing my age but many many years ago eBay would send out a 10.00 eBay gift card to all buyers around the holidays. It really gave a shot in the arm to holiday sales for sellers. It would be a especially good way for eBay to attempt to bring back people who haven't shopped on eBay in awhile. A good way to bring back the customers who its lost to the competition. It would be alot more effective than TV advertising. Ebay recovers a part of it when used as the seller is paying the commission on the sale.
Just a idea as sometimes what is old is new again.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoNo more excessive spending it hurts their bottom line and their stock prices.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoEvery bodies biggest challenge this year including the Holiday Season is the ECONOMY. You can market and get your stuff seen on here using the promotions but the buyers have to be in a position to unload their cash. It is one of the reason Ebay targets people with a lot of cash for their focused categories. There is more profit for them with these items than others. Car parts are in demand because MANY cannot touch the prices of these new cars. They have to fix them.
mam98031
·2 years agoSpeaking for myself only, when I want to watch a show, I record it so I can fast forward through the commercials.
The only exception to that is Football games.
reallynicestamps
·2 years agoIf the ad mentions eBay Authentication, I suspect the idea behind them (and the programs themselves) is to affirm that buying on eBay is safe.
That eBay is monitoring the site for counterfeits and scams.
Choosing to do this with specific categories has a spillover effect on all sales.
And the eyeballs are seeing eBay=Safe/ EBay=Quality/eBay = Known Site.
Unlike some vaguely Chinese sounding site that appeared out of nowhere six months ago. Or has memes about what poor quality they ship.
EBay - You've known it for decades. EBay - Buyers are protected. EBay - You will get what you order.
That's the message.
And it doesn't matter exactly what eBay advertises. MacDonalds isn't advertising Happy Meals or shakes because everyone knows those. They advertise McCafe or Ribs or whatever is this month's promotion, even though most people will still just buy the Big Mac and fries combo and a cheezburger Happy Meal with cokes all round.
The message is WE'RE HERE!
You can be cynical about the truth behind the advertising. But that doesn't mean the chosen campaigns are wrong.
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years agoYou're never too big to fail. Simple business; you have to advertise to stay relevant and keep your company in the customer's mind. eBay has a lot of competition now so it's even more important than ever to advertise everywhere. There's no excuse not to. Many companies challenging eBay for the same customers are aggressively running ads while eBay sits on it's hands. eBay's financial info that's recently been released is trending downward. Sellers and buyers are leaving eBay by the millions.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoSellers leaving? You mean the one’s that sell trinkets? Buyers leaving, the one’s who buy the trinkets? Or, stuff you can find easily somewhere else? Not too much bang for the ad buck.
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoeBay seems to struggle with ad campaigns. They've made so many embarrassing errors (the Father's Day one was particularly painful), produced so many bad commercials, etc. Maybe hiring a really good ad agency would help.
lakefor94
·2 years agoI was on the mower for several hours this afternoon and heard 2 eBay ads while listening to music. 1st one was for Authentication, did not catch the crux of the 2nd one as I was dodging trees.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·2 years ago@lakefor94 "Authentication" is a Focus Category...whether it is handbags, watches, sneakers or whatever. ebay IS marketing those categories, no question. But marketing the SITE, with its huge selection? Nope. Not in the US. In some other markets, yes. But not here.
lakefor94
·2 years ago"Authentication" is a Focus Category"
No kidding?
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years agoeBay decided a few years ago to focus on trading cards, their Sneaker Authenticity Program, and eBay Motors. eBay needs to broaden that horizon like they did many years ago. eBay means different things to different people. Not to mention I don't think the majority of women would be very interested in those categories not to mention kids.
xadexane
·2 years agoAccording to a new study, the return on investment for TV ads is dismal.
Anna Tuchman, an associate professor of marketing at Kellogg, and her collaborators analyzed the effect of TV commercials on sales for more than 200 consumer packaged goods, including food, drinks, and basic household products. The researchers found that the ads had a much smaller impact on sales than previous studies had estimated. For many products, the return on investment (ROI) was negative: the companies had spent more on commercials than they earned back in additional sales.
joliztoyco
·2 years agoWait! WHAAAT???
Top TV advertisers in the U.S. 2021, GEICO was the leading TV advertiser in the United States, with a spend of 790 million U.S. dollars. CBS followed with a spend of 732 million dollars, while Progressive completed the top three with a spend of 641 million.May 31, 2023
And let's not forget the 6 BILLION pharmaceutical companies will pay each year for ads.
ALSO:
I guess they didn't get the memo from the Corn Flakes people?? (Giggle)....
reallynicestamps
·2 years agoBureaucracy.
There are, in any large organization, jobs that are there because they have always been there, because someone believes them to be important, because no one has noticed that they are there, because no one has done a recent ROI.
My example is "sex sells". My own opinion is that advertising companies use sex to sell to gullible client companies, not that sexy ads help sales of the product.
There is "common sense" and "everyone knows" and then there is data.
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years agoI spend most of my day online as many professional eBay sellers do. I'd be fine with eBay advertising pretty much anywhere. Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Yahoo home page, etc... as well as on TV. Again we all know without question how well Amazon is doing. They aggressively run tv ads. If it didn't work they wouldn't be doing it. Better question is why do so many eBay sellers think it makes sense for eBay not to advertise?
I just received a message from eBay today for Holiday 2023 about how/why sellers should advertise... "Maximize your sales potential with advertising". Again I'll ask why is it ok for eBay not to advertise?
Here's what the eBay Holiday HQ 2023 says about advertising:
50 % Sellers saw 50% more sales when using Promoted Listings Advanced on average, compared to non-promoted items
81 % of consumers said they are likely to click on ads such as a promoted listing
33 % of online shoppers say they are very influenced by ads
55 % of holiday shoppers expect to spend more than planned on holiday-related expenses this year
nuclearomen
·2 years ago2 different things. Promoted is used by sellers to in theory get their listings more exposure (doesn't seem to work to well anymore). Commercial ads are used by company to draw traffic to the the site in hope to increase revenue for the venue. The fine line between is all the extra bucks they make from PL sales, percentage of that could be used to increase commercial ad spending. But being none of use are in the company management, no one really knows what they set in budget for advertising the platform. Last year they decided to by-pass tv ads and use their social media accounts for advertising holiday season, the down to that was mostly they decided to do that far too late, mid Dec is when most people have their holiday shopping wrapped up already... it's not just ads on tv, timing is a huge part when to start for the investment to pay off, how long they run and how often, and the sites competitors blew them away, they always do, some run ads 365 days a year (Amazon, Mercari), surely that costs a ton to run ads like that.
Side note, example would be Intel to AMD - Intel runs commercials non stop for years, AMD never once have they done a commercial (to my knowledge) yet AMD is Intel's largest competitor and sells just as much if not more processors then Intel.
the-hook-and-the-loop
·2 years agoeBay is looking at $2 Billion in fines from the DOJ and who knows how much for some other recent legal obligations.
mam98031
·2 years agoThat is no where near a done deal. DOJ has not proved in a court of law that Ebay has done what they are accusing them of doing. Lawsuits like this typically take years. I believe what was said was that $2 Billion was the ceiling on fines that could be imposed if they find against Ebay. None of us will likely know the outcome for years.
joliztoyco
·2 years ago"EVERYONE over 12 knows what EBAY is so there is really NO REASON for TV ads."
You mean like McDonalds?
Or Wal-Mart?
Why in the world do they spend MILLIONS a year in TV ads?
Everyone over 12 knows them. 🤣
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoA couple of well established sellers here have tried to get an answer as to what eBay is doing concerning the holiday season - every well known outlet is advertising, but eBay has not announced anything. I think that's a bad move - the whole point of advertising is to keep the company front of mind, and eBay already gets forgotten in many conversations about online selling, particularly in the younger market. I doubt too many people are purchasing car parts for Christmas gifts (I know some do, I've happily gotten bike parts for Christmas before), but they need to remind people of the wide variety of items available on eBay that are not available just anywhere.
my-cottage-books-and-antiques
·2 years ago@chapeau-noir
I am one of those sellers, and still, no response.
To be clear, I'd like to know the plans, at least in a general way. My own concern is less about the media ebay chooses---TV, radio, Social media, Streaming, etc---and more about the timing and the content. We just went through the Big Retail Kickoff with Amazon Prime and many businesses riding the coattails of that, but ebay? Not much about ebay doing anything.
As far as the rest of the business world is concerned, we are well into the Holiday Season....ebay has made some token nods to this on the site's Home Page, but little else that I've seen.
The last couple years, ebay has done NO real Holiday Marketing for the SITE....it has done marketing for the FOCUS CATEGORIES (P&A, Luxury Goods, Trading Cards, etc) This has not been by accident. If you watch Jordan's presentation from ebay open (available on YouTube), it is clear that ebay believes this limited marketing benefits ALL of us, not just Focus Category sellers. I, personally, am unconvinced, despite Jordan's efforts.
So for me the biggest question is: Is this going to be a THIRD straight Holiday Season where most sellers are relegated to the table crumbs that result from the Focus Marketing, or will ebay FINALLY recognize that the rapid increase in competition has made it imperative that ebay market the SITE and the huge selection on the site?
I suspect ebay's non-response to seller questions might, in itself, be the response: Focus Category Marketing, Full Speed Ahead! No Site Wide Marketing Campaign...yet again.
But, it sure would be nice if ebay had the guts to say so. Or would surprise me and tell me it won't all be Focus Category marketing this year.
@devon@ebay @kyle@ebay @elizabeth@ebay How about it? Can we get an answer from the Marketing Team about just what ebay is going to be doing? We are fully immersed in Q4 already, so it isn't like they don't know their plans. Can we PLEASE get an answer?
chapeau-noir
·2 years ago@my-cottage-books-and-antiques I remember that - I'm sometimes reticent about calling people out/tagging.
nuclearomen
·2 years ago@my-cottage-books-and-antiques
It's become apparent past few years that the company has trimmed spending on ads outside the internet based advertising for the "general" ebay markets and turned their goals to promoting their, as you said, Focus categories - or what I like to call ebay special program categories, things that they have made sellers go through authentication and motors. That in some senses does benefit all as the company isn't spending the millions of dollars to promote everyday items etc. Ebay does promote the platform and I'm sure they are still looking at millions of dollars, but they don't seem to be as interested in TV specific ads unless it's for a specialized category where they want to get an edge in on those markets (like Shoes for instance).
It is true most the biz world is and has been in the holiday mode already for awhile now. As said last year ebay's answer was social media campaign...but they started that wayyyy to late in the season, the "season" was basically over by that time.
devon@ebay
@my-cottage-books-and-antiques We have asked the Marketing team for any insight that can be shared and as of now we do not have anything that can be shared but if there is something we will be sure to let you all know.
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years ago"they need to remind people of the wide variety of items available on eBay that are not available just anywhere."
I think part of the problem with eBay is they don't know what makes them special. I've had numerous conversations with eBay Concierge and they've agreed with me that it makes sense for eBay to figure out which markets exist to make eBay special over other online platforms. For example I sell BMX bikes and components which eBay is the most successful online marketplace for these items including vintage. Amazon is sparse and has only new items in this category in comparison. eBay is the place to go for this type of market. Same with urban vinyl art toys. eBay is the best place for these items especially vintage as well as used or missing packaging. Amazon is for current brand new items for the most part. In several major categories like clothing "used" items aren't unique to eBay because when it comes to sneakers and street wear you can go to Poshmark and for new items theirs a huge number of options. I would think stamps and trading cards are a special category where eBay shines. That said eBay Motors is the main focus of their commercials and that's an extremely competitive market with tons of online sales. eBay is just one of many options, yet they focus the majority of their advertising resources on it. My question to eBay is what are the niche categories that make eBay unique and market those strongly.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoWhat makes them special? Luxury goods, car parts, trading cards, etc. Much of it has to do with more bang for the advertising buck.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoAD spend phobia.
reallynicestamps
·2 years ago@vintagecraze50
AD spend phobia.
Yep.
Just like all those posters who refuse to use Promoted Listings and/or get mad when sellers who do use PL are given a higher position in Search (because they paid for a higher position in Search)
stainlessenginecovers
·2 years agoPLA is for 'when someone is on ebay'
EVERYONE over 12 knows what EBAY is so there is really NO REASON for TV ads...
joliztoyco
·2 years ago"EVERYONE over 12 knows what EBAY is so there is really NO REASON for TV ads."
You mean like McDonalds?
Or Wal-Mart?
Why in the world do they spend MILLIONS a year in TV ads?
Everyone over 12 knows them.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoYou got a point there for sure.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoMaybe because Walmart and Ronald Mc and the others are raking in a lot more.
lakefor94
·2 years agoI don't watch much TV, Some news and sports. We stream most everything else, no commercials.
I will be watching the baseball playoffs the rest of the way. Quite a few viewers available then for advertisements.
dbfolks166mt
·2 years agoSenior management must be looking for a big Christmas bonus check.
harborauction
·2 years agoEverybody also knows that Ford, Chev, Toyota, Nissan, etc make cars & trucks but tune in a football game tomorrow and you'll see ads for a wide variety of vehicles
These companies know the value of keeping your name in the public's eye, something that ebay seems to have forgotton. The "we've been here for 20 years, everybody knows we're here" theory seems to have been ebay's stance on advertising for quite a while
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years agoI completely agree with you. There's absolutely no reason for eBay not to advertise using all avenues.
"When brands stop advertising for a year or more, we find sales often decline year-on-year following the stop (on average, sales fell 16% after one year, and 25% after two years). The rate of decline is fastest for brands that are already declining before the advertising stop. Brand size also matters." - Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science
wifetrained
·2 years agoAds to dominate??? How about those ad's convincing people to buy their auto parts from established businesses like AutoZone, Advanced Auto rather than Ebay. I've seen the commercials, I'm not impressed.
onefootflipper
·2 years agoEveryone has known about ebay for the general ebay type of stuff for over 20 years. They don't need to advertise that, money spent advertising that is wasted.
They spend money advertising the areas they want to dominate or already dominate that people are not aware of, like auto parts.
joliztoyco
·2 years ago"Everyone has known about ebay for the general ebay type of stuff for over 20 years.
They don't need to advertise that, money spent advertising that is wasted."
Yeah....K-Mart said the same thing.
lawnmowerpartsstore2
·2 years agoSo did Sears, Montgomery Wards and Bed Bath and Beyond. But when they where closing the doors they started advertising all their clearance closing prices. By that time it was to late......
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years agoYou must not pay any attention to ads that are run on tv and elsewhere or the companies that do them. Everyone knows about Walmart, Target, McDonalds, Pizza Hut, Toyota, etc etc... Yet they run ads all the time. Money spent advertising is not a waste. Financial date proves otherwise. To stay competitive in business you have to constantly run ads, remind people you exist, and come up with new ways to connect with customers. If you stop advertising, you will eventually exhaust all the leads you've previously earned and be left with whatever customer relationships you've managed to sustain. Businesses that never stop marketing experience a sort of forward momentum.
zgnisaer
·2 years agoIt's like saying where are the eBay newspaper and magazine ads?
Sadly, TV advertising is barely effective now, as commercials are skipped or eliminated with no-ads channels, or the TV is no longer turned on or entirely removed from the home.
Most TV viewers have moved on to modern sources for the same news and entertainment. And it seems eBay knows this, even if we don't.
joliztoyco
·2 years agoIs that why a 30 second ad cost 7 MILLION DOLLARS for the 2023 SuperBowl?
Because "nobody is watching"?
I guess other BILLION dollar corporations know something you and eBay don't???
mam98031
·2 years agoSuperbowl ads are a completely different breed than regular run of the mill TV ads.
Superbowl ads are well produced, typically will have bigger budgets and are far more entertaining than regular ads. Some even get the public involved and have contests for the best ideas to create a Superbowl ad. Like Doritos has done and others.
joliztoyco
·2 years agoSo????
I'm watching a movie right now that's been out for over 20 years. And the last commercial break had ads from GEICO, The US ARMY, and Direct TV.
Hardly the Superbowl.
And yet, here they are "advertising".
Why?
Because EVERY internal poll they run, every marketing research firm they hire, PROVES to them that Ads WORK.
Yeah...those "run of the mill" TV ads seem to be doing just fine.
Oh wait!! I just saw a Doritos ad.
So they don't just advertise during the Superbowl??
Interesting....
mam98031
·2 years agoI honestly don't know how to better explain it to you. Superbowl ads are typically of much better quality than regular TV ads. Plus the Superbowl has a lot more viewers that most regular TV shows.
I said NOTHING about ad working or not working. I didn't even begin to discuss that. You were talking about how expensive it is to run a Superbowl ad and I just gave some added info. It wasn't anything more than that. You seem to want to make more out of my post than I actually said.
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years agoThank you! Now we're talking... eBay should be aggressive in all avenues of advertising. Especially during the holiday season when everyone else boosts up their ads. There were 41.8 million online shoppers aged 25 to 34 years in 2022, the largest group among digital buyers. When's the last time they saw an eBay tv ad?
richard1rst
·2 years agoBut how many people actually WATCH the ad? When the ads come on it is run to the kitchen snack time, or a bathroom break, or check my email or?????
Billion dollar corporations (and their execs) live in ivory towers. And they do a lousy job of keeping their finger on current moods. One need only point to the disaster that was Bud Lite beer. Or New Coke.
chapeau-noir
·2 years agoBud Lite was more a political disaster than an advertising disaster - a very small campaign pitched at a small segment of the population blown out of proportion by snowflake culture warriors. Sad.
ETA: Some people need to take up a hobby.
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years agoI was waiting for this comment about tv ads. TV is still a viable option for advertising. You may not watch tv, but millions of people do. Especially live sporting events. All of eBay's competition in terms of marketplace competition advertise. Amazon advertises very strongly on tv. Are you saying Amazon doesn't know what they're doing? The financial facts prove otherwise. Why is it important for other companies to advertise but not eBay? Better question why are you defending eBay not running ads? Don't you want the max amount of people to think of eBay when it comes to placing orders? As a seller I want as many people on the planet to think eBay when it comes to making a purchase online. Why are you defending eBay not running ads everywhere?
richard1rst
·2 years agoBINGO !
There aren't that many programs on TV I find entertaining any more. Mostly it is hackneyed drivel. And I don't let those few that I do watch trap me to a specific time frame. When I am ready to wind down I access the program on my PC and watch at my leisure - skipping the ads in the process. I have one site with over 10,000 movies, including many released within the past year. Always free, always ad free.
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years agoWhy does Amazon advertise on tv? Why does McDonald's advertise on tv? Why does Walmart advertise on tv? Why does KIA advertise on tv? These are all companies trending in a positive direction and they all advertise on tv. eBay's numbers are down. They've been going down. I don't care if they advertise on tv, but they need to advertise somewhere. Social media, YouTube, Yahoo home page... It's basic business 101, to stay relevant you have to advertise. As eBay sellers we should be aware of exactly what that ad strategy is and where it will be implemented.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoI hardly ever watch TV. I watch movies and other stuff on my Amazon Prime.
4pawsup*
·2 years agoI just seen a commercial today on tv for Ebay motors. Good luck to all the sellers.
joliztoyco
·2 years agoYeah....that should help us sell our Lego sets! ðŸ˜
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years agoeBay Motors are the only tv ads they're running. It's been that way for several years now. If you don't sell in eBay motors related categories it does nothing for the rest of the sellers on the site.
reallynicestamps
·2 years ago@masterblasterplanet
eBay Motors are the only tv ads they're running. It's been that way for several years now.
I see eBay ads regularly on my FaceBook account. Clothing, shoes, trading cards, etc. Never seen an ad for car parts.
The last AZ ads I saw on TV were last year, when they were building a new distribution plant in Sydney-by-the-Sea. Those ads were about what a good place to work it was, aimed at attracting new employees, in an area where apprentice carpenters are getting $30 an hour.
nuclearomen
·2 years agoyou mean the commercial they have been running for 3 years now, ask motors sellers how that's working for them.
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoTwo unrelated subjects.
You use promoted ads to gain a leg up on competition from other sellers on Ebay.
Ebay ads are being targeted to specific competition like Poshmark. Ebay is well established with the public and many of the sites you listed are trying to take sales from Ebay with their ads.
Walmart, Target and some of the others are not aiming for Ebay's buyers with their ads.
Overstock has changed its name and is more interested in getting its new name out than stealing traffic.
I suspect Ebay is not wasting its ad money on ineffective ads in a time of economic uncertainty.
joliztoyco
·2 years ago"Ebay ads are being targeted to specific competition like Poshmark. Ebay is well established with the public and many of the sites you listed are trying to take sales from Ebay with their ads."
Wait! What?
eBay ads for auto parts are being "targeted" at Poshmark?? I don't think so.
And those many sites you mention that are "trying to take sales from eBay" with their ads??
It's working.
And it's been working for over 2 years. eBays OWN Quarterly reports attest to that.
So you're stating that "promoted ads" will increase sales for individual sellers on eBay, but eBay paying for "promoted ads" won't help increase sales on eBay?
Your logic is "magical".
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoEbay has ads which are focused at competing with Poshmark, online and in print - focused at buyers who are viewed as likely to shop at Poshmark.
They do not have to focus their ads at people who buy their clothing at Goodwill, Salvation Army and other thrift shops.
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years agoWhat are these ads specifically you're referring to and what categories are they targeting beyond eBay Motors and the eBay Sneaker Authenticity Guarantee program? You stated they were online and in print. Can you provide examples?
meme6253
·2 years agoPromoted Ads to get a leg up on your competition??, Really that is not the general consensus here,paying to much for nothing is what I keep hearing, Also waste of money keep hearing, More negatives than positives with promoting!
mam98031
·2 years agoThat is exactly what Promoted Listings are. To have your listings rise above your competitors so that buyers hopefully see it first and purchase from you.
Advertising outside of Ebay is in the hopes of bringing in more buyers to the site.
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years agoThat's the point... eBay sellers are doing what they need to do to get items in front of buyers. What is eBay doing as a company to drive traffic to the site? There's a lot of competition out there these days for eBay and they need to do more to get new fresh eyes on the site, and remind old eBay buyers we're still here.
mam98031
·2 years agoYou talk to me as if I said Ebay shouldn't advertise and I said nothing even close to that.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoI suppose they are not that concerned about LOW spend customers. Nah! We don’t need that anymore now do we ?
meme6253
·2 years agoHopefully!, That is the key word here, & It winds up more like Hoping against Hope!
mam98031
·2 years agoHuh? You do realize the DOJ just filed against Ebay, right?!? I really don't understand your post. I get it, many of your recent posts show that you are upset with Ebay for one reason or another. I respect that. But that won't change how long a lawsuit of this size will take to move through the system. There is a LONG ways to go.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoIt is crucially important to get those listing up front of your competitors on here. You cannot sit back anymore and not do WHATEVER you must do to get a sale.
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years agoThe point is nobody is too good to advertise. McDonald's advertises. You don't think people are aware of McDonald's? The USPS runs ads quite aggressively. You don't think people know about the USPS? eBay suggests sellers to advertise... eBay should advertise. It's a simple concept. eBay hasn't run ads in years. If the economy is uncertain it's even more important to remind customers that eBay is still here. The fact you're defending the concept of eBay not advertising, I question your ability to understand basic marketing 101.
yuzuha
·2 years agoYes they have, just not on TV. I've seen eBay ads on Facebook and Reddit multiple times recently.
masterblasterplanet
OP2 years agoeBay Motors? eBay Sneaker Authenticity Program? Specifically what are the ads for? I'm on social media every day and I haven't seen one eBay ad outside of the two categories I just mentioned. What about the rest of the eBay sellers?
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoIf they buy the sneakers and all that jazz they will buy other things, that is the ad strategy.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoTrickle DOWN spend.
vintagecraze50
·2 years agoEbay is not unloading million dollar ads in a time of ECONOMIC uncertainty. Correct.