Microsoft launching ad campaign to push its search engine

The software giant is looking to topple Google from its search engine perch by rolling out a new search engine called Bing or Kumo. Microsoft is reportedly spending $80 million to $100 million on an upcoming ad campaign for the new product. Many have tried and many have failed. Now Microsoft wants to battle Google in search engine market as early as next week, some reports claim. Next week, it is expected to unveil its new search engine codenamed Bing. Earlier reports have dubbed the search engine Kumo. Microsoft isn't planning a soft launch. The software leader will be spending $80 million to $100 million to promote Bing, a campaign that includes print, radio, online and TV. Ad firm JWT has been hired for the campaign. In the past, Microsoft has attacked Apple in its Laptop Hunter ads. But Advertising Age says the search engine campaign will go a different route:

People with knowledge of the planned push said the ads won't go after Google, or Yahoo for that matter, by name. Instead, they'll focus on planting the idea that today's search engines don't work as well as consumers previously thought by asking them whether search (aka Google) really solves their problems.

Microsoft's foray into search involves differentiating its product from Google's engine. Reports claim the new search engine is expected to better organize search results for consumers by minimizing the amount of time spent on clicking around Web pages looking for information. Previously, players such as Ask.com tried to go toe-to-toe with Google. After Ask.com received a glowing review from the Wall Street Journal, Silicon Valley were excited that another entrant had cracked the search market. But two years after the positive review, Ask's share of search is down 28 per cent. Research firm ComScore reported that 64.2 per cent of the searches conducted by the Americans last month were at Google sites, up from 63.7 per cent in March.