Dive Brief:
- Microsoft is launching the Bing Network, a platform that brings in all of the Bing U.S. accounts, including people and account management, that had previously been handled by Yahoo, as well partners such as AOL, Infospace, GumTree and the Wall Street Journal.
- The platform has campaign management tools for device-specific mobile apps, Bing Shopping, and Automated Rules that make buying ads on the platform easier.
- The Bing Network is part of the new search deal between Yahoo and Microsoft that expanded the deal from five to ten years.
Dive Insight:
"At Bing, we’re building a platform that gives people ‘knowledge for doing’ in a more natural, predictive and personal way," wrote Marketing Microsoft Search Advertising GM Stephen Sirich in a Bing blog post. "It’s the intelligence that spans not just across Microsoft products but across platforms and across partners. Bing Network connects you to the moments that matter by being in the products people use every day."
He explained that the rollout comes based on customer feedback and a recognition that advertisers don't have "one-size-fits-all" programs. In addition to Bing Shopping and Automated Rules, they've also begun developing Remarketing.
The deal put Bing back in charge of its premium accounts by splitting the management of Bing and Yahoo accounts back to each company. Previously Yahoo handled all the premium accounts under the old terms of the deal, according to Search Engine Land.
Search Engine Land also pointed out that the move indicates Bing is preparing to move forward on its own with new partners and a larger presence in the Microsoft ecosystem since Yahoo’s future is currently a bit murky.
