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May 4, 2006

Microsoft adCenter Has Launched

The Microsoft PPC program previously known as MSN adCenter has officially launched, and is now known as Microsoft adCenter.

Microsoft seems to be undergoing a bit of a branding identity crisis, vacillating between the Microsoft, Windows, and MSN brands. Currently you can use MSN Advertising to advertise on MSN Search (soon to be Windows Live) using Microsoft adCenter. Huh?

Oddly, a large percentage of the links (including images links) on http://advertising.msn.com are broken. A pretty inauspicious debut, especially on today of all days, when their traffic must be through the roof.

Now, on to ze details...

First, Yahoo is out. adCenter is "now serving 100 percent of paid search traffic on Microsoft online properties in the U.S. market" (and Singapore and France, I presume).

Also, contextual advertising is on its way...

Contextual advertising testing begins on MSN in the U.S. market this summer. In addition, the following Microsoft properties are preparing to launch ads in the near future: Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Spaces, Windows Live Safety Center, Windows Live for Mobile, Office Live and Office Online, and the Xbox® Web site Xbox.com.

And, of course, it's open to the public at last (no more of that invitation-only rubbish).

I've been running adCenter on a few small campaigns for a few months and it is worth checking out. It's a very functional system, and coversions are decent. And, as of now, it's the only PPC engine that can reach customers on what may soon become the web's dominant search engine. One more way to optimize for MSN.

Here's Microsoft's press release, and WSJ has a well-written piece on the story today.

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