Comments on: Cuil’s Marketing Strategy – Not So Cool

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:58:24 +0000

I tried Cuil and was very disappointed. I mean, what kind of a search engine can't even return itself as a result? Pauls last blog post..Tips on receiving a quality letter of recommendation

By: Conversem

Conversem — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 09:06:53 +0000

I’ve tried Cuil but it doesn’t even come close to Google’s quality. I was disappointed because after al the things they said about Cuil I really thought it was better.

But okay, Google is a damn complex engine, you just can’t build a better one overnight. That’s just not feasible.

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 10:40:21 +0000

in fact*, not in face …

Sorry, early!

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 10:39:24 +0000

@ Ritu:

I’m not disagreeing with your post, but none of this would be an issue if their service DID live up to expectation. In face, I would be bold enough to say that their marketing tactics would be praised in its efficiency. I know expectations were not met by many consumers, but if they were, I don’t think individuals would be criticizing a very cost-affordable and underestimated marketing attempt.

By: Ritu

Ritu — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 02:59:24 +0000

@ Tom : I still think it was a wrong approach to marketing. Yes, they did get their name out there but what’s the point of marketing a service to so extreme that it doesn’t live upto expectation? Also I see the point that they are in beta, this is why I suggested they should have launched a private beta first and got some feedback, before heading out as Google’s competitor.

The saying ” First impression is also the last impression ” might come true in this case. If you have been following the blogosphere, you probably know about Blogrush. They created such a hype and the fact that John Reese was the founder created so much expectation but they failed to live upto that. Where is Blogrush now?

By: Tom

Tom — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 00:06:19 +0000

I’m sorry, but I couldn’t disagree with this post more. Sure, Cuil didn’t live up to certain individuals expectations, and I DO agree that ‘Positive results come from positive user experience’, but think about how much money they saved on Marketing. Their viral approach may have not been a feasible solution for you, but economically, for them, was ideal. Pertaining to their services, sure, it could of been slightly better, but as for marketing to their demographic(s), it was a complete success and did stirr up a lot of buzz. I feel that “word of mouth” marketing is underestimated and the exponential potential can be groundbreaking for new startups, especially online. I understand that due to their service being “less than all the hype expected”, that they are open to criticism. Honestly though, they’re in Beta, they WILL make changes, and as much as you say they ruined their opportunity, their name is now “out there”. People will be interested when Cuil makes their next move.

Rebuttal?

By: Philip Downer

Philip Downer — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 23:06:48 +0000

Amen! Not only was cuil.com’s launch utterly disappoint and completely overhyped; I found that due to server overload I couldn’t perform searches for the first few days. Additionally, and as you correctly pointed out, many of the searches I performed didn’t even come close to giving accurate results.

The other issue that I would like to take, and probably a bit off-topic for this marketing blog, is with Cuil’s design. The 2 and three column search result page design not only makes it difficult to find what you’re looking for, it flies in the face of tried and true methods.

It’s great to try and be something different. But carefully weigh whether or not your users are so familiar with a competitors product or service that they simply will not “get” your approach.

By: Colin

Colin — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 20:32:02 +0000

Cuil certainly managed to get a lot of attention quickly, but I've never been one to agree that all press is good press. You're not going to accomplish much by being notoriously useless. Colins last blog post..What’s the deal with Cuil?

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:19:28 +0000

I tried Cuil and searched for my blog (20smoney.com) and couldn’t even find it!

Imagine that! My internationally recognized brand of 20smoney wasn’t found! (I’m kidding).

Great post on hype marketing though. I totally agree with your message.

Kevins last blog post..Is Investing In Battered-Down Iconic Brands A Good Investment Strategy?