Paid Search As Reputation Booster?

As the medium becomes more prolific in branding, many marketers are seeing the beauty of paid search as more than a way to get customers in the door, so to speak. Managing how consumers see brand is an added benefit to paid search campaigns.

by Kristina Knight

Coca-Cola is likely the largest brand to use paid search strictly to boost brand. After years of strife over how the company did or did not treat union workers in Colombia, a United States federal court last week dismissed a lawsuit brought about by labor union Sinaltrainal. Once the suit was dismissed, marketers began buying keywords related to the controversy. Users are then directed to a Coke site telling about the dismissed lawsuit.

In an interview with MediaPost.com, Josh Stylman, managing partner with Reprise Media, said Coca-Cola wasn’t the only company using search to boost reputation. "Marketers are starting to realize that search doesn't just give marketers the opportunity to connect with buyers. . .It helps them connect with people, who are researching for any topic that interests them," he said.

Because paid search campaigns are relatively cheap, especially when compared with an all-out media blitz on television, in newspapers and magazines, marketers can easily compliment a few traditional ads and at the same time potentially reach even more people with their brand boosting message.