The Return of Jeeves (in the UK)
After spending three years in retirement, Jeeves has returned to Ask.com, compelling the search engine to revert back to its original name, Ask Jeeves – in the U.K.
“During my sojourn research showed the public wanted me back, which I found jolly touching,” said Jeeves in his “why am I back” page. “And in that time the engineers toiled hard to make the site look better, work harder and be more personal…just like yours truly!”
Jeeves not only looks more dapper (and 3-D), he’s equipped with his own Facebook page and Twitter account.
The search engine cited a recent YouGov poll, which found that 83 percent of respondents in the U.K. recognized the AskJeeves brand, while 72 percent recognized the function of Ask.com. The majority wanted the return of Jeeves.
“Jeeves brings warmth and humanity to the search experience, and thanks to the enhancements we have made to our site, he is even better at providing answers than ever before so bringing him back is a perfect fit,” said Cesar Mascaraque, managing director of Ask Jeeves Europe.
“Our users have emphatically told us that they find Jeeves enhances their search experience – adding character to what can otherwise be a very functional experience. They see Jeeves as approachable and trustworthy and, above all, helpful,” he added in a press release.
Jeeves’ new 3-D look comes thanks to Framestore, the Oscar-winning animation and visual effects crew, whose work includes “The Golden Compass” and “The Chronicles of Narnia.”
The re-rebranding initiative will come by way of a multimillion pound marketing campaign that includes television, radio, press, online and promotions.
Jeeves also seems well aware of the current economic climate. “Back in 2006 you wanted to know about spending money, now you want to know about saving it,” he says on his page discussing his return.
Ask.com, which held 2 percent of the U.K. market and 2.1 percent of the U.S. market in March, according to comScore, is clearly looking for a dramatic branding shift in order to make up for its stagnant market share. Despite making numerous improvements to its search engine and gearing it towards being an answer site for searchers with questions, it has not been able to gain significant ground in the search battle.
Brining Jeeves back to the core U.S. version of the search engine would be a bold, but smart move. It may not boost its ranking among the likes of Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft and AOL, but it will bring back some nostalgic memories of the pre-Google days, and will do away with the need to constantly qualify Ask.com by saying, “It used to be Ask Jeeves” when talking with friends.
Sources:</strong
http://uk.ask.com/qotd/why_am_i_back/20090420
http://sp.uk.ask.com/en/docs/about/press2009/release.shtml?id=pr2009_2004
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2009/04/20/ask-brings-back-jeeves
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/apr/20/ask-jeeves-search-engine-revived
