It’s just like Craigslist! Well, minus the brand, traffic and um, content.
After launching many moons ago in a variety of non-U.S. markets, eBay’s Kijiji and its free online classifieds are ready to conquer America.
OK, probably not.
For reasons beyond my tiny, public-schooled brain, 800-pound gorillas have a very difficult time penetrating niche markets outside of their core competency. I should probably re-read The Origin of Brands for answers.
Anyway, here’s why it could matter:
- More clutter. Good for Monster and other established brands. Probably bad for everyone else.
- Less real estate. EBay’s penchant for search marketing is well documented. If they come out swinging via PPC, it’ll drive prices higher, via SEO, it could push some sites out of the Top Ten.
- Bigger than you. EBay’s properties do drive a ton of traffic, and some sites, such as eBay-owned Rent.com, have some synergies.
- Monster Schmonster. In light of this move, eBay’s rumored interest in buying Monster may be slightly overrated. The partnership that spawned ebay.monster.com may be in jeopardy, unless the price is right, of course.
In short, such launches are sexy, but historically carry little firepower. I doubt Craig is shaking in his Birkenstocks.
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