Gary Briggs

“Complete Your Collection” Campaign
Many of us have a collection that we're working on (or that we're helping our kids with, such as Pokemon cards at our house). It's natural that, from time to time, our attentions are pulled elsewhere and we let our buying activity lapse.

Lapsed collectors are a great opportunity for eBay sellers. In February, we initiated an email campaign called “Complete Your Collection” to inspire all the collectors out there to pick up where they left off. Our Relationship Marketing team sent 6 million personalized emails to buyers with information about collectible items they had recently purchased – such as stamps, coins, art, toys, etc – as well as some suggestions for new items they might be interested in to fill out their collections. This campaign has had some of our strongest response rates ever, and I'm really proud of the efforts of the team. Look for more of these types of programs in the future.

President's Day, the Academy Awards, and the “It of the Week”
In mid-February we put our own spin on the traditional President's Day Sale, promoting how buyers could pick up everything president-related right here on the site. Included were militaria, first-edition books, stamps, and, for the playful types…presidential bobbleheads!

Of course, the Academy Awards always drive a lot of buzz, and we made sure to capitalize on this national obsession. Onsite promotion attracted buyers who wanted to share in the excitement of the event by owning Oscar-style items, like cocktail gowns and designer makeup, for themselves.

With the red carpet scene on so many people's minds, eBay Style Director Constance White and eBay Jewelry Style Director Sandra Graham co-hosted the second annual eBay Style Suite. The event was attended by some of Hollywood 's trendsetting celebrities and designers, and showcased how the season's most fashionable evening wear - jewelry, shoes, and bags - can be found on eBay. The Suite received great coverage in magazines such as Business Week, and on TV shows such as Access Hollywood. (Read more about the eBay Style Suite on the Chatter blog.)

And – in a continuation of our “IT” campaign theme – last month the homepage began featuring a new section for the “It of the Week.” Here we show pop culture items that reflect what's going on in the world, such as Indianapolis Colts memorabilia after they won the Super Bowl, Mardi Gras items, Academy Awards items, and sports-related listings to celebrate the NCAA March Madness tournament.

National Crafts Month & St. Patrick's Day “It's Good to Be Green”
As for March, did you know that it's National Craft Month? We're doing our part by promoting scrapbooking, sewing, and other craft-related items on the homepage and within emails to crafts buyers.

Also, our St. Patrick's Day promotions have kicked in. Keep your eyes out for spots featuring “Your Pot O' Gold,” which promotes everything gold such as cocktail rings, dresses, and handbags. Plus you'll find promotions under the theme “It's Good to Be Green,” which highlight eBay as a place to buy environmentally-friendly items such as solar panels, retro Schwinn bikes, and hybrid cars like the Toyota Prius.

The New ”What's It Worth?” Promotion – Teaming with the USPS
Finally, we've just kicked off our new “What's It Worth?” promotion, a fun game to engage buyers and keep them bidding and buying on the site. As Kathy Thrappas recently announced, buyers get to test their pricing knowledge by guessing how much each item sells for on average for the chance to win a $100 eBay Gift Certificate. Plus, each day a buyer wins or purchases an item, they get an additional entry into the drawing.

You may have heard our radio commercials for “What's It Worth?” in some of the 45 U.S. cities where they're airing and reaching a majority of eBay's high-value buyers across the country. Large markets include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C.

We're pleased to be getting a lot of help in spreading the word about this promotion from our friends at the USPS. “What's It Worth?” posters have been placed in 12,000 Post Offices around the country! Plus over 1 million of our top buyers will receive postcards about the promotion. We're excited about this additional exposure for eBay – and we hope our sellers are, too.

Thanks for reading. I'll be back with more marketing updates in about a month.

Sincerely,

Gary Briggs
Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer
Marketplaces North America