Will Marissa Mayer Turn Yahoo Into Wal-Mart?
Marissa Mayer was employee number 20 at Google. This week she was appointed CEO of Yahoo, their fifth CEO in five years. She is also a board member of retailing behemoth, Wal-Mart.
Ms Mayer was elected to Wal-Mart’s board in April this year. She was not elected because she is a successful, dynamic woman, but because she is a brilliant software engineer. In April 2011 Wal-Mart acquired social search engine Kosmix, they used this purchase to establish @Wal-Mart Labs.
@Wal-Mart Labs makes software and services intended to address the company’s global drive to integrate shopping between physical stores and e-commerce. Wal-Mart has retail businesses in 15 countries and e-commerce businesses in nine countries. which is not very many, considering there are almost two hundred legitimate sovereign states on earth, many of the poorer ones making the stuff that stock the shelves at your local store. Stores staffed by people who make a limited salary with little or no benefits. If Ms Mayer decides to stay on Wal-Mart’s board, how could her new position at Yahoo benefit both companies?
Always Low Search Results. Always.
Yahoo has been struggling for several years. Competition from Google and Facebook has forced them onto the backfoot and the hiring of Ms Mayer seems to be a “last stand” appointment. But, the Wal-Mart connection offers something different.
Twenty-five years ago, when Sam Walton was living, Wal-Mart’s slogan was “American Made. American Proud.” That died soon after Sam did and major outsourcing began and continues. Will Yahoo follow that path? Can India and China look forward to major investment from the new CEO and Wal-Mart board member? Before her appointment, Yahoo was contemplating laying off thousands of employees.
You Save No Money. We Live Better.
As things stand, it is not hard to imagine Wal-Mart moving a bulk of their on-line advertising to Yahoo. Its equally easy to think that Wal-Mart will get a favorably high ranking on any Yahoo search results. This potential marriage of giants is an unlikely match, not sure if its one made in heaven.
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I suspect Wal-Mart is wealthy enough to advertise on all search engines, large and small. I agree that if Yahoo doesn’t fail completely and even starts to entertain more customers, Wal-Mart will advertise even more with them.