Yahoo And The Economy: Bartz: We’re All Bumping Along The Bottom

*Yahoo* CMO Elisa Steele opened Yahoo’s press conference heralding its over $100 million global branding campaign with a recap: the main take away is that Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) is a combination of “your world and the world.” The campaign is gathered around the tagline, “Yahoo, It’s You” (see slide show or click on the image to the left), which is meant to highlight the importance of social nets and Yahoo’s connection to them. The campaign features video, print and out of home, as well as online executions. One video spot Steele played at the IAB’s Mixx conference featured quick edits. The ads will be placed across 10 countries. Spending in those areas will depend upon reach and frequency goals. As for when the campaign will bear fruit, Steele said the company expects usage to start rising within three months; larger changes from other countries and b2b could take shape within 12 months.

Penny Baldwin, SVP, global integrated marketing/brand management, briefly discussed the goals of Yahoo’s b2b campaign. The company will try to impress business marketers with Yahoo’s focus on consumer insights. That was the main reason Yahoo sought to unveil the branding campaign since it can get in front of all the executives in New York for Advertising Week.

Hilary Schneider, Yahoo’s U.S. EVP, then offered a fairly cautious view of the economy: “You’re starting to see a stabilization in the economy. I wouldn’t go as far to say we’re in a full recovery.” CEO Carol Bartz then added, “We’re bumping along the bottom. Every time some sector gets excited over some good news, another one experiences some steps back.” As for what parts of the business Yahoo might be interested in selling, Bartz didn’t offer much, saying “Is there anything we won’t sell? We’ll look at what makes sense… We don’t comment on what we’re shopping around. That doesn’t make good business sense. The Zimbra technology is already integrated into our system, and that’s all I’ll say.”

Last week, Google (NSDQ: GOOG) relaunched its DoubleClick Ad Exchange, marking a major expansion into the display business, in addition to its dominance in search. Schneider suggested that there’s plenty of room for everyone, especially given the fragmented display arena. “We welcome Google and hope to connect with them. This is about creating an open marketplace across the globe.” Asked to elaborate on that by ClickZ’s Kate Kaye, Schneider said that she didn’t mean to suggest that there would be a formal relationship with Google on display ads.

– Yahoo-Google: Asked about the comparison in stock prices between Yahoo and Google, Bartz bristled at the comparison. “Yahoo and Google are different companies and in different businesses. I think the investors are like you guys: ‘Let’s wait and see.’ Being down 16 percent is not unusual for tech stocks. But Google is not a comparable company. We know it’s our job to drive our stock, price and impress our users. And none of that has anything to do with Google).” Who would you like to be compared to? “Yahoo. Just Yahoo. AOL (NYSE: TWX) is closest in content. Google is a white page. Editorial is very important to us. Local is very important to us. With us, if you go to Yahoo India, you know it.”

Asked about her stock sales, Bartz disputed the interpretation of SEC filings: “I didn’t sell anything. I got restricted stock throughout the year. The company has to withhold shares as a result. In form-4s, it’s recorded as a sold. I have not sold one penny of Yahoo stock.” Then she gilded the lily in typical Bartz fashion: “Thanks for asking because it pissed me off when they said I sold.”