Did you miss the launch of the possible giant killer called “Cuil”? This new challenger to Google promises to be bigger, faster and better than Google and, of course, cooler. Think it’s impossible? Google has become synonymous with “search,” like Kleenex is to tissue paper. But not long ago Google vanquished Alta Vista and Yahoo very quickly.

I tried it, and it was…cool. The big difference, according to Cuil, is how they rank pages. Cuil does it by relevance of the content rather than Google’s approach of assigning priority by inbound links. Also, the appearance of Cuil looks cooler, with thumbnail images and categorized columns. That said, it has a ways to go to catch up with Google’s extras - like maps, image searches, desktop searches, etc.

In a recent press release, Cuil says that it is launching with 120 billion indexed pages, which is well over the 40 billion they say Google has. Google neither commented on Cuil, nor did they disclose the size of its own index, but in an e-mailed statement said they maintained “the largest collection of documents searchable on the Web” and welcomed all competition. This should be interesting to watch, test and see - can David slay Goliath again?

Checkout Cuil www.cuil.com

By Richard H. Levey
Anyone considering exploring the realms of direct mail should take a note from the 50-year-old woman who organized a campaign of her own - in search of a husband. She reportedly sent out around 100 cards around Arbor Day, offering to plant a tree in the name of anyone who sent her a potential blind date.

Those receiving this particular postcard had nothing to gain from responding, other than a tree planted in their name. But the creativity and uniqueness of this direct mailer commanded the reader’s attention and compelled them to act.

So far, she has achieved a 12% response rate – a result many direct marketers would drool over. And her dates are still rolling in. The campaign’s success highlights the difference that doing something different in direct marketing campaigns can make on consumer response.

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Marketers are now using Email more often than postal direct mail to reach prospects. For the first time, usage of Email (79.1%) exceeded the usage of postal mail (75.4%) by marketers, according to the latest study conducted by the Direct Marketing Association. This milestone reflects the growing importance of developing a comprehensive online strategy that transcends search engine optimization and contact forms.

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The average US home has 2.5 people and 2.8 televisions, according to a recent study by Nielsen Media. In addition Americans have more channels to choose from on their TVs, with over 118 TV channels on average reaching their homes. This study is an interesting look at what types of programming are available, who has cable, satellite, digital cable, etc.

Nielsen, June 2008

Watching video on the Internet is no longer a novelty; nearly 119 million unique viewers viewed 7.5 billion video streams in May 2008. The average viewer spent 2 hours and 19 minutes in May streaming video online according to a recent study by Nielsen Media  Research.

This is the first look at how Americans of all ages use the three screens of television, Internet and mobile phones. The screen time of the average American continues to increase. Americans are watching more traditional TV than ever, and we also see an increasing amount of time spent on the Internet and watching online video. At the same time a small but growing number of consumers are utilizing their cell phones for video access.

Nielsen, May 2008