In sizing up the short-term performance of some of the advertising and promotional campaigns during the holidays and the Super Bowl, companies posted mixed results on whether they produced enough bang for their buck. At its peak, the company generated heavy volume of 2,200 hits per second. But in the two days that followed, traffic fell to 200 to 300 hits per second, chief executive Mike Ford said, adding that he was satisfied with all those levels. The company makes money by selling advertising space of its own and pointing consumers to various manufacturers on computer products sold off its site. Ford noted that its financial backers were aware of its Super Bowl plans before investing.
Analysts question whether such investments ever pay off.
The real test will be in the future. During fiscal 1999, the company spent nearly 50 percent of its revenues on marketing, compared with about 30 percent the previous year. But spokeswoman Heather Fondo said the company was pleased. Other companies are more conservative with their budgets. During the holiday season, Amazon spent very little on print and television ads, said Jaleh Bisharat, vice president of marketing.