Marketing in Europe is no easy task. Consumer tastes, language and cultural preferences can change within a few hours' train ride. Despite the challenges, MSN, Microsoft's global network of consumer Internet services, has done very well in the complex European community. Not too long after its initial launch in late 1995, MSN UK overtook Yahoo! as the top-rated Internet destination site in the United Kingdom. In early 2001, MSN became the No. 1 consumer Internet destination in Europe. It has since built on its lead. MSN is now the No. 1 consumer site in eight European countries, according to February 2002 reports by Jupiter MMXI and Nielsen//NetRatings. MSN attracts more than 34 million users per month in Europe, and has grown more than 53 percent between February 2001 and February 2002. While competitors such as America Online and Yahoo! report revenue declines in a down online-advertising market, MSN has shown consistent revenue growth.
|