Ask Jeeves searches for UK marketing chief

Ask Jeeves is looking for a UK marketing director, following Giorgia Longoni’s return to her native Italy.

Longoni, who has no job to go to as yet, joined the search engine company in April 2003 from online recruitment network Monster, where she had been European marketing manager. She had previously worked in marketing roles with IBM, Nestlé and Bang & Olufsen.

Over the past 12 months, Ask Jeeves has been attempting to reposition itself to take on Google, the market leader in the search engine sector. In March 2004, Ask Jeeves bought US search engine giant Excite for $343m (£186m), subsequently introducing a new advertising strapline “Ask Jeeves – the find engine” to replace “Should’ve asked Jeeves”, which it had been using since its UK launch in 2000.

Ask Jeeves uses TBWA/London for advertising, with Media Planning Group handling media buying. New media agency Profero oversees online media buying. An Ask Jeeves spokesman claims there are no plans to review any of these arrangements, although the company has been talking to various other online media buying agencies.

The spokesman also confirmed that Ask Jeeves would be returning to television advertising in the run-up to Christmas, traditionally its busiest period.