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What's wrong with Yahoo? Contentinople editor Scott Raynovich says that unlike Google, Apple and Microsoft, Yahoo doesn't have a succinct product-marketing strategy. He'd like to help them fix that. Unfortunately, at 1,700 words, Raynovich's piece isn't very succinct either. We're here to help, with a version Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang will have time to read before he gets another letter from Carl Icahn.

  • Yahoo's main weakness is defining and marketing its product strengths. Under "What We Do," I found: "Yahoo! powers and delights our communities of users, advertisers, and publishers — all of us united in creating indispensable experiences, and fueled by trust." Vague. Your business is about providing useful media, information, and applications, and then selling advertising. Why not just say that?
  • Yahoo and Decker talk about reseller deals. Don't make reseller deals central to your marketing, even if they do make money.
  • Rename "Yahoo Search Marketing" something much sexier. Develop a marketing strategy around why people would use it instead of Google. Is it cheaper, work better, less evil? Tell us.
  • I "touch" Yahoo in several places on the Internet, and the experience has largely remained the same for the last five years. Identify key applications and give them major overhauls. Consider buying some strong Internet media brands.