The search engine formerly known as Ask Jeeves, which has more recently gone by Ask.com has decided to bring the beloved butler back, at least in the UK (though his look is slightly updated). The company says that it knows from research that customers “love Jeeves and strongly associate him with providing answers. ”
If you ask Jeeeves why he’s back, he’ll tell you:
I popped out three years ago to travel the world in a quest for knowledge and I’ve returned to Blighty armed with answers. During my sojourn research showed the public wanted me back, which I found jolly touching. And in that time the engineers toiled hard to make the site look better, work harder and be more personal…just like yours truly! I realise the questions are different now…
“Jeeves brings warmth and humanity to the search experience, and thanks to the enhancements we have made to our site, he is even better at providing answers than ever before so bringing him back is a perfect fit,” says Cesar Mascaraque, managing director of Ask Jeeves Europe.
In case you are wondering what these enhancements are, the company says that since Jeeves has been gone, they’ve focused hard on improving speed, look, and relevancy of search results.
“We know from increased retention levels, that our users prefer the improved site. And, in times like these we know our users are looking for answers for practical everyday needs like saving money and how to feed a family on a budget.”
I would not be surprised to see Jeeves make a return to the home page of ask.com on a global scale. In an industry where brand dominates loyalty, Jeeves has always been the strongest brand Ask has ever had, and quite frankly, it may have been a mistake to part with him in the first place.
Jeeves came out in 1997, but was laid to rest in 2006. The company cites a poll from YouGov, which found that the majority of respondents wanted Jeeves back. Will Jeeves shoot the search engine past the competition? Not likely, but it probably can’t hurt.
