So, Google's coming out with their first ad on TV:
http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=136536
From an advertising point of view, there are so many unconventional and fascinating things about Google. They don't need to have a large advertising budget due to the inherent nature of their product. But it is still a brand, and the image must be maintained. Google has done so - through a series of well positioned products and choosing the right domains at the right time to spread into.
Before Google, search engines were not something you thought about often. I remember using MSN Search and AskJeeves when I first started browsing the internet. However, I do not remember when I first started using Google or when I heard about them. But before I knew it, it was an integral online tool for me. I think it's the same story with many other consumers and it just goes to show how quiet efficiency has its benefits. Google has tremendous brand potential. And you know you have brand power, when consumers go from "Just search for it on Google" to "Just google it". The focus shifts from the function to the tool in that phrase and we need to appreciate the power behind it.
Much of the advertising is focussed on Chrome and I think it's because the browser is not catching on as quickly as anticipated. From a personal experience, Chrome was a nice and easy to use browser. However, I think it's extremely difficult to get a user to switch browsers. People can be very comfortable with the browser they use, regardless of the disadvantages. One need not look further than IE. Even with its terrible flaws, the most powerful thing IE has going for it, is that for most people it is the first browser they learned to use. There is a large (and older) generation of users that prefer IE and especially with older consumers who are not computer savvy - it becomes very difficult to teach them how to use a new browser.
Then you have the generation of consumers that have figured out that there are better browsers than IE - like Firefox, Opera, Safari - to name a few. I probably fall into this category. For me, even though I know Firefox has some flaws, I continue to use it because I like the different search toolbars and plugins. I have an IE plugin installed at work - so even though I use Firefox I can see most of the IE-only pages rendered correctly. These plugins have me hooked onto using Firefox and it would be extremely difficult for me to adopt Chrome.
Google is trying to envelope their brand around the web browser category and establish an identity for the product. I have a feeling, even though they dominate the online application category - they would find desktop applications much more challenging to dominate. As an example, one can see how long Google Earth took to catch on and even now it faces stiff competition from Microsoft. I've heard talk of a Google OS - and how there might be one available by 2010. It would be interesting to see how much marketing is done for that - and how the desktop is positioned internally with respect to the other products.
One of the biggest advantages is that this strong brand will definitely have early adopters for any new products they try and launch. There are plently of consumers who are completely "sold" by the Google identity. Their loyalty will spurt a quick market distribution as they would talk, blog, and dissect every aspect of the product, giving it even more free air time. That in itself, makes Google a strong contender and I am anxious to see which pie they put their fingers in next.
As far as Chrome goes, only time will tell how a more aggressive marketing campaign will affect usage. But it's definitely a shift in terms of how previous products were "advertised". Maybe, this is the beginning of a new era of marketing for Google, where the brand will actually begin to flex it's muscles. For marketers, it is an important lesson in how to build a strong brand identity before recognizing your brand potential.
http://adage.com/digital/article?article_id=136536
From an advertising point of view, there are so many unconventional and fascinating things about Google. They don't need to have a large advertising budget due to the inherent nature of their product. But it is still a brand, and the image must be maintained. Google has done so - through a series of well positioned products and choosing the right domains at the right time to spread into.
Before Google, search engines were not something you thought about often. I remember using MSN Search and AskJeeves when I first started browsing the internet. However, I do not remember when I first started using Google or when I heard about them. But before I knew it, it was an integral online tool for me. I think it's the same story with many other consumers and it just goes to show how quiet efficiency has its benefits. Google has tremendous brand potential. And you know you have brand power, when consumers go from "Just search for it on Google" to "Just google it". The focus shifts from the function to the tool in that phrase and we need to appreciate the power behind it.
Much of the advertising is focussed on Chrome and I think it's because the browser is not catching on as quickly as anticipated. From a personal experience, Chrome was a nice and easy to use browser. However, I think it's extremely difficult to get a user to switch browsers. People can be very comfortable with the browser they use, regardless of the disadvantages. One need not look further than IE. Even with its terrible flaws, the most powerful thing IE has going for it, is that for most people it is the first browser they learned to use. There is a large (and older) generation of users that prefer IE and especially with older consumers who are not computer savvy - it becomes very difficult to teach them how to use a new browser.
Then you have the generation of consumers that have figured out that there are better browsers than IE - like Firefox, Opera, Safari - to name a few. I probably fall into this category. For me, even though I know Firefox has some flaws, I continue to use it because I like the different search toolbars and plugins. I have an IE plugin installed at work - so even though I use Firefox I can see most of the IE-only pages rendered correctly. These plugins have me hooked onto using Firefox and it would be extremely difficult for me to adopt Chrome.
Google is trying to envelope their brand around the web browser category and establish an identity for the product. I have a feeling, even though they dominate the online application category - they would find desktop applications much more challenging to dominate. As an example, one can see how long Google Earth took to catch on and even now it faces stiff competition from Microsoft. I've heard talk of a Google OS - and how there might be one available by 2010. It would be interesting to see how much marketing is done for that - and how the desktop is positioned internally with respect to the other products.
One of the biggest advantages is that this strong brand will definitely have early adopters for any new products they try and launch. There are plently of consumers who are completely "sold" by the Google identity. Their loyalty will spurt a quick market distribution as they would talk, blog, and dissect every aspect of the product, giving it even more free air time. That in itself, makes Google a strong contender and I am anxious to see which pie they put their fingers in next.
As far as Chrome goes, only time will tell how a more aggressive marketing campaign will affect usage. But it's definitely a shift in terms of how previous products were "advertised". Maybe, this is the beginning of a new era of marketing for Google, where the brand will actually begin to flex it's muscles. For marketers, it is an important lesson in how to build a strong brand identity before recognizing your brand potential.
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