GOOGLE SERVICE BRAND ANALYSIS:
A CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE
BSNS7454: STRATEGIC BRAND MANAGEMENT
Assignment two – Monique McTaggart – 1405417
ABSTRACT:
This report aims to analyse the Google brand, its business model, the market in which it operates, its
competitors, its consumers and the potential future of its brand. In an attempt to achieve this, the
report provides background on the services Google provides by isolating the key functions of each
and denoting how each enhances the consumer experience. It notes how after a slow start, Google
was able to surreptitiously develop itself into a service brand years after its initial search engine
launch in 1998. Now a billion dollar empire, Google is seen to be thriving because of the business
model it lives by and the consumer interest it stimulates through its current services and its proposed
ones; cue Project Glass, an interactive pair of glasses that allows individuals to utilise the best of
Google’s online services in what may be called a ‘wearable computer’; currently in a developmental
phase of production. Like many brands before Google, a large portion of the company’s success is
derives from the appealing services, such as Android and YouTube, that the company provides the
everyday user in an attempt to increase the consumers experience; generating repeat customers. The
Google business model provides insight into the internal workings of the company by stating that the
company derives its primary revenue from businesses advertising on their websites; generating traffic
within the Google portal. Google furthermore utilises a service called AdWords by which advertisers
only pay a fee each time a user enters into their personalised site through said advertisement. The
AdWords service is so efficient that Google profits even if a user accidentally clicks on the link but
does not enter into the intended destination. The report also analyses the market and Google’s brand
value. It is apparent that whilst Google has been the leader in many years, it has been out branded by
its competitor Apple who has taken the top spot as of 2011. This lead can be attributed to the
company’s integration of their revenue generating technology such as the iPad and the iPhone 4s
equipped with the Siri software. It is furthermore recommended that for the company to regain
leadership of the market, Google should retain its advertising business model whilst attempting to
integrate physical products such as mobile phones into the market to increase revenue and awareness
of the Android mobile phone service.
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CONTENTS PAGE:
Abstract
Page 2
1.
Introduction
Page 4
2.
The many faces of Google
Page 5
3.
Google’s business model
Page 7
4.
Google market analysis
Page 10
5.
Google and its competition
Page 13
6.
Google: A consumer’s perspective
Page 14
7.
The cloud revolution: Expanding into Apple’s territory
Page 15
8.
Future innovation: Wearable computers
Page 16
9.
Conclusion
Page 18
References
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Page 20
1. INTRODUCTION:
The advent of the internet has seen communication techniques revolutionised. Users now have the
world at their fingertips; banking, shopping, music, movies, photographs, information and peer-topeer communication. These new technological advancements that saw once separated entities
compiled onto one device created a gap in the market, a gap that Google has successfully filled.
In analysing Google as a service brand, it is important to first understand what a service brand is.
Google is first and foremost a recognised brand which consumers associate as an internet database.
Solomon et al. (2009) defines a brand as a “symbol or any other unique element of a product that
identifies one company’s product(s) and sets it apart from the competition” (p.228). A service brand
on the other hand is a brand which gains revenue by charging consumers and businesses alike for the
services they provide them (Keller, 2008).
Before Google became a billion dollar empire synonymous with various online services, Google
began as an idea “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful”
(Why Google?, 2011). In an attempt to achieve this goal, two Stanford University students, Larry
Page and Sergey Brin created the first Google search engine which launched in 1998.
Whilst Google was driven to create a company initially branded on its search engine device, the
prospects of a company being able to create revenue from a portal like this was unheard of in the
1990s. As Battelle (2006) notes, whilst search engines seemed suffice for the moment, the purpose of
business was to keep users on your site, within you portal, a search engine however would send them
away and keep them off the original site for a length of time; not a great idea. Brin and Page however
forged ahead with the idea and after some minor setbacks, the pair went on to create a billion dollar
empire and a brand highly recognise for its search engine service; popularised in the saying, ‘Google
it’.
Subsequently the Google brand has become synonymous with the internet as over a billion
individuals utilise its services worldwide. Google’s services incorporate the aforementioned factors
through various portals which have been individualised by the company to accommodate consumer
demands and technological trends; social networking through Google+, document sharing with peers
through Google Docs, entertainment through YouTube and mobile phone service Android, and the
prominent feature, online information searching through the Google search engine. Since Google
offers these online services, the Google Corporation is defined as being an online service brand.
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Google has analysed that consumers and corporations alike compartmentalise information into three
distinct categories: personal information, corporate information, and information that is ‘out there’
(Why Google?, 2011). Since there are three information categories, Google has therefore
implemented services into their brand that help to not only filter these varying types of information,
but they have also created services that allow consumers to find the desired information at their own
rate; such as Google Finance and Enterprise Search.
2. THE MANY FACES OF GOOGLE:
As an innovative service brand, Google is known to have many faces via its brand logo. When
consumers enter the Google website, www.google.com, they are greeted with a new logo which
changes on a near daily basis; a notion which may be attributed to its visual appeal. Each new logo is
seen to correlate with an event occurring the day of its exhibition; either a birthday, holiday or the
recognition of a historical event. Showcased here are some examples of Google logos displayed thus
far into the 2012 year.
A list of Google’s logos can be found at the following default website, with the search history
beginning at the present day and backtracking all the way to 1998:
http://www.google.com/doodles/finder/2012/All%20doodles
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The Google brand is not only recognised by its ever changing logo, but also by the companies it
acquires and the product services they supply to the everyday consumer.
A full list of Google’s services is available at http://www.google.co.nz/intl/en/options/ however the
most prominent features are,
Google’s search engine: This is the primary and original service Google has to offer. The basis of
this service is to facilitate users with their online tasks when they type in specific keywords. The
results are then filtered based on relevance and type; document, audio, video, photograph and so on.
Google Chrome: Google’s internet browser that is equipped with its services.
YouTube: A service which allows users to upload videos for other individuals to watch and enjoy;
most commonly celebrities use it to upload their new music videos, movie trailers and episodes of
television shows. For ease of access, YouTube allows account holders to create channels dedicated
to their own material as well as playlists for continual watching.
Android: Android is a mobile phone service which allows users to access the internet, download
applications and update software services. The other alternative is supplied by Google’s competitor
Apple on their iPhone.
Android
further
utilises
a
software known as Google Play, a
service by which Android users
may download applications that
allow them to access various
online
services;
YouTube,
Facebook, Gmail, TradeMe and
so on. It also allows users to
download applications to enhance
their internal software; cameras
and games
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Google+: Google+ is somewhat Google’s answer to Facebook. It is primarily a social networking
site by which users invite their friends to join and enter their ‘circle’ to facilitate an online
community environment.
Gmail: Google’s personal email service, an answer to Hotmail or Yahoo! email accounts. The Gmail
accounts also allow users to link other Google accounts they may have to this one email address;
accounts on Google Docs, Google+ and Android.
Picasa – This is a less recognised service however it is widely used. The purpose of this service is to
allow individuals the opportunity to edit and share photographs from their personal files with their
peers.
Whilst Google has invented many of its services to help keep up with current service trends such as
social networking, Google also is known to acquire companies that help add to their brand value. An
example of this is their acquisition of YouTube, a already popularised internet service that Google
has brought to the forefront of consumer culture by pinning links to such services on their search
engine homepage; www.google.com
3. GOOGLE’S BUSINESS MODEL
Google’s appeal is its availability, so much so that certain brands of computers pre-install Google
search toolbars into their software system. Google has been known to buy their way into the
manufacturing of Dell and Acer laptops to ensure that their toolbars are correctly and obviously
integrated into the computers internet server; Google Chrome. Brett Pringle (2011) denotes that the
Google toolbars further interact with other online services as they are used to access applications
such as Adobe Flash player and also their recent invention, Android mobile service; the uptake has
seen Android gain a portion of the market share.
The implementation of these toolbars into personal computers can be seen as both an excellent tool
for Google as well as the consumer. Users do not have to actively seek out the Google website to
begin roaming the internet as the site is in their immediate vision; increasing user ship. In turn this
boosts Google’s market share whilst keeping consumers interested in using the product, an action
which allows Google to innovate and create new profitable services.
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Figure 1: An example of Google’s Business model
In accordance with Figure 1, one must first define aspects that incorporate customer models
(Solomon et. al., 2009):
•
B2B: Business to Business; exchanges between one corporation and another.
•
B2C: Business to Consumer; exchanges between a consumer and a corporation.
•
C2C: Consumer to Consumer; exchanges between consumers without a corporations
involvement.
•
B2E: Business to Employee; exchanges between a corporation and its subsequent
employees.
The business model shown in Figure 1 denotes that Google utilises three categories within its internal
structure, each which work to help with the fruition of the Google brand. It could be said that a large
portion of Google’s structure relates to its search services and said services ability to enact online
consumer communities. The revenue model denotes that there are two key features that help generate
profits for Google, the services provided for consumers to find information, and the advertisements
used by companies to direct consumers searching.
Google is seen as being a prominent component of the new media environment according to Keller
(2008); increasing its appeal. It is stated by Keller (2008) that a paid search service such as Google
and its subsequent competitor Yahoo!, have become billion dollar corporations because of their
abilities to not only provide consumers with knowledge but for its ability to enact online communities
by which consumers may interact with their peers.
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Keller (2008) further denotes that advertising plays a major role in the success of Google because it
provides revenue whilst building relationships with businesses and their customer base. This is
achievable because Google was a leader in enacting a system by which businesses were only charged
for advertising each time a consumer clicked on an advertisement; “cost-per-click pricing” (Keller,
2008, p.250).
Carr (2008) adds to Keller’s (2008) discussion on paid advertising. Carr (2008) states that advertising
revenues are important for Google because they not only help them gain profits, but they also help
establish relationships with certain businesses. Google utilises a tool called Google AdWords which
allows companies to target their intended market whilst only having to pay a fee once the ads are
clicked on. Carr (2008) notes that fees are subject to how much exposure a company wants for their
ads and how much traffic they want to create to ensure future sales. Furthermore, companies that
advertise using AdWords have the ability to track the progress of their advertisements;
“Since all page views and ad clickthroughs are meticulously tracked, the publisher knows
precisely how many times each ad is seen, how many times it is clicked, and the revenue that
each view or clickthrough produces” (Carr, 2008, p.154).
Figure 2: What makes Google work?
(faberNovel, 2008)
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When analysing Google’s business model, we can refer to Figure 2 in the hopes of correlating its
model with other immediate factors which have helped with the brands success. As apparent in the
‘Business model’ box, advertising is a key component of the Google brand as it helps Google define
their intended market by which they can generate profits. The Scalability section suggests that
Google can analyse a high demand for services and use the traffic to generate profits; offering
businesses the opportunity to advertise in sections that are generating high use and high profits.
Furthermore it is stated that Google has a high interest in what consumers want and need out of their
service provider by stating that Google incorporates a open policy by which their content and
services alike are subject to audience desirability.
4. GOOGLE MARKET ANALYSIS
AP (2012 A) discusses the new share proposal that Google investors will vote on next month. Google
stated that they plan to split their shares 2-for-1 however only current shareholders would retain
voting power, an attempt to maintain control over the running of the company; subsequently future
employees who retain stocks will have no voting power. Google is said to have made revenue of
$2.89billion in the first 2012 quarter, equating to approximately $8.75 per share; up from the
previous year by which Google generated $1.8billion; $5.51 per share; total revenue is $10.65 billion,
an increase of 24% (AP, 2012 A). AP (2012 A) further notes that in terms of Google’s stock, the
company has seen a massive increase in the last year; $1.66 to $652.67.
Figure 3: 2009 market share (Top 10 brands)
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Figure 4: 2011 market share (Top 10 brands)
It is apparent from analysing Figures 3 and 4, that whilst Google may have a high consumer uptake,
their market share value no longer places them at the top of the market when it comes to analysing
global brands. Within the two year period by which these statistics have changed, one can look to
what innovative services both Apple and Google integrated into the market that could attribute to the
removal of Google from the top spot.
Between 2009 and 2011, Apple Inc. introduced their critically acclaimed iPhone, and mobile device
which they have continuously adapted to provide users with new servers such as the storage software
iCloud and the Artificial Intelligence software known as Siri, a voice activated navigation system;
allows you to search your phone, the internet, send text messages and make phone calls via the Siri
application; only available on the new iPhone 4S. Apple also reinvented their iPod series by
introducing new exteriors for their existing products as well as adding a touch screen function;
notably creating the iPod Touch. The company’s main revenue in this time however could be said to
have been generated through the introduction of the iPad, a device similar to that of a laptop which
utilises only a single touch screen without an external keyboard; essentially a portable screen that
encompasses similar software to that of an Apple Macbook laptop.
Whilst Apple implemented technologically based products into the market between these times,
potentially attributing to their increase in brand value, Google implemented service based products.
Between 2009 and 2011, Google introduced products that would be accessible to a large majority of
their existing customers by offering them new and competitive services at a low rate. Google
introduced their Google Chrome internet browser which would allow individuals to better navigate
the internet by instantaneously filtering any search through the Google search engine whilst also
providing a header with links to its other search services; scholar, images, books, YouTube and so
on. In this time frame Google also implemented their Android service which can be seen as a direct
response to Apple’s iPhone server; Android however is not a physical product but rather a service
provided to different brands of mobile phones; enter the Smartphone. Google also launched their
Google+ social networking system which gained attention by its initial elitist status because
individuals had to be invited to join; unlike Facebook and MySpace.
As Apple was able to integrate revenue generating technologies into the market, it is clear to suggest
that the company was more likely to gain a larger share of the market as their profits and subsequent
brand value increased. This however does not mean that Google did not provide sufficient products
in their own right because one could make the argument that Apple’s products were commercially
driven whilst Google’s were consumer driven; cementing Google’s image as an online service brand.
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Clive Helm (2007) analyses the development of online services by suggesting that companies within
this field have gone from being technologically led to brand led. He does this by analysing the
internet as a portal. A portal is stated by Helm (2007) as being the software programme an individual
users to access the internet; a programme that also provides consumers with various services such as
email, news and search engines; in this case Google.
If we relate Google to Helm’s (2007) discussion on portals, it is apparent to see that the company has
led their Google brand from a technologically sound search engine into a prominent service based
portal because of the innovative means by which they offer consumers various online services for the
purpose of better navigating and compartmentalising their lives.
Global market share for online servers, 2010
2.59%
3.21%
0.63%
0.48%
Google
6.42%
Yahoo!
Bing
Baidu
Ask
85.78%
AOL
Figure 5: Global market share of online service providers in 2010 (search engines)
Figure 5 shows that Google holds a large portion of the market for its online services, most of which
pertains to their original search engine service. As Helm (2007) has previously stated, it is the
company’s ability to branch outside the realm of search engines which has led them to becoming a
prominent fixture for internet users. It is further denoted by Helm (2007) that Google’s success is
attributed to the ways in which it thinks outside the box and provides consumers with alternative
ways of utilising technologies within his proposed portals; “Google...is differentiated by technologydriven features such as its Google Earth satellite photographs and...printed books online” (p.378).
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Portals help develop traffic for a website further increasing their profitability. Battelle (2006)
therefore denotes that companies such as Google and Yahoo! spend their increasing stock currency
on acquisitions which would help companies expand their brand and brand value. Google as such has
acquired companies such as YouTube to help expand its brand into the online entertainment industry.
5. GOOGLE AND ITS COMPETITION
Google has managed to overtake successful companies such as Coca-Cola, Yahoo!, Vodafone and
McDonalds (Figure 4) to gain a large percentage of the market. Surprisingly, Google which is a
seemingly new company in comparison to McDonalds and Coca-Cola has been able to overtake
companies that do not belong to the same industry as them because of its brand value.
As an online service brand, one of Google’s main competitors is Yahoo!. Both companies are online
service brands who started out with the same premise, to provide a fast and efficient search engine
service for the everyday internet user. However one could state that the Google brand has flourished
over Yahoo!’s because Google has branched into more commercially driven services and technology
based products. Whilst Yahoo! Is the main competition in this sense, Google’s market share and
subsequent brand value is subject to competition by well-established brands across other market
sectors;
Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG):
•
McDonalds: Fast food provider that specialises in foods aimed at individuals of all ages;
offering meals accordingly. In compliance with the healthy food demand, McDonalds has
attempting to raise its appeal by promoting a healthy menu alternative; salads, wraps, water.
•
Coca-Cola: A soft drink company that is also known to sponsor various events; particularly
concerts. Coca-Cola also provides consumers with various sub-brands of soft drinks such as
Fanta.
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Technological:
•
Apple: Google’s main competition in terms of technological advancements. Both companies
have a tendency to provide services that emulate one another however they are both
personalised to their individual target markets.
•
Yahoo!: An online service brand in the same way that Google is; search engines.
It could be said that Google has managed to surpass these brands (Coca-Cola and McDonalds)
because their services are very consumer centric with the added bonus of not enacting a health crisis
such as the obesity epidemic many are associating with the McDonalds brand. It should be noted
however that whilst the last few years have seen this association between McDonalds and obesity, the
brand value of McDonalds has not seen the decrease in the company’s appeal, largely attributed to
the instant gratification one gains from indulging in their products.
6. GOOGLE: A CONSUMER’S PERSPECTIVE
For users of an online brand such as Google, consumers must associate the services provided with
some form of positive personal experience. Davis, Buchanan-Oliver and Brodie (2000) clarify that
for this experience to occur, an online service brand must incorporate all forms of communication
that were once separated by various other technologies; availability of audio and visual techniques
which were once only synonymous with telephones and televisions.
Google seems to be able to provide this necessary experience via the services mentioned earlier. By
creating a user friendly, online community vibe, Goole is ensuring that consumers become dependent
on their brand for all their online activities.
In trying to determine what has turned Google into a hot new brand, it is obvious to analyse its appeal
to consumers. Unlike brands such as Coca-Cola and McDonalds, it could be said that Google’s
appeal is that its gratification is long term; products from Coca-Cola and McDonalds provide
instantaneous gratification that wears off immediately after use.
Craig Silverstein (as cited in Battelle, 2006) breaks down Google on a consumer level. He denotes
that the purpose of Google is to provide the population with information that is relevant and
necessary for each individual. A question proposed is “...whether human-level understanding is
necessary to fulfil that goal...” (Silverstein, as cited in Battelle, 2006, p.17). The answer to this is yes.
It could be said that Google has answered this question by providing services that do not require
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some level of technological understanding to utilise; keyword searching on the search engine has
little complexity, navigating categories on Google Play requires only an understanding of category
definitions (games, books, entertainment, photography, sports) and connecting with peers on
Google+ only requires the ability to enter individual names correctly. Google has created consumer
friendly services that help enhance their own brand whilst allowing their users to brand themselves
via the online communities the services create and the experiences they discover; a strong aspect of
Google’s overall appeal.
7. THE CLOUD REVOLUTION: EXPANDING INTO APPLE’S TERRITORY
AP (2012 B) denotes that Google is in the process of releasing a new online service with the hopes of
furthering their brand name and subsequent brand value, whilst also attempting to “deepen people’s
dependence on its services” (p.B4) The new service named Google Drive will allow individuals to
store personal data online; photos, videos, documents and other digital files. This service which is
part of the ‘cloud revolution’ will be available worldwide within the next few months.
To help with the implementation and subsequent success of this new product, Google is offering the
service with a consumer incentive, the first five gigabytes of storage data for free with each
individual account. AP (2012 B) states that for a monthly fee, consumers will be able to purchase
additional storage space; up to 25 gigabytes from approximately US$2.49 and a terabyte of space
available for approximately US$49.99.
Whilst Google is in the process of integrating this service into their online brand, it is apparent that
they are far behind their competition, specifically Apple who offers an Apple iCloud service. AP
(2012 B) clarifies that Google intends to differentiate itself from the competition by giving
consumers more tools such as keyword analysis to allow for a more efficient service. In regards to
Google entering this type of market that Apple has already popularised, analyst Michael Gartenberg
states that,
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“this puts Google into the heart of the battle. We are entering this era where the personal
cloud is going to be more important than the personal computer, so to remain relevant Google
needed a service like this” (as cited in AP, 2012 B, p.B4).
The Apple iCloud, Google Drive’s main competition offers a similar service to this. iCloud also
offers consumers a free 5 gigabytes of storage with initial setup; this service is primarily designed for
Apple mobile and computer owners (AP, 2012 B).
Since Google has a prominent stance within the online service industry as well as a billion dollar
empire behind them, the prospect of Google Drive having a high uptake rate is probable. AP (2012
B) makes clear that the advantage of Google, as opposed to Apple, is that its services are utilised
daily by more than a billion people who are continuously trying to find new ways to store the
information they find online. It is further stated that these consumers already utilise Google’s other
online services such as Gmail, YouTube, Google Docs and Android mobile which means consumers
are more likely to want to uptake this new service.
8. FUTURE INNOVATION – WEARABLE COMPUTERS
As innovative as ever, Google is branching outside of its online service image with the invention of
what they are calling Project Glass; essentially a wearable computer device. Basically it is a
culmination of all the things you like about online navigation and social networking conveniently
placed into what appears to be a science fiction pair of glasses. This product, which is currently in the
testing phase of development, will see individuals utilising a technology which would allow them to
take pictures of what they can see in front of them through the video screen and upload them online
for their friends to view; one of many features. Google is getting futuristic. To stimulate
conversation, Google has recently developed a page for the glasses on their social networking site
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Google+ as well as producing a YouTube video which details how the product will work whilst in
use (Figure 7),
•
Google+
https://plus.google.com/111626127367496192147/posts
•
YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c6W4CCU9M4
Figure 7: A still image of video conferencing as shown in the Project Glass YouTube video
This Google+ website, which is creating traffic for a prospective product through an existing one,
allows interested parties to see prototypes, engage in discussion and see sample images from the
product during its testing phase. As stated on the aforementioned Google+ page by the products
developers, the purpose of the product is to allow individuals to both explore the world and share
their personal experiences with peers by placing them “...back in the moment”. Placing the
information on this site so early is a somewhat genius way to stimulate user interest on Google’s
behalf because whilst there, it is probable that consumers may sign up to a Google+ account to keep
informed on any future updates pertaining to the product; such interest could turn into revenue at a
later stage.
LaMonica (2012) further discusses this futuristic product which essentially does what a Smartphone
can currently achieve. The device broadcasts a video within a small screen embedded in the glasses,
the video allows the user to “set up meetings with friends, get directions in the city, find a book in a
store, and even videoconference with a friend” (LaMonica, 2012). Whilst it may seem impressive
that a pair of glasses will be able to achieve these tasks, LaMonica (2012) notes that the revolutionary
technology is not the product itself but rather the fact that Google has developed a system of artificial
intelligence (AI) which may help services such as those provided by mobile phones, complete
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complex tasks that they currently cannot; this is evidence of why Google is a prominent competitor in
the online services industry.
“The new thing that Google was showing was the interaction model using new hardware,
rather than truly showing the potential of such a device...AI can actually enhance and improve
different decision situations” (Lars Hard as cited in LaMonica, 2012).
A component of the glasses is similar to that of Google’s competitor Apple and their invention of
Siri, an Apple software that allows users to voice activate search tasks within the iPhone device.
Whilst Google’s Android phones are yet to contain a voice activated software like Siri (a potential
future endeavour), the software used for Project Glass emulates a similar style by which the product
is operated by voice commands. Whilst Apple is at the forefront of the current AI revolution thanks
to Siri, it is probable to suggest that Project Glass will give individuals the opportunity to see AI
hardware working on a whole other level without having to physically input any data.
Furthermore, this may be the product which could put Google back in the lead over Apple, a notion
shared by Michael Liebhold. Liebhold (as cited in LaMonica, 2012) denotes that Project Glass is
what will place,
“...Google out in front of Apple; they are a long ways ahead at this point...In addition to
having a superstar team of scientists who specialize in wearable, they also have the needed
data elements, including Google Maps”.
After reviewing this technology, it is pertinent to ask whether or not individuals would want to wear
these glasses. Whilst the answer can only be speculated at this point, it seems probable that there
would eventually be an uptake of products such as this one depending on their market value and
subsequent practicality; will it work for what you pay? Like all new technologies, initial response
may be slow, however a company such as Google who is known to produce practical and working
products that help better accommodate consumers hectic lifestyles, may be the company that can
help move communication techniques into this futuristic phase of technological advancement.
10. CONCLUSION
It is apparent that the Google brand is strong within the online service market. Whilst Google may
have been overtaken by Apple in terms of brand value, it is important to remember that both
companies derive from different markets respectively.
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The Google business model allows one to see that Google takes a strong stance on advertising. It has
strategically analysed that an efficient means by which an online service brand can generate profits is
by allowing other businesses to utilise their services for their own gain; capitalising on the needs of
other corporations. The advertising approach further allows Google to develop relationships with
corporations that may in turn prove beneficial for the future expansion of the Google brand. Whilst
Google may find competition technologically from Apple, it is apparent that Google’s strength lies in
its ability to compartmentalise the wants and needs of the online consumer to both create services
that adhere to consumer demand, but they can in turn use their brand value create physical products
that utilise popular services for the purpose of generating future revenue; apparent in the advent of
Project Glass.
From a consumer’s perspective, Google tends to be a brand that weighs up the desires of its service
users and adapts accordingly, continuously implementing new online services that help individuals
better live their lives. Services such as Google’s search engine, YouTube, Gmail and Google+ are
amongst a few of the services that are helping individuals brand themselves through online
communities whilst allowing individuals to better themselves on an intellectual level; Google’s
service brand image and subsequent products is stimulating new parts of the brain and better
equipping users for a more technologically sound future.
For Google to regain its top spot within the industry, one can offer a series of recommendations that
may see the fruition of the Google brand both on and offline. Recommendations include:
•
Continuing to implement updated services.
•
Retaining the advertising business model that has proved effective thus far.
•
Creating physical products such as a mobile phone brand equipped with the Android server to
help stimulate offline revenue; direct competition with Apple.
•
Advertising their unknown services to stimulate more online traffic therefore allowing for
potential updates which could lead to more revenue; awareness for sub-brands such as
Blogger, Panoramio and SketchUp; could be utilised by businesses.
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REFERENCES:
AP. (2012 A, April 13). Google unveils new share plan. New Zealand Herald. Retrieved on 17 April
2012. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10798526
AP. (2012 B, April 26). Google unveils plan for online storage service. New Zealand Herald, p.B4.
Battelle, J. (2006). The Search: How Google and its rivals rewrote the rules of business and
transformed our culture. UK: Nicholas Brearley Publishing.
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