Google's Promotional Mix and Advertising

Marketing Communication Process

Google Inc.

Google Inc. is an U.S. based multinational public corporation that operates primarily in the internet search function, cloud computing, as well as a range of different advertising solutions. The company is large and extremely multifaceted. Google develops a large number of services and products that are part of a larger suite of Google products. These products are offered for free to the end users and Google primarily generates the company's revenue stream from advertising. Although Google sells advertising through AdWords and other platforms, it must also promote itself with a marketing communication strategy.

Google has grown from modest roots to become one of the most admired companies in the world today. The company's official mission statement is "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." However, the company is also known for something of an unofficial slogan which is "Don't be evil." This slogan has become increasingly scrutinized in the public today and the company is working hard to uphold its public image. The promotional mix for Google represents a wide array of different functions that must coordinate to effectively support the brand image.

Advertising

Google's primary source of revenue stems from the sale of advertising. However, the company must advertise its own operations as well. There are many different operations that it markets individually. One example is Google Analytics in which Google uses a clever email marketing campaign to promote this service. The service actually uses its own capabilities to identify people who could be potential clients. The company uses a unique email message that updates the reader to any changes and updates to the analytics platform (Davis, 2014).

Some of Google's most creative advertising campaigns have been targeted at consumer markets with products such as Android or Chrome. Google has won many awards for its creative use of advertisements. For example, one campaign was run in New York City and consisted of Google playfully promoting its voice search capabilities on Android devices by adding signs to familiar landmarks that prompted people passing by to use the search features. Google received praise from many advertising firms for engaging in such targeted marketing efforts despite the fact that it is a giant company (Nudd, 2014).

Figure 1 - Google's NYC Ad Campaign

Public Relations

Because of Google's massive size, it has to accomplish more than just clever advertising campaigns. One of Google's essential components to their success is continuously having a world class public relations department that communicates with the public, governments, and regulators. Google is the dominant player in many markets which has been met with a significant amount of discontent in many cases (Orey, 2009). They have had trouble with book publishers, advertisers, and regulators about their search monopoly market position. This position makes Google's PR representatives one of the most important members of the marketing function.

Google has been the source of many monopoly power accusations in the United States. Google represents an interesting anti-trust case because the company is not directly profiting from its search engine technologies. Rather, the company mainly profits from its collection of advertising revenue that is a subsidiary operation.

Despite the lack of direct financial benefits, the company has been accused of possibly using it's dominate position to unfairly manipulate the market. The probe by the Federal Trade Commission, will require Google to convince regulators that its closely guarded recipe for search results is designed to give people the best recommendations, not bury links to its rivals (Liedtke & Tessler, 2011).

Google is not only facing anti-trust scrutiny in the U.S., the EU is also investigating Google's operating practices. On April 15th the European Commission sent a "statement of objections," an indictment of sorts, to Google, accusing it of abusing its dominant position in the internet-search market and reviving an antitrust case that has dragged on for five years. A day earlier Gunther Oettinger, the European Union's digital commissioner, gave a speech arguing that it was necessary to "replace today's web search engines, operating systems and social networks" (The Economist, 2015).

"To head off further trouble, Google has launched a full-throttle public relations campaign that goes beyond just invoking its "don't be evil" mantra. Company officials are talking to advertisers, reporters, academics, and lawmakers to explain why, despite its commanding position, Google should be loved, not feared" (Orey, 2009).