Google's promotional mix and public relations strategy

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

Conclusion

Google is an enormous company that engages in a wide array of marketing and promotional activities. The company communicates with many different groups and target markets through many different mediums -- including everything from direct email campaigns, to clever customized local marketing campaigns, and global campaigns to promote products such as Chrome and the Android operating system and related apps. The company also must utilize effect public relations to maintain public support in the environment in which criticisms of the company's dominant market position have pervaded. Google has been focusing on its famous slogan, "do no evil," to leverage as much public support as possible. The company wants to be loved as opposed to feared and this is the foundation of its promotional campaign.