Redefining "Google it!"

[LeoRex]

We're a little biased here... A fair potion of the members of AC are well-traveled smartphone users, most Android enthusiasts. And with that can sometimes come a bit of a misconception of how the rest of the populace views these wonderful little devices. To many, they are mystery boxes whose inner workings are a great mystery, as is the company that pulls the levers behind the digital curtain.

I was recently listening to a podcast where they were discussing the story about Google looking to take more control over the Nexus line, and the discussion moved into a more broader scope... How does the public see the Google name? They talked about the "Be together..." ads, the beauty shot ads of the 6P and 5X... and they came to the conclusion that while Google is one of the most recognized brands in the world, it's also a brand that isn't really fully understood.

And that got me to thinking... Google should make a real marketing push to introduce the 'real' Google. And I think they can do it by leveraging the term that is near universally known; "Google it."

Google has a massive ecosystem... but its an ecosystem that seems to be running under the radar. So I envision an ad campaign revolved around how their products integrate into people's lives...

Show someone walking by a Nest as they leave the house and the Nest dropping the temp setting "Google this"... as they are walking to their car, have Now pop an alert that there has been an accident on their commute and for them to take a different route "Google that"... show them in a line of heavy traffic and have Waze announce "Take the next exit to save you XX minutes" "Google here".... That dude's getting ready for a meeting and getting a notification to leave now so they can make it because of the construction.... Have a woman on a run with an Android wear watch, and Fit on her phone listening to Google Play Music... "Google runs"... then the two on a couch, watching a movie on Chromecast, rented on Google Play Movies...

Another campaign showing kids in a classroom on Chromebooks... another with a Google Cardboard on a virtual field trip to Petra, the Taj Mahal, etc... Or a real estate agent using Google Street View and the Google Cardboard Camera to show a house.

Someone going on vacation and using Google Photos to back up their pictures and sharing with family. Youtube.... Go a for some cheap feels and have a serviceman on deployment use Hangouts to video chat with his wife and newborn child. Bust out all the feels, you name it.

Have them end with Google sliding in all the different products, features... I mean, when you sit down and kind of absorb the breadth of Google's ecosystem, its HUGE, and I think that "Google it." would be a bad-*** ad campaign.

 

[Laura Knotek]

That sounds like a new and improved version of the Nexus 7 ad with the kid.
https://youtu.be/Lmf0F7JxxXE

 

[LeoRex]

EXACTLY!

I mean, the elements are all there... It's like a Dan Brown DaVinci Code novel where you want the dude to kind of just piece it all together and find the secret of the universe. I mean, they kind of dance around it a bit, but you know they want to establish that brand power. Like adding the "Powered by Android" to all the splash screens so everyone knows it's them, not Samsung, or LG, or whomever.

Execute!

 

[belodion]

You might want to suggest these ideas to Google. You might make a bit of money.

 

[kramer5150]

As an outsider looking in, and only recently converting over form iOS to Android... one of the MAJORLY appealing aspects is I now CAN keep my little worlds apart and separated. I have the ability to delete/deactivate apps, throttle them down, and completely close/shut them down when not in use. (Granted there are small kernels of processes running with RAM, and I am OK with that). But no more rogue apps running in the background like they are free to do in iOS. Along those lines I like having the choice and the control to force my apps to do what I want them to do. Facebook is in one corner for social media. Youtube (despite being google owned) I have locked away in its corner, with my original pre-google userID. Mapping and directions likewise stay in their little corner. And pictures/video is in its corner where I force all read-write function to the SD card.

Maybe its because I am new to the ecosystem, but it would make me uncomfortable. Having apps that cross-pollenate each other... that could be a bad thing if taken out of context. For example, I do not own a hand gun but I am in favor of any individual who choses to arm himself within the confines of the laws. If thats their personal choice, them I am all for that. So I end up watching a lot of gun debate videos on youtube and other forms of media. If facebook (for example) were to analyze my youtube viewing history and develop a type of profile and litter my social media apps with this kind of false information... it would make me look like some kind of advocate pro or con... which I am not, I just find it interesting.

Same goes for google maps... I don't want it to speculate who I am based on how I use my other apps. If that makes sense.

So... Yeah, cool ad campaign Agree. I am not so comfortable though with apps cross pollenating each other in that way.

My .02

 

[LeoRex]

If facebook (for example) were to analyze my youtube viewing history and develop a type of profile and litter my social media apps with this kind of false information... it would make me look like some kind of advocate pro or con... which I am not, I just find it interesting.

So... Yeah, cool ad campaign Agree. I am not so comfortable though with apps cross pollinating each other in that way.

Well, Google gives you total control over what data is collected and how it is used (and they encourage you to go look through it all on a regular basis). And they never sell your data directly, your name, what sites you visit... none of it. Your profile, regardless of how much or how little information is inside that, is scrubbed clean of your identity. What they then do is give advertisers access to a kind of blob of various demographic profiles. If your particular profile matches whatever it is, you might get served ads. It's a kind of dead drop.... So Facebook can't see a damn thing you've watched on Youtube.... unless of course, you viewed that video via a Facebook link.

Facebook... Oh, Facebook is so evil. Facebook WILL sell your data, your pictures, they'll sell anything and everything they find out about you. That's why I don't have their app installed and access my FB account via a web wrapper app (that effectively acts as a firewall between what Facebook sees and what goes on with the rest of the stuff on my phone. (and yes, they do it on iOS as well). They have zero scruples, and they will readily admit that fact. Zuckerberg himself, on many an occasion, has said that any Facebook user has zero expectation of privacy on anything that they put into their Facebook account. So even though they have settings to allow you to shield your data, I wouldn't trust them for an instant. I assume that nothing I put in FB is private... zero.

But back to your worries... you have control over what Google does with your data. I mean, not just a list of 4 or 5 toggles like people see in their Facebook settings. Basically you micromanage every bit of data if you want. And I do look through things on a regular basis to make sure everything's on the level, but I also don't limit anything. I see it as a contract.... Google gives me a massive set of tools, tools that have made an impact on how I go about my day to day life.... From traffic warnings that save my *** from being stuck in a jam for half an hour, to reminding me about an important appointment, or bill.... all sorts of stuff. I get out of Google as much as Google gets out of me and I have yet to come across anything that puts cracks in the trust in that relationship.

 

[kramer5150]

Interesting discussion... I appreciate the instructional feedback. Sounds like there are some things I can do within Google to improve my situation. I have been contemplating deleting FB from my phone though for all the reasons mentioned. So thanks!!

 

[LeoRex]

Interesting discussion... I appreciate the instructional feedback. Sounds like there are some things I can do within Google to improve my situation. I have been contemplating deleting FB from my phone though for all the reasons mentioned. So thanks!!

Yeah.... if you go into the settings on your phone, you may or may not see an option called "Google"... in there, you'll find links to all the account controls. Some are locally administered, others will bring you to the web pages. Keep in mind that the tighter you lock things down, the less and less you can get out of it.

And as far as Facebook... I uninstalled it and currently use Metal for Facebook/Twitter. Both use embedded web wrappers to get to both services. But there's a lot of granular user options to fiddle with things (like if you want notifications, etc).

 

[Golfdriver97]

Oh, Facebook is so evil. Facebook WILL sell your data, your pictures, they'll sell anything and everything they find out about you.

I'm half expecting them to sell your privacy for this: https://youtu.be/CZd_YyFzPD0

 

[Golfdriver97]

As for privacy settings for Google, here is a pretty good place to start: https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/114836?hl=en

 

[Rukbat]

Android can be so automated already that a lot of the things you're talking about exist on a lot of phones. If I had a nest, and wanted to turn the temp down when I left for work (and it was different every day), I'd add that to my "outside" task in Tasker. It already disables USB debugging and wifi, turns on mobile data and locks the screen. (I run with no screen lock in the house - it's annoying.) And it's not Google, it's Crafty Apps EU. ( never got around to learning Android well enough to write apps for the environment, but with Tasker, I can do almost everything I want without writing an app.)

What I want to see is semi-artificial intelligence in our phones. (Compare a $50 Android phone today to a large domain controller of 1990 and you'd be amazed what 25 years can do - my phone can function as a BDC running one small app in the background - something it took a $32,000, 6 foot cabinet to do back then. AI isn't THAT far off. Then the phone will learn what to do without anyone writing apps or tasks. They won't beed us, though, so maybe that's not such a good idea after all.)