I came across
this article , and then
this one , oh and the bro’s
book while breezing through the
Dim Bulb posts in my Reader this morning. I agree with the first one, that Google should maybe give a little TLC to what they started with, search. But the last one is a bit...well, worthy of a Yaybia post. I read it, gave it some thought, and came up with some thoughts.
Some arguments and issues:
“Search doesn't operate in the language of colors and buzzwords, and it doesn't force consumers to think the things your branding has thrown at them”
-Search may not be sexy, but it has the
power to extend the branded consistency that you have built elsewhere in the world.
-Search is just beginning. As more images, videos, interactive elements of search begin to be developed, it will be important to use all of these search elements for branding.
-
Branding should never be about “forcing consumers to think” a certain way. Companies present their brands to the public in the way they would like to be received. If consumers find that this is not true, they’ll tell people, they’ll post about it, they’ll no longer value your brand. Consumers never liked having things “thrown at them” in the first place.
“It doesn't exist unless someone dips into it”
-Perfect! Some is
going out of their way to look for what I have to offer! Now it’s my chance to show them that yes, I have what you want, I’ve presented it in a clear manner, and that I am trustworthy.
“Internet search has forever changed the way consumers behave. It shifts authority from the information-giver to the answer-seeker, and exposes every conceivable aspect of brand to scrutiny.”
-What’s wrong with change? Once upon a time television was one of the only dominant forms of connecting with large audiences, but now it seems there’s another new option everyday.
-To be good, your brand should be transparent. Exposing the brand online is part of the entire branding process.
Listen to what people are saying, sharing, and feeling.
“The bad news is that this has nothing to do with branding. In fact, Internet search is the anti-brand.”
“People paid more for things because they didn't know better. They behaved certain ways because of routine. Branding didn't cause this phenomena as much as cover-up many of its true drivers.”
-Consumers didn’t know better? I think they do. They want to buy Coke rather than RC Cola. They actively choose to drive out of their way to go to Starbucks. Branding has placed value in these products and activities.
-Libby adds, "Here is where I start telling this article to fuck itself."
“I'd suggest that people don't search with questions about brands as much as generic terms about things or activities. They're not looking for answers from brands, but rather answers about products and services.”
-Yes, people don’t necessarily search for “cute shoes from Target”, but if they searched for “cute shoes”, why couldn’t Target, or another company, brand their search result? Consistent titles, descriptions, URLs should
reflect the brand image and personality.
-And consumers will seek out those branded results from the unknowns. How often have you Google Mapped "gas station near 55409" and skipped CHEEP-O GAS for the SuperAmerica 2 miles farther, because you knew you could trust it?
“Web search undos these connections, and treats brands as words, just like in the Middle Ages...marks with no implicit meanings beyond those which an anonymous public of Internet users, and secret equations, choose to give to them. “
-When was branding not about words? Twitter? What the hell is a Twitter? Just words? Oh wait, with branding
it now means something.
-You have 150 characters for your search result title. Why can’t you use it for branding?
-Last time I checked Twitter's big thing was about telling others what you are doing. Looks like a branded search result to me.
-Brands that have established themselves online are rewarded with more links in their result. And it's not just for the big brands, small local companies get site links like these all the time. People trust these results more because Google (a brand) has said so.
-Branding is about being prepared. Your links may not come up every time someone searches for what you've got to offer, but that's not reason to ignore the "secret equation" of search.
So a few short wrap up points:
1. Sorry for the ridiculously long post.
2. As the reliance on search continues to grow, so will it's importance in branding.
3. Branding in search doesn't have to be about having the most creative title or page description. Any company can be consistent and present their content in a reputable way. That's branding.
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