Google in TV Marketing and PR Storm
May 6, 2011
Two items caught my attention today (May 4, 2011). First, I noticed the New York Times’s story “Google Takes to TV to Promote Browser.” The link may go dead or cost money so you will have to track down a hard copy or turn a cartwheel.) The point of the story is that the Google TV in its various incarnations did not light a fire here in Harrod’s Creek nor elsewhere. How does Google fix this? The New York Times astutely points out that marketing is needed. Okay, but I was thinking a product that solved a problem would be useful too. The write up is a long one and it dances around the big story for me: Google has to figure out how to market a consumer product. Microsoft takes three shots before sinking a short jumper. How many for Google? More than one for certain.
The second item is the big marketing and PR push for Chrome. Is Chrome an operating system? Is Chrome a browser? Is Chrome both? I still wonder how Chrome complements or competes with Android. The article I read was “Chrome Ads Are Google’s Biggest Offline Campaign Ever.” With Google’s formidable online advertising system, why does Google rely on old-fashioned, “offline” ads? If Google’s online marketing system won’t work for Google, will that alert those who think like me that Adwords is not enough? I can only speak for myself. The answer is, “Yes, Google’s use of offline advertising calls into question the efficacy of its own online system.”
Google’s offline method is working. In fact, here’s a somewhat interesting factoid from the Huffington Post write up:
Last month, Google’s chief financial officer Patrick Pichette told analysts, “On a tactical basis, everybody that uses Chrome is a guaranteed locked-in user for us in terms of having access to Google.” As with many of its videos, Google said that the ad tells a true story, though it changed the real names and used actors. The spots lack the playful aesthetic of earlier Chrome campaigns, but they’re clearly going for a wider audience. Today’s ad, It Gets Better, has already racked up over 170,000 views and mixes YouTube videos, Blogger and news videos. It tells the story of the It Gets Better project for LGBT teens facing harassment through Google Chrome.
Using both online and offline media to sell a message makes sense. But—and this is a lingering but—why does Google TV and Google Chrome warrant such massive reworking, remessaging, and remarketing? My hunch is that Google may be reacting to signals predicting a slow uptake. Which is easier? Develop a product that people want or must have or leave the product pretty much undifferentiated and throw money into the marketing and PR department’s cubicles.
Apple does the “need and want” thing. Google seems to be doing what US auto makers did in the 1970s: good old fashioned marketing and PR. What happened to good old innovation in search?
The Google is ageing, maybe maturing. Let marketing shoulder the bags of rice.
Stephen E Arnold, May 6, 2011
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Enterprise Search Reaches Out to Video
April 22, 2011
Probably many of us are familiar with video in the workplace, but with limited applications like training. The next step is finding more ways to make video work for us, as stated in “Searching for Value: Overcoming the Challenges of Video in the Enterprise”.
The referenced article focuses on the obstacles associated with implementing video as a vehicle for knowledge sharing. Namely, the amount of bandwidth required to process videos can become a nightmare for ill-prepared companies and in turn disrupt other services. Even more importantly:
“A few reasons why video poses challenges go beyond bandwidth, but confront issues associated with ownership, archival and business value. Companies serious about video need to consider a few necessary additions to their search infrastructure…”
The author recommends these additions include enterprise search technology, digital asset management and hosted video solutions.
There are a number of outfits who have already been successfully solving these problems. Exalead’s Voxalead and Autonomy’s Virage systems can both process video, making it searchable and providing an expansive toolset to the user. Even Cisco recently announced including video search capabilities in its TelePresence package. So no need to reinvent the wheel on this one; jumping on the latest corporate trend can be easier than ever before. Or should I say more robust?
Sarah Rogers, April 22, 2011
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Taking Pictures for Maps: Google and Microsoft Go Different Directions
April 21, 2011
We noticed that Microsoft is firing up a service that will take pictures of businesses. If this reminded you of Street View, the Google service, you are not alone. If you want more information on Microsoft’s emulation of this popular and controversial Google service, check out “Microsoft Taking Street Photos in the UK”, which provides the basics plus a link to Microsoft’s explanation of the service.
Source: The BBC.
“Google Has Stopped Street View Photography in Germany” reported that even though a German court ruled that Google may continue its street- level photography, the company has stopped with little explanation. The article asserted:
It’s easy to assume that the service’s difficult birth has factored into the decision. German officials raised objections almost as soon as Google announced plans to launch Street View there. After lengthy negotiations, Google eventually agreed to let German residents opt-out of having their buildings appear online, and nearly 250,000 German households and businesses took Google up on that offer. I’m not a programmer, but I can’t help wonder if the presence of so many blurred buildings — and the potential challenge of updating Street View while maintaining their privacy — is a factor in Google’s decision.
Google may also suspect, as we do, that Germany will begin behaving more like China and less like a puppy rolling over. Microsoft, though an old dog, may be learning some new tricks.
Cynthia Murrell April 21, 2011
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Thought Equity and Sony Metadata
April 21, 2011
The Yahoo Finance article “Thought Equity Motion Powers Enterprise-Wide Metadata Management for Sony Pictures Entertainment” brings to light the collaboration between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Thought Equity Motion. According to the article”
The video platform and footage licensing company will help Sony Pictures get more out of their large entertainment library by utilizing the T3 Metadata Editor to help them better manage content and more importantly offer consumers better and more powerful options. Sony Pictures Entertainment states “The massive amount of visual data we work with in movies and TV shows must be textually searchable and mapped to a huge amount of other information — such as clearances, rights and restrictions, and music cue sheets. The more easily we can store and access that information, the smarter we can be in using it.”
By using the T3 Metadata tool Sony can do more localized searches such as by actor, dialogue and even location allowing them to do so much more with the information they have available. Yet another company has discovered the power of information.
We find it interesting that metadata is suddenly the “new kid on the block” for Sony. We have found real findability challenges on its Web site. The Sony eBook reader is also equipped with a search system that gave us a headache. We hope Sony does metadata thoroughly. Forget the new products Sony can produce, think of the hapless user trying to locate an item.
April Holmes, April 21, 2011
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A Swiftian Moment: Google Becomes the Music Biz
April 16, 2011
My broken leg and ankle notwithstanding, I want to take a moment to call to your attention a Swiftian idea: Google opens its checkbook and buys the entire music industry. Good stuff. The idea is that Google or its executives have enough money to buy the entire music industry. Yep, Arrowsmith to Nikolaj Znaider.
First, whip out your dog eared copy of Cliffs Notes for Gulliver’s Travels or click here for the free version. Second, scan it to get the drift of the satire. You will recall the Queen’s dwarfs, the former top dog of Lagado, and, of course, the Yahoos and Houyhnhnms. Third, point your browser at “Why Google Should Buy the Music Industry.” Once in the Googleplex, Google can be a player on iPods, Android devices, and elevators worldwide.
Once that Google check is cashed presto chango!
Google has power to push which could launch music consumer services on Android users and contracts with darned interesting terms on the likes of Amazon, Apple, and (why not?) Microsoft, the motion picture industry, and the pesky cable and TV industry. Each of these is annoying because Google’s objectives are either slowed, blunted, or derailed by these entities and groups.
If I were taking one of those required classes in the English Department, I suppose an essay comparing Jonathan Swift and the author of Open Source, Open Genomics, Open content’s article. However, this is the rough and tumble world of poobahism, punditry, and pontification. The idea is a good one because it would have flashed through the minds of such outstanding executives as Cornelius Vanderbilt and John Pierpont Morgan.
Nothing negotiates like power and money, or is it money and power?
My view is today’s financial climate might entertain this idea. The problem is that some would object to pragmatic capitalism applied in this manner. The method works quite well in such US sectors as telecommunications, railroads, and politics, music hits a particular chord. The “hooks” are set deep.
Alas, another solution to Google’s music woes may have to be found. Either a solution emerges or Google will face another China maneuver. At this time, China is a big, juicy, complex market. Google appears to be playing a minor role. Is music the next Middle Kingdom for Google? Makes no difference to me. I am hard of hearing. But noise I usually detect.
Stephen E Arnold, April 16, 2011
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Predictive Movie Watching?
April 12, 2011
Ever wish you could bypass the annoying ritual of figuring out just what movie you should rent? Now you can.
According to ReadWriteWeb, Hunch, a predictive entertainment tool, has reached a collaborative agreement with Samsung and Digitas to launch a new interactive social movie watching experience called “The Smart Living Room.”
After a viewer answers a series of Hunch personality questions, The Smart Living Room creates a personalized movie recommendation including the genre best suited for that viewer as well as movie title suggestions. The viewer can then create a movie watching event by inviting friends and family through Facebook or email.
The Smart Living Room uses Hunch’s same movie predicting ability and applies it to television.
Stephen E Arnold, April 12, 2011
More Crazy Stats: iPhone, Android, Whatever
April 11, 2011
Do teens buy mobile devices? Nah, most of the teens in Harrod’s Creek fire up the wood stove and use smoke signals. However, elsewhere teens and tweens are into mobile devices. Some schools in which reading, math, and cursive are part of the instructional program ban these gizmos. You know that works really well.
I read “One-Third Of Teens Plan To Buy An iPhone Soon.” The write up is almost as wacky in its data as the IDC forecast that Windows Mobile 7 will kick everyone’s tail in the mobile phone market pretty soon now. Er, there are some issues with supply chain, updates, and apps but IDC is never, ever, absolutely for always right in making predictions that sell reports.
Any way, the story about teens reveals that an Apple towel waver ran a survey and—guess what—the interview sample revealed that one third of those surveyed want an Apple iPhone. You can read some of the stats from the survey and draw your own conclusion. Here’s the statement I found interesting:
There is some small glimmer of hope for Spotify, Rhapsody, and other subscription services — 37% of teens said they’d consider paying $15 a month for a music subscription.
Okay, teens don’t have jobs. So who is paying? Check out this March 2010 report, which may be bogus as well, to get some color on what may be behind the survey conducted by a financial services professional.
My recollection is that when I had teens, I paid. So we have an interesting sample and an assertion that teens pay. No, teens consume. Adults pay. Minor point considering the sample, the questions, and the source. But, heck, I live in rural Kentucky. Who pays is important. Now the big omission is how one finds music. Isn’t search important? Is the survey blind to the Ping and Apple search challenges?
Search is not on the radar. Again. Not good.
Stephen E Arnold, April 11, 2011
Baidu: Asked to Pay and Baidu Rolls Over
April 7, 2011
Call it common sense, pragmatism, or a desire to eliminate expensive legal hassles.
First, Tim Geigner at techdirt posted “Recording Industry to Baidu: Look, We Know You Beat Us in Court, but Just Do What We Want Anyway, Mmkay?” Since losing their copyright infringement case in Beijing last year, the recording industry is trying the pretty- please approach. The labels sent a letter through the Financial Times asking that Baidu comply with their copyright demands.
The court decision hinged on the fact that Baidu linked to MP3 files instead of hosting them itself. Recording execs are asking the site to filter audio files out of search results. Geigner thinks the recording industry is being a sore looser, and uses a story about the his brother and the last eclair to make his point.
More pertinently, the writer mentions certain differences between China and the U.S.:
“Never mind the cultural differences that may be coming into play here. Never mind that the nominal GDP for the United States is some thirteen times that of China. We want the Chinese to pay as much for their music as Americans, d**n it, and the way to do that is to get Baidu to voluntarily limit their own search results. . . . So, you see, if Baidu would just filter out the infringing content, relatively poor Chinese citizens would suddenly spend big bucks for music.”
Second, we learned that Baidu was a well behaved giant in “China’s Baidu to Compensate Songwriters for Music Downloads.” In my opinion, the key point in that write up was:
Baidu announced that it had made an agreement with the Music Copyright Society of China to establish a partnership to protect legal digital music, and will pay copyright holders to use their music. This will encompass any song that is downloaded from Baidu’s music search site, said company spokesman Kaiser Kuo.
It’s been said before, but the recording industry would be better served by seeking a way to profit from the new reality rather than fighting it at every turn. Baidu, regardless of motivation, avoided some of the legal hassles that have plagued other online services.
Cynthia Murrell April 7, 2011
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Netflix Flexes Flicks and Feels Flak
March 19, 2011
I am sitting on a manuscript that describes Google’s video technology. I am not sure I will do much with it. I am wrapping up a look at the big six in enterprise search. Companies other than Google are showing their guns in streaming rich media. (A “gun” one of my young tech goslings told me is the new term for bicep. Ah, sort of like “governance” or “business intelligence”. Slang. Got it.
My own approach to slang is “Netflix Flexes Flicks”, but it lacks the euphony of “House of Cards.” I am not a streaming media fan. Heck, I don’t care much about feature films. After the popcorn, I go to sleep. Netflix seems to be a force in the rich media niche and the company is getting into original programming. Netflix is, despite my inattention, like one of the people on the cover of a muscle magazine. Netflix is not someone I would taunt by kicking sand it its face.
Several observations.
First, Netflix, maybe more than Amazon, has already gone where Google’s patent applications described. Maybe Google can blow past Netflix and marginalize Amazon? Maybe not? Netflix, which someone told me taps into Amazon’s cloud services, is out lifting Amazon and Amazon knows what Netflix is up to. Even with that knowledge it is the Netflix news that lights up the rich media consumer.
Second, Netflix seems to be positioning itself where cable companies want to be or hope to stay. Darned surprising is that. I am not sure that the cable companies, despite their wires to the domicile and the other valuation boosters, can respond in a satisfactory manner. Netflix is just more technically adept for the rich media crowd. Not even Apple is able to hide Netflix’s gym locker key.
Third, the networks may want to pay more attention to Netflix. I don’t know much about Hulu, but Netflix could make life interesting for Hulu. Internecine warfare can distract folks from a more serious threat in my experience.
Two other issues warrant a quick comment.
- Netflix may feel more legal heat.
- Netflix may be chasing some Facebook love.
Bottomline: I may have to gear up to pay attention to Netflix, its open source search system, and its ability to disrupt. And Google? Well, not so interesting in the rich media space at the moment. But those patent applications make useful reading because the background sections of some of these open source Google documents explain market opportunities companies like Netflix are just grabbing.
Stephen E Arnold, March 19, 2011
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Next Up for YouTube Next
March 14, 2011
Google’s umbrella just grew a little larger. “YouTube Buys NextNewNetworks, Launches YouTube Next” gives a glimpse of the video-sharing host’s latest move: YouTube Next. This incarnation is intended to prop up creator development while increasing partner growth. Built off of NextNewNetwork’s model of “developing, packaging and building audiences for original web video programming”, YouTube is going so far as to even stamp its brand name on certain programs.
I am all for cutting out the restriction-wielding, high-dollar middleman, at least as much as feasible. The introduction of new services, specifically like Amazon VOD, empowers the small video creator and offers a yet unseen accessibility to an expansive audience. We are beginning to see the fall of the movie production and distribution industries as we know them, adding more tumbleweeds to the desolate landscape of recorded songs and printed words. The signs had been emerging with the advent of the minor players, and now Google is throwing its weight behind the endeavor. It will be interesting to see the veritable rainbow of protests from the MPAA as their long-awaited irrelevance solidifies. I sense some long and protracted litigation on the horizon.
There is speculation that being spurned by Sheen’s choice of UStream to broadcast his trifling monologue over its own service has shaken Google, prompting the purchase of this new asset. I maintain that their ocular dollar signs erupted and Google just wants a larger piece of the video action. And that Charlie Sheen is not important. Per the article:
“Google announced the acquisition today, saying that the acquisition was part of a larger effort to support content partners, of which there are more than 15,000 worldwide. Over 2010, the number of partners raking in more than $1,000 a month increased by 300% and YouTube is looking to push that number even higher with YouTube Next.”
NextNewNetworks will be delivering its adopted parent six million subscribers and its partners potentially exponential growth. Thus, the positive effects of this transaction seem to be merely coincidental. If Google is willing to pitch the people a bone in exchange for an extra cent, perhaps at day’s end this is a symbiotic relationship.
Sarah Rogers, March 14, 2011
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