Google aims at commuters with Google Apps ads

Some commuters will see billboards such as these touting Google Apps for a solid month.

(Credit: Google)

Google is taking its marketing strategy for Google Apps to the next level by renting prominent billboards in major U.S. cities.

Commuters in New York, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco will be greeted by a progressive series of ads for Google Apps starting Monday and running for a month. The idea is to catch IT managers stuck in horrific traffic spots like New York's West Side Highway or San Francisco's U.S. 101 and press them on the benefits of switching to Google Apps with a different ad for each day of the week.

Google has steadily increased the drumbeat behind Google Apps over the past several months, openly touting it as an alternative to Microsoft's suite of office productivity and e-mail software with customer testimonials and applications designed to make the switch easier. The company said 1.75 million organizations are now using Google's online services for word processing and e-mail, which is still a drop in the overall bucket but growing.

Traditionally Google hasn't been big on ads, but it has produced TV spots for its Chrome browser and posted a cryptic series of job ads on Silicon Valley billboards years ago.

[solius1234]

It is amazing what companies with big money can do. No doubt mass marketing is a formula used for centuries and what took Microsoft to the top. I wonder how my friend's small company teksapienshosting.com that by the way is the fastest company in the USA, could compete against big corporations such as Google when it comes to advertising. I am sure Google will eventually take some share out of the desktop market and sky rocket cloud computing as never before. Nevertheless I still think a couple of decades have to pass us by before people trust the cloud enough to leave data out of the desktop. Microsoft doesn't have to worry much for now.

[gerrrg]

If Microsoft wasn't already concerned, then it wouldn't be in the process of producing a free, cloud version of Office2010, now would it?

[joetesta70]

Google is a one trick pony. Great in search. Overhyped crap everywhere else else.

Wordly? Chrome? Orkut? Docs? Give me a break. Had to buy YouTube. Had to buy Maps. Even Android is a flop vs the iPhone and it's all ex-Microsoft guys running it. When was the last time you saw someone using one of those TRS-80-inspired G1 phones with an app store smaller than the Apple 2+ has apps?

It's hilarious seeing all the employees ride those stupid blue bikes around campus and the free Odwalla. Some time soon they'll begin to relaize that 10% of the company is making 90% of the revenue.

[t8]

I think they are fully aware that Google makes nearly all it cash from advertising x search. That is why they are trying new things. They would be stupid not to try.

Maybe you post is negative because you don't believe in trying?

[Chameleon81]

Picasa is good although it wasnt also their own software. Docs is fine they added many features upon Wordly . I use Excel like thing often with other people and it is useful but I would never compare it to MS office. If MS launches a product which ables the users to edit online it would be a killer app.

[kelmon]

With respect to Android, don't you think it is a bit soon to call it "a flop"? I mean, we're expecting a lot of handsets to be hitting the market during the next 6-months so I don't think you are giving it the time it needs.

Personally, I have a lot of time for Google.

[thelemurking]

psst! not sure if you have heard, but they have another trick called GMAIL!

Android is by no means a flop!

Chrome is a great browser, but still in it's infancy! I love Google Docs and Google Notes. Google Voice is fantastic and while Okrut isn't a house hold name in the US, it does seem to have a big user-base elsewhere in the world.

As already mentioned, Picasa is pretty sweet as well.

I have 4 friends that have a G1, and my sister has already preordered the HTC MyTouch. There's a whole slew of Android phones about to hit the market. Maybe Samsung and HTC never got word that Android was a flop... perhaps you should write them a memo to clue them in.

Seems like that Google pony has a few more tricks than you realize.

[knowles2]

Last time I check Orkut is actually the most populor social networking site in several countries, Brazil for example, and well it going to get interesting once wave is fully incorporated into it as I am sure will happen over the next year or two.
Docs is a growing product last time I check, you cannot expect to bit 30 year old company in less than decade.
An chrome was never design to dominate the market it was design to force other competitors to improve the performance of there browsers, which they all are doing especially Firefox and opera so that as actually been pretty successful.

As to the Apps store, considering the amount of companies releasing phones using the android system and the light wieght approach to getting your app out there, apparently there very little over site, I suspect the Apple domination of the APP market will not last longer than the next two years.

Any all of the above are just platforms to show and display adds.

[FutureGuy]

@thelemurking Google might have a few trick (mind you its small compared to it many flops) but none of them make money. If Bing stats to capture marketshare from Google, its end of story for Google.

[remizrahnas]

Link to www.google.com/appsatwork is wrong in this post. www.google.com/appsatwork.com is given which returns 404 !

~R

[thelemurking]

www.google.com/appsatwork worked for me, although, it redirected me to:
http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/gogoogle.html

[Tom Krazit]

Sorry about that, an extra .com got tossed in there somehow. Should be fixed now.

[kjam_productions]

Sorry, but cloud computing is not the end all that beats all. It's fine when you're stuck in a pinch or are collaborating with other people on a project, but it's not reliable. I found Google docs to be lacking and half the time the service was slow. Don't even get me started on Gmail. They always seem to be doing upgrades or the service is down when I need it the most. Personally, I'd stick with Microsoft's upcoming platform which will no doubt allow you to save and work independently on your own computer when necessary. Thanks, but no thanks Google. I think you have enough of my life tied into your services. Now, off to go try Bing!

[knowles2]

Hope you have better luck with bing than I did. And by the way it seem you swapping one company for a other,

[gefitz]

My guess is that you aren't paying for Google's suite of tools. The free stuff does go down from time to time...the pay stuff maaaaayyyybe once a year (of course it certainly makes headlines then!).

[interoperate]

I use Gmail as well as Google Apps day in day out and I virtually never have any problems with Gmail or Google Apps. availability.

[gefitz]

For those making comment about Google buying most of their tools from third parties: I can think of a lot of successful companies that have done that. A huge software manufacturer that focuses most of its energy on software for PC's comes to mind...

Also, complaints about the "cloud" philosophy...maybe those considering this route would think about redundant connections when doing a cost analysis of google's tools? For a lot of companies, that might be less expensive than paying for the windows desktop + Office + whatever other tools they could replace (Exchange? Sharepoint? Others?)...

[TheQG]

"Google has literally taken the war to the streets, announcing their ?Go Google? advertising campaign. Their plan is to run actual billboard ads (yes, on the sides of highways) in Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco. The ads will be changed each day and will focus ongooglefish highlighting the frustrations that come with using Microsoft?s Office. Google hopes to push users and companies into making the switch to their Google Apps product, taking a major piece of what has always been Microsoft?s pie. While I?m not entirely sure how effective this ?old-school? strategy will be in converting customers, it?s definitely a bold move. Google is known for their search engine and Microsoft is known for their software. Each now have both hands in the others pot."

Read the Full Article at:
http://thequintessentialgeneralist.wordpress.com/2009/08/04/google-takes-war-with-microsoft-to-the-streets-literally/

[miquonranger03]

Well New York is the most populous US city, and Chicago is third, but San Francisco is 12th, and Boston is 22nd! Shouldn't they have...erm...picked some better cities?