Google: Reunion ad goes viral
And why that’s it’s biggest problem
As the office lights were going off on Friday evening, a colleague called me to his desk to show me a video that had caught his attention. Some one had shared it on Facebook and it seemed a lengthy watch (At 3:32 in this era of 6 second Vines).
However, the plot seemed good and I noticed that it had already got 15 likes and 11 comments — social validation, you see — that’s the first test it had to pass. And the ad had done that with flying colors!
A story of 2 friends, separated by the gruesome partition of India & Pakistan, brought together by Google. Cool. The charm of Delhi, the eternal bond of childhood friendship and the sweet grand daughter — it surely has all the makings of a blockbuster advertisement. The ad showcased the omnipresent Google — from searching for ‘park with ancient gate in Lahore’ to ‘the meaning of jhajaria’ to ‘the oldest sweet shop near Mochi gate’ — there couldn't have been a better ad for the many things that Google makes so effortlessly easy in our modern, connected lives.
But here’s the irony. Today, such a brilliant ad was discovered through friends on Facebook (or on Twitter). For some strange reason the query ‘Google India Reunion ad’ on Google.com shows appreciation for the ad in print and online media but does not lead to the actual video on YouTube (are you listening Google?).
Clearly, Google has lost the social battle. And why on Earth would Google, which has a whopping 97% market share in India, bother with an advert — however well meaning & endearing it turns out to be?
The answer could lie in the fact that while it has become the default for search and indeed the preferred homepage on the PC browser, it has not quite figured the mobile. And no, I don’t count Android here. While it is second nature to begin your browsing experience with Google, on mobile, the App environment creates a different ecosystem. So while I might search for ‘oldest sweet shop’ on the PC, I would rather search Zomato (a restaurant listing app) on my phone. Or not check for a flight on Google, but on the downloaded Cleartrip app on the mobile.
Unlike the web browser where I search for info, on the smartphone I have all my favorite apps — for games, food, shopping, travel, the works. After social, this is the second place Google hasn't figured yet.
By the way, have you heard of Justdial? This Indian company is the leader when it comes to local search. Users are required to call a common number and simply tell the human operator what service they are looking for. Text and email alerts are then sent to users listing the best options around them. In a highly unorganized market like India, you just can’t find a plumber near you on Google. Or for that matter a TV repair shop. Justdial lists millions of businesses — small and unorganized, and made half a billion dollars in advertising revenue in 2012.
So, Facebook, Twitter, specialized mobile apps, Spotlight search and Justdial — many are eating out of Google’s plate. If only good advertising could do the trick.
Apt here is what Jef I. Richards said,
Creative without strategy is called art. Creative with strategy is called advertising.
