Google was founded in the mid 90’s by two college kids in their dorm at Stanford University, as part of a class related research project. It was designed to diagram, or explain the mathematical properties that could be used to describe the link building or graphical elements of the web. Larry Page conceptualized backlinks as being the reference citation of the internet, and argued that the more backlinks there were to a piece of information the more credence or value it must have. As a result, the GOOGLE algorithm, at its most basic form, was born. Today, however, Google has grown to be far more than a ranking system, and search engine to represent one of the biggest brands in e-commerce history. As such, it becomes interesting to study the brand’s marketing and partnership strategies, as they relate to growth and profitability.
Google’s marketing approach and strategic partnerships are one era in which the Google Company’s approach to doing business has contributed to their success. Google has divided its focus to develop two distinct product lines: hardware and software. This diversity has lead to stability for the brand. Further, Google has partnered with a very wide range of companies, which vary in terms of their size and scope. This diversity coes from a strategic and purposeful approach to selecting partners, choosing to team-up only with companies that help move Google toward its larger goals, and which generally share Google’s ideology. One of the ways it does it this by creating an environment in which partnership employees can bring potential business partners to management; this ensures that the businesses are varied and the projects these various businesses are working on is also varied. This strategy has proven key to Googles success.
Another area in which Google has successfully worked to build up their franchise is the area of branding, targeting, and product positioning. Google has essentially built their brand off of emotions. This can, most simply, be seen in the nostalgic change of the letter display of the google logo from the main search page, as a beginning. They want people to not only feel good, but to feel good about the results that Google delivers, and the services that Google provides, so that they keep coming back to Google to meet their primary needs, rather than switching to other similar providers. Google also provides people with an idealistic brand message, through careful positioning and use of dialogue.
Google’s Global Marketing R&D is based on the principle of globalization. This is first and foremost Google has worked to offer versions of its website, or accessibility to its brand in a wide variety of different languages. They have also built out translation software that can be used to translate almost any webpage, or text excerpt from one language to another at the click of a button. Further, Google continues to add new languages, and new availability to Google’s goods and services as software is developed to support a greater number of languages.
Not unsimilarly, the company has worked to ensure that the brand, and its services are offered in almost the exact same way, or according to the same format in every country. This cohesiveness not only allows Google to build a stronger global presence, but also to provide the same high quality services in every nation that they operate from.
In terms of employment, expansion, and business partnerships, globalization is also a key component in their purchasing and takeover strategy. In essence, google continues to absorb companies that it thinks will be helpful in an attempt to make the brand more global. Google elects to partners with companies, ultimately not because of their size, but rather, in an effort to absorb brands that have a valuable skillset, regardless of mass. It has also used an international hiring strategy to support this globalization. Employees are hired to work in various google divisions from all over the global.
Google has also worked to create a more diverse line of products to support their success and expansion. R&D is done in hardware as well as software, and Google’s Android platform for cellular phones is the largest competitor for Apple’s iPhone worldwide
A final area of strength, in terms of strategy for Google is in the way it has used outsourcing and the Global Supply Chain to strengthen their position in the market.
This strategy ensures that the supply chain system is always overseen effectively, while placing an emphasis on supplies and supply chain management. This is beneficial because it addresses of how devastating it would be if the Google servers crashed
Google also tries to ensure the consumer-level supply chain, so that it is fast and lightweight for the consumer’s needs.
Google when it was formed, was intended to be only an idea, but today it is an e-commerce mega giant, who have taken hold of a significant percentage of the market shares in both the software and hardware niches. This success is a direct result of the company’s marketing and partnership strategies, and the way they have supported the brand’s growth and profitability.
References
Faktor, Steve. 'Deconstructing Google's Strategy: Will Google Eat Your Business Next?'. Forbes. N.p., 2013. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.
Google.com,. 'Business Strategy'. N.p., 2015. Web. 7 Apr. 2015.
Mullin, R. 'Creating A Marketing Strategy [Marketing Development]'. Engineering Management 16.6 (2006): 40-41. Web.
Quinn, James Brian, Jordan J Baruch, and Karen Anne Zien. Innovation Explosion. New York: Free Press, 1997. Print.
Stockport, Gary J. 'Google: Organising The Worlds' Information'. International Journal of Technology Marketing 5.1 (2010): 27. Web.
