Don’t kill the Google feel
As many of you might already know, Google is going through a bit of a rough time in Europe, where it lost the right to use the Gmail brand. The reason: it’s been registered quite a few years back by a german venture capitalist using it as an abbreviation for Giersch mail. You can read the EU’s trademark agency ruling over here (heads up: it’s a .pdf). A similar situation is in place in the UK, where Google is also using Google Mail in stead of Gmail.
Company officials declare that the EU’s ruling is not applicable to countries in the EU other than Germany and Great Britain (source cnet news). Still, campaigns have been deployed to promote Google’s mail service in member and neighbouring countries (Romania respectively Russia; let me know if you know of more). I’m guessing disputes are in course or following in these regions as well.
The two campaigns’ most painful point of difference is the alignment with Google’s core values. See below the Russian approach and the Romanian approach.
Russia
The Russian campaign is based on the similarity of slang expressions for soap and email and is centered around Gmail’s strong spam filtering capabilities (’the cleanest soap” 
). Read more about this campaign on Futurelab’s blog here.
Romania
The Romanian campaign is a banner campaign :|…
I never saw Google as a banner brand and it actually makes me sad that such a brand would resort to such overworked promotional methods. Call me crazy, but I believe Google’s image is affected by the banner campaign, as this stands against everything Google stands for. A brand that revolutionized the web is way above traditional web advertising. I hold them to higher standards and I am disappointed to see them fail to meet them locally.
Comments
9 Responses to “Don’t kill the Google feel”
Leave a Reply
-
About
My Twitter feed- ramona22: @bomath profund neplacuta experienta ta cu ei. Poate am avut noroc sa nu am astfel de probleme. Succes cu cei noi!
- ramona22: @bomath I keep hearing stories like this from people who recently joined them. I wonder what's not working. How's Cosmote treating you?
- ramona22: @Himba Dear God, that sounds awful :| Are the ones in Belgium better at least?
- ramona22: @Himba Well, they're not perfect but they are indeed better than most. And besides, after a *decade*, I expect to be a bit pampered :)
-
Must see
Shows me that even Google can bleed. They are not immortal after all.
Immortals bleed too. The bleeding doesn’t kill them though
What exactly do you perceive as bleeding? The loss of the Gmail trademark or the loss of brand value through the Romanian campaign?
1.acel banner apare pe site-urile care au adsense si nu exista alta reclama relevanta pt continutul respectiv
2. in romania, google are un spot video care a rulat ca si viral (clip youtube) dar si ca reclama platita (video ad)
Buna, Alex,
Multumesc pentru completari.
Acel banner nu mi se pare o idee inspirata pentru “umplerea” spatiului publicitar. Decat sa facem un deserviciu Google cred ca mai bine am lasa spatiul gol
Acel viral mi se pare a fi orice numai viral nu, iar cele 3300 de viualizari pentru un filmulet Google vin sa dovedeasca asta. Nu am vazut niciun element de originalitate sau creativitate in acel “spot”, nimic care sa ma faca sa il apreciez sau sa il dau mai departe.
In plus, “omuletul” Gmail este de un amatorism deranjant iar referirle la spam ca lilieci (intentia unei legaturi cu specificul tarii presupun)de-a dreptul lipsite de inspiratie.
Un contraexemplu relevant gasesti in aceeasi pagina in care sunt mai multe detlii despre campania din Rusia.
Corect,
nu stiu daca a vrut sa fie distribuit si viral, dar am vazut ca a fost folosit in acea campanie online ( deci campanie platita)
si inca o completare: atunci cand iti creezi o unitate de reclame, in adsense; poti seta sa afisezi reclame de genul celei prezentate de tine, fie sa se umple spatiul cu o culoare.
I just had GMail installed on my personal mail server. I love the GMail interface and the spam fighting abilities. It sure beats RoundCube!
@Ramona: The fact that they used banners and “viral” videos..
@alexnegru sau… puteau sa puna un .gif cu o idee creativa, deosebita, cum a fost cea cu sapunul
@mangeorge :)) I guess that’s just the challenge of coherency. some companies handle it, some… not so much. It is sad that Google fell in the second category
ce tare e ideea cu sapunul
Nici cand ne spalam pe maini nu scapam de google, ceea ce inseamna ca google e omniprezent?