Self-Inflicted Damage Of The Google Brand

Who's going to use Google's Evernote (Google Keep) now that everyone knows that Google will kill even successful products like Google Reader?

Finale for Now on Google's Self-Inflicted Trust Problem - James Fallows - The Atlantic: "I am about as pro-Google a person as you're going to find in the media. I've had friends at all levels of the company since its founding, and still do now. I've admired what Google has done in China; I live my info-life within the Gmail / Google Drive universe; and I am predisposed to take Google's side in most controversies, whether against Microsoft or the French. Including when it comes to its influence on the battered journalistic business model it has helped to overturn! But even I think it has done something brand-damaging. . . ."

Wonder if Larry Page or anyone on the senior "Google team" has ever heard of "branding," much less understands its importance. I doubt it after seeing the mess Google has made of Android and Google's idiotic announcement of Google Keep right after killing Google Reader. Steve Jobs (a guy who really knew the importance of branding--he kept a near bankrupt Apple alive by launching the "think different" campaign) must be laughing his a__ off!

The Google guys may be good engineers, but they are tone deaf when it comes to equally important things like user experience and loyalty. You break a user's trust, and that user is less likely to try your next product or service. A product or service is everything a user experiences. With Google Reader, the users' trust has been broken by Google. The subliminal message: never, ever, count on Google providing any service for very long (even one as loved, and successful, as Google Reader.)

If the Google Reader decision is indicative of the Google strategy going forward, they are in for a decline in fortunes. Once users' trust is destroyed, users go elsewhere. Google has lost control of Android--Taiwanese manufacturers are bundling Android (stripped of all Google services) into smartphone hardware packages assembled in China, and sold globally. Desktop search is moving to other venues--Siri, Amazon search, etc. Someday in the future, Google will look back and wonder, "why did we kill Google Reader?"

Tweet    Follow @johnmpoole