Google Launches Consumer Ads in Japan
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Written By Reprise Media | April 4, 2005 | Share This
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For years Google has shunned advertising in favor of word of mouth marketing. This non-traditional approach has worked phenomenally well, helping grow Google from a tiny upstart to one of the most profitable companies in history.
Last week Google announced the launch of its first ever large-scale consumer advertising campaign in Tokyo, Japan. Commuters on subway and railway trains will be able to take a gander at over 7,770 transport advertisements promoting the Google News service. The campaign will also feature banner ads on 18 web sites.
The Industry Standard has the story.
Why ads? Why now? Turns out Google News is a bit of an underperformer when it comes to user growth. After debuting with 1 million users its first month, the service has failed to realize any significant growth since its debut last September, hitting an audience low of 892,000 last November. Compare that to the Yahoo! Japan equivalent, which has over 13 million users, and you’ll see why Google wants to get a leg up.
Taken more generally, this is another sign of the increasing competitiveness of search and Google’s increasingly precarious position at the top of the heap.
On the Japan tip, the NY Times Magazine has a cool story on contemporary artist Takashi Murakami, the designer behind those colorful Louis Vuitton bags and all things cute.
Topics: Advertising: Distribution |