Using PR To Win At PPC
Google is the biggest and arguably the best search engine, but how exactly did it come to dominate the lucrative PPC (Pay-Per-Click) market so conclusively? People often say that Google’s success in PPC is down to relevancy - it is the best search engine at finding people exactly what they are looking for. While this is undeniably a huge factor in the company’s phenomenal rise and soaring share price, you cannot ignore how good the internet giant has been at other forms of offline marketing.
For example, the way that Google propagates the image of a fun, quirky company with April fool press releases, employees riding around the headquarters on little scooters or an epic cook-off to anoint a “chief food officer.” It’s all great PR that endears people to the company.
Creating brand exposure through product placement is another example. In how many TV shows or films have you heard a reference to Google? I remember a ‘West Wing’ episode were Donna, a White House Assistant, is trying to persuade Josh, the Deputy Chief Of Staff, to get the President to name a benign national holiday after a school teacher she loved. Josh says that the President can’t just endorse anyone. “She could be a bicycle thief,” he says. “Google her!” Or then there is the 2007 comedy ‘Knocked Up’, were the little girl naughtily reveals that she “Googled ‘murder’”.
Yahoo and Microsoft can only dream of a brand identity like Google’s. Nobody has ever been advised “to Live” or “to MSN” a recipe … or to “Yahoo” a cute classmate or prospective date.
