The Downfall of Google's Brand and Why Google Bard Seems Doomed to Fail

Table of Contents

• Google's Secret Sauce: Scrappy Underdog Beats Hated Giant
• Google's Lost Its Innovative Mojo Over the Past Decade
• Google's History of Controversial, User-Hostile Decisions
• Why Google Bard Faces Major Headwinds Despite Its Merits
• The Path Forward: Let the Google Brand Fade Before Relaunching Consumer Products
• Conclusion

Google's Secret Sauce: Scrappy Underdog Beats Hated Giant

In the 2000s, Google was able to rise above dominant players like Microsoft and Yahoo with smash hit products like Gmail, YouTube, Chrome and Android. This success had less to do with the quality of Google's products and more to do with public perception. Microsoft was hated at the time, with many viewing them as an evil monopoly. People rallied behind the underdog Google, embracing their motto of "Don't be evil."

Google positioned themselves as the scrappy startup trying to take on the big, bad tech giants. They introduced slightly better versions of existing products like search, email and web browsers. While not hugely innovative, these copycat products resonated with users who wanted an alternative to Microsoft.

Google's Early Wins Against Dominant Players Like Microsoft

In the early 2000s, Microsoft was the most highly contested company in tech, with a major supreme court case regarding breaking them up. This public outrage benefited Google, as people wanted to support an open source alternative like Firefox over Internet Explorer. Google leveraged this resentment towards Microsoft to successfully launch products like Gmail, YouTube, Chrome and Android. While not first to market in these areas, they positioned themselves as the underdog providing a better experience than the hated incumbent.

Google as The Underdog Taking Down Big, Hated Tech Giants

Google cleverly adopted a "Don't be evil" motto during the 2000s, contrasting themselves with Microsoft's reputation. This resonated with users who saw big tech as villainous at the time. Google launched slightly improved versions of existing products like search, email and web browsers. While not hugely innovative, these copycat products succeeded by riding a wave of resentment towards tech giants.

Google's Lost Its Innovative Mojo Over the Past Decade

Google's glory days of launching successful new products were in the 2000s. Since then, they have struggled to release groundbreaking offerings that resonate with users.

Failures like Google+ and Google Meet show that simply having the Google brand name no longer guarantees success. Google+ flopped despite Google forcing it onto YouTube users, while Meet didn't gain traction despite the pandemic-fueled rise of video conferencing.

Google's History of Controversial, User-Hostile Decisions

In recent years, Google has made a series of unpopular moves that have damaged its brand among consumers. Removing YouTube's dislike button and packing search results with ads have frustrated users.

Privacy and data collection concerns also plague Google. While some data sharing is now expected, Google's invasive practices rub many consumers the wrong way.

Why Google Bard Faces Major Headwinds Despite Its Merits

Google Bard faces an uphill battle for adoption and buzz despite likely being a quality product. Years of brand deterioration have left many users predisposed to find Google offerings unappealing.

ChatGPT has benefited from public intrigue and goodwill as an underdog created by the little-known OpenAI. Google no longer enjoys scrappy upstart status, instead being seen as an evil big tech giant.

The Path Forward: Let the Google Brand Fade Before Relaunching Consumer Products

Google likely needs to step back from consumer products and focus on enterprise offerings, letting their brand fade from the spotlight like Microsoft did in the late 2000s.

This would allow time to pass and let a new tech giant become the public's punching bag. Once the Google brand isn't so toxic, they could have more success with mainstream consumer product relaunches.

Conclusion

Google's brand has deteriorated over the past decade, leaving products like Google Bard facing an uphill battle. A period of focusing on enterprise offerings could help detoxify their brand, setting the stage for future consumer product success.

FAQ

Q: How did Google succeed early on despite entering crowded markets?
A: Google succeeded because it positioned itself as the underdog fighting against dominant and hated tech giants like Microsoft. This made users more inclined to support the scrappy upstart.

Q: What are some examples of Google's failures over the past 10 years?
A: Some examples of Google's failed products over the past decade include Google+, Google Meet, Google Daydream, Google Buzz, and Google Stadia.

Q: Why do people seem predisposed to dislike Google Bard?
A: People seem biased against Google Bard because Google is now seen as the big, evil tech giant instead of the scrappy underdog. Users are inclined to support startups like OpenAI over big companies like Google.

Q: How can Google overcome the negativity around its brand?
A: Google may need to let its brand fade from the spotlight and focus on enterprise offerings. Once another tech giant takes its place as the target of scorn, Google may be able to relaunch successful consumer products.

Q: What is the outlook for Google Bard compared to ChatGPT?
A: Due to built-in bias against Google, Bard will likely struggle to overtake ChatGPT in popularity and usage, even if it is technically superior. It may become a secondary player like Bing and Edge.