Does Google Belong in Your Living Room?

Google Web, Google Images, Google Videos, Google Maps, Google News, Google Shopping Google Mail, Google Books, Google Finance, Google Translate, Google Scholar….I think I’ve made my point, but the list still goes on. What can’t Google do for you? The phrase “Google it” seems to be the solution to any unsolved problem. And Google hasn’t just limited itself to household use, it’s even expanded to the mobile market (the fastest growing market today) with the Android OS, giving the iPhone a run for its money. There is one giant piece of the puzzle missing though, and Google knows exactly what that is. Television. The average American watches 4.5 hours of it per day. TV drives nearly 70 billion dollars in advertising per year. TV matters. It seems a logical next step for companies such as Google and Apple to get involved, right? Well, it really isn’t that simple. Apple did take a stab at TV with Apple TV, but it wasn’t successful, and Steve Jobs admitted that it was simply a hobby and that he believes the TV industry is nearly impossible to overhaul. But for the first time, with Google TV, we may see some success. Google is bringing something entirely different to the table this time, and the keys lie in their timing along with content, technology, and their path to market.

What exactly is Google TV? The video below will tell you, in Google’s own words.



An important point to take from this is that Google believes they have pinpointed the problem with TV today: the user has to change their schedule to fit their TV schedule. I guess I can relate to this, seeing as Monday nights I find myself moving my usual work-out aside in order to catch the newest Bachelorette episode (embarrassing as that is to admit). Google recognizes this, and believes that more and more people are watching shows online these days anyway due to the pure convenience of it. They ultimately ask us this question:

"If the web is so smart, and our TV’s are so fun to watch, why do we have to choose? Why can’t they work together?"

Starting this Fall, people won’t have to choose anymore because Google TV will launch. Now, let’s address the keys to their predicted success. Timing is crucial because we are living in a world where the technology is available to do something like this, and Google is going to use it to the full potential. Content is also a crucial piece. With users already spending countless hours per day on the web--in addition to watching TV--there is plenty of material out there that people want to watch, and they do it on their computers because it is the best/only option. If they had to choose between watching it on their 17” laptop or their 42” flat screen, which do you think would win? I’m guessing the latter. What makes Google most unique in their approach and gives them what seems to be the biggest advantage is the path to market they have laid out for themselves. They have partnered with Sony, Logitech, and Intel to put Google TV inside of televisions, Blu-ray players, and companion boxes, which will be available at Best Buy this Fall.

With this, Google believes they will, “turn the living room into a new platform for innovation.” But what does this mean for advertising dollars? In the immediate future, very little. For now, the ad opportunities will remain in the content itself. Senior Product Manager Rishi Chandra said, "We want to get the product experience right first." But Chandra also believes that we will soon see similar developments as with the mobile industry; sites will begin to mold and evolve for the Web TV experience. But as the product becomes more available and usable, Google will be constantly working to innovate it. With that, we can predict that they will likely capitalize on Google TV Ads (http://www.google.com/adwords/tvads/) with new ad formats in attempts to grab some of the share of the nearly 70 billion TV ad dollars floating out there.

If successful, Google hopes they can someday completely change the face of advertising by, in the words of Henrique De Castro (Google's Global VP of Media & Platforms), “unbundling the ad from the content.” Commercials can become highly personalized, just as ads can be on the Web, and Google has provided a few examples of possible changes to come. The complexity of ads will change and be very dynamic by taking cues from the weather, traffic, political conditions, or even game results. What if you woke up to a rainy Seattle day and your Google TV plays you ads for new rain boots or a trip to Disneyland, then days later a heat wave arrives and Home Depot is exposing you to an air conditioner? They will also have the ability, based on your history in using the product, to provide you with things relevant to your personal life. “Social is Life. Life is social…” De Castro said, stressing the point that constant connection is important to people these days, something that Google TV can provide.

Personally, I don’t know what to think about it. My generation is programmed to accept innovations and changes, and I generally fit into this stereo type. I’m all for the advancement of technology. But when is it going too far? Is Google going to take over the world? Will Google know more about it’s users than they know about themselves? I'm not too concerned with this, but there are a lot of people out there who are. While reading articles concerning Google TV, I found tons of negative feedback. Comments like, “Call me paranoid, but this sounds like a bad sci-fi movie becoming a reality!” or “I wonder how long it will take for the Department of Homeland Security to starts accessing the data!” Also, many people associate the TV with sitting back and relaxing, crashing, and being entertained, not with interacting. However, as proven over the past decade, things change and they change fast. So if Google TV truly is a success, who knows what is in store for TV in the next few years.


SOURCES:
CMS Wire:
http://www.cmswire.com/cms/web-engagement/google-tv-is-taking-digital-advertising-on-a-wild-ride--007917.php
Google TV:
http://www.google.com/tv/
James McQuivey:
http://blogs.forrester.com/james_mcquivey/10-06-10-google_tv_bigger_deal_you_think
All Things Digital:
http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/20100630/hulu-ceo-jason-kilar-were-no-cable-killer-we-swear/