This is an overall interesting article on how and why Google will or will not survive. I frankly think it will continue to do well, but this article is the beginning of when publications begin to question them and challenge them.
For the purposes of ClickBrain, though the interesting piece in this article is the sidebar. Only 38% know that the ads on Google are actually ads. Do you think that is why they work so well? I know when I say that my company advertises on Google, those not familiar with it have to be shown what I mean, so I have to believe that the data is correct and maybe on the high side.
Google’s motto is “Don’t be evil.” Its revenues come mostly from selling advertising in the form of the paid search results running down the right side of the Web page. In response to pressure from consumer advocates, these are labeled as “sponsored links.” Still, according to a recent Pew Trust survey, only 38% of people realize the difference between paid and unpaid search results. That might seem surprising, but it fits the pattern of other innovative forms of advertising that have emerged in the past generation: Studies show that it has taken many years for most people to grasp that “infomercials” are different from regular TV programs and that brands shown in movies are paid product placements. Once consumers wise up, the gimmicks lose much of their impact. Google’s ads are unusually effective because most people don’t realize they are ads. Is that evil?
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