Perspectives

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Google India goes really Local

with 2 comments


Google Local India Sticker
Originally uploaded by shivku.

I was at a watch repair shop at BDA, Complex in Bangalore and I was surprised to see a Google marker stuck on one of the side walls of the small shop. On Closer analysis, It revealed itself as a “Google India Local Maps” sticker that Google possibly has shipped it over to these guys.

So, did the shop owner marked himself on the map (Using My maps) and got the sticker shipped? Very unlikely. I dont think he has used email, let alone maps online. I also tried searching for “Clock repair” and could not find anything useful. Infact, I could not find “BDA complex” in Koramangala, Let alone the “clock work shop” inside it.

So, that just means someone came over and distributed these stickers? That is cheap.

Having said that, the idea rocks. First, They have gone really local. This is as random a shop as it can get. Not the kinds you will find even on yellow pages. Second, this is free physical contextual advertising. Not many people are online in India yet, and not many non-internet ( Newspapers or TV) ads are contextual. Now, things in the physical world that you can relate to on the internet which is (also) contextual, well..that is a killer combo. Precisely what made me come back home and search for “clock works” near my house in Google maps.

Related posts:

  1. Google goes Local in India
  2. Google does India, On the mobile
  3. local.google.co.in in google.com
  4. Making money out of Maps
  5. Ladies & Gentlemen, Please welcome Yahoo! India Local

Written by shivku

December 3rd, 2007 at 9:47 am

Posted in Uncategorized

Tagged with , , , , ,

2 Responses to 'Google India goes really Local'

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  1. i do not understand what google is doing with this :(

    balachandar muruganantham

    3 Dec 07 at 10:41 PM

  2. @balachandar : Google is trying to get some offline attention by distributing these stickers to business owners.

    shivku

    3 Dec 07 at 11:59 PM

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