The Start of a Brand Banner Blitz?

The Start of a Brand Banner Blitz?

OK, you’re itching to buy a new mega two-story SUV. Or a pair of bright green, fluorescent toe-tappin’ dance shoes. Or a turbo toothbrush. So you unleash a Google search for info about your chosen brand. Then the amazing happens. A very clickable banner-style ad for the product beams in at the top of your screen, just below a streak of dust. And just like that, the cherished brand gets some added oomf!

Credit Google for the new banner blitz. Those flashy ads will be materializing more often over the coming months. Fantastic news for brands eager for a snappier showing on search pages. But marketers shouldn’t start dancing in the aisles just yet. (Unless it’s Friday.) Right now, the special banner appearances are just a finely-wrought test being conducted by Google. Whether or not they become a permanent fixture of the search engine is anyone’s guess.

This test is by no means front page news. Remember, the Big G rolls out about 20,000 search tests annually. Yes, 20,000. And the banner foray isn’t even particularly widespread. Banners currently appear in less than 5% of searches, and cover approximately 30 different companies. That’s it. Not exactly staggering numbers. Still, if banners do find a home on Google, brand marketers will have one more reason to pour heart and soul into their search results.

All this, of course, raises a key question – will banners eventually become tied to generic searches? Already, certain generic searches are generating special banner-like announcements known as Google’s “See Results About” box. How are the preferred brands chosen, anyway? Straws? A roll of the dice?  And, if full-blown banners become the rule, how will particular brands earn a spot on Google’s generic searches? No doubt, this will open up a whole new universe of online marketing strategies. So get the chalkboard ready.

If you have any questions or comments about Google’s search-generated brand banners, or about any brand-related topic, feel free to send them our way. You can connect with the Young Company team at 949-376-8404 #4033 or bart@youngcompany.com. And be sure to follow us for the latest brand marketing news and tips.