Google’s search engine was launched on September 15, 1997. It is now the most widely used search engine on the web, with over 92% market share as of June 2019, handling more than 5.4 billion searches each day. In the early days no one worried about page rank and SEO because most webs were Brochure sites, which a company’s sales team referred prospective clients to “for more information” - just to demonstrate that they (and their ad agency) knew how to utilize this new medium. In April 2004 Google introduced (free) Gmail and in November 2005 they introduced the world to their game-changing Google Analytics™ service. Analytics was a game-changer because, to most small to mid-size businesses, Google's offer seemed like the ultimate value proposition: a lot more (and a continuous stream of) data for free . . .  with no obligations. It seemed too good to be true. It was, and, it still is. While the offer didn’t come with any apparent limitations per se, there was one very important restriction that most people didn't pay any attention to: while Google Analytics provided you with some new + interesting information about your company’s online behaviour, you learned nothing about the competition, your business category or the prevailing business climate in your trading area. Importantly, the FREE data service addicted users to Google’s online performance data and blinded them to other valuable research tools. Around the same time a wide variety of online data interpretation service providers sprang up, promising to help busy organizations interpret data, that Google discreetly mined, for insights into to the client’s own marketing programs. Website organization + optimization, PPC and display advertising campaigning strategies and tactics as well as social media buying tactics (on Google’s ever expanding media monopoly) can all be improved with this data. The objective of all data mining strategies is the same: to put more of my client’s ads, emails and push notices in front of you. Then the world changed again: In 2014 Canada enacted the CASL legislation. It was launched and promised to reinforce best practices in email marketing, combat spam and related issues like identity theft, phishing, and the spread of malicious software, viruses, worms and trojans. In 2018 US Congress proposed + passed a comprehensive data privacy policy as well. In a nutshell, the Canadian, American (and European) privacy legislation has led Google to close most of the data (mining) loopholes that were being exploited by independent online message optimization consultants. The changes have stopped data mining companies from supplying their clients search engine derived data interpretations that have give them a competitive business communications edge (in the past). Except this change in data privacy laws does not affect those business that have made it their own ongoing business to have a robust proprietary data collection and interpretation policy and program (even if that program represents just one part-time student).

Consider this . . . 

The companies that began collecting, tracking, comparing and analyzing their own data when all of this online stuff started in the late 1990’s, would now have THIRTY YEARS OF PROPRIETARY (ONLINE) MARKETING DATA to work with. 

Those who own 30 or more years of proprietary data today made just one decision that the others didn’t: they did not stop collecting their own data just because Google offered them a nicely organized + presented data stream for free.

This being the international year of 20\20 vision, I hope that in 2020 we all see it, get it, and do something about it. That we move beyond B.S. and platitudes and change the world for the better – one decision at a time. Starting right now.

On your marks, get set, GO! 

In November 2019, Christine Meehan, with Google Consumer Insights reported that “Holiday shoppers may have different approaches to where, how and when they buy, but they also have something in common: their shopping journeys usually start online.”

I’ve included highlights of Christine’s article below (in italics) as well as her recommendations which, if you read them carefully, reminds you that there’s far more to advertising + sales success than utilizing more of Google’s marketing tools to optimize your marketing funnel (using Google's myopic, self centered business model).

The setup of Christine's article is a no brainer: before you buy, people talk to other people, look at ads on and offline (think newspapers, magazines, flyers, out of home ads, transit ads, as well as radio and TV). But the recommendations that Christine leaves you with should get you thinking long and hard because they are misleading 1/2 truths.

100% TRUE: you need a broad  (traditional and online) multi-media advertising campaign based marketing funnel that drives prospects to your (open) store doors and e-commerce website.

100% TRUE: involve all stakeholders in the mobilization of your marketing and advertising plan. To effectively model your brand's unique marketing funnel, lots of heads are better than one.

100% FALSE: your marketing plan should NOT start or end with Google. Despite what Google would like you to think, Google is not a proxy for reality.

Google is just another media option.

Putting that much faith in Google is just plain stupid.

“Last year, a joint holiday report between Google and Ipsos found most Canadian holiday shoppers are omnichannel. They use multiple sources while shopping (such as visiting a website or heading to a store) and split their time almost equally between online and offline channels.

“The holiday season is an opportunity for teams to unite — to think about the reasons why these channels work together, and what holiday shoppers are looking for in an omnichannel experience.

“Holiday shoppers are heading online to decide where to shop. Canadian holiday shoppers are choosing which stores to visit based on their online research. Today’s omnichannel shopper is more informed and intentional.

“The report found that 39% of holiday shoppers were looking up local store information, and 31% were searching for nearby stores.

Of the shoppers using search, millennials are the generation least likely to choose a physical store over an online one, with most of their purchases happening online. However, when they do shop in-store, 82% of millennials are searching online first.

“Omnichannel customers head online to help inform their purchase decision, whether they end up making their purchase (there) or not. 

“Shoppers want to feel more confident. 

“Shoppers are looking for convenience.

“Customers are hunting for deals. 

“With so many Canadians turning to more than one shopping source during the holidays, companies should plan for ways to reach customers online and offline. Although the holiday season has begun, there’s still time to execute omnichannel plans now. Encourage data-sharing between teams — and share success: Facilitate the conversation between online and store teams early, and encourage data sharing to measure success together. Prepare your website and open the doors to your store: Think of your digital ads and online presence as the doors to your online store. Make sure your store product inventory is available online, and holiday hours are updated and accurate on your website and on Google Maps through Google My Business. Keep reviews front-and-centre to greet shoppers, and make sure your mobile site is working and ready to handle the increased load. You can test your website speed with Google tool Test My Site. Drive campaigns to your store: Online advertising doesn’t just drive online sales — it drives omnichannel sales. Adding drive-to-store campaign types and strategies that achieve both online and offline goals will allow you to capture holiday shoppers as they engage with your brand across multiple channels.

Imagine if I sent you a report that included the following intimate and highly detailed information about you for the past month - or year.

• All of your personal and professional online activity – web & social media.
• Where, when and to whom you made a call, text or e-mail message.
• Where, when and from whom you received a call, text or e-mail message.
• Where you went and with whom, for how long, and how each of you went home. 
• The route(s) you took from home to and from work.
• Where you shopped, or stopped for a break along the way.
• When you walked, biked, used transit or personal transport, where you went.
• The amount of time it took you to get from point A to B and the calories you burned to get there.
• The amount of time you spent in your home last month broken down to minute.
• How many hours you spent at work, at home, sitting, standing, exercising, relaxing, sleeping (including REM and non-REM sleep).  

I then suggest you pay me a fee – lets say $40.00 per month – and I’ll optimize:

• your home’s lighting and temperature.
• when and how you should go to work.
• how to improve the quality and length of your sleep.
• how to improve your fitness (passively and actively).
• how to improve your online web and social presence + scores.    

Now I’ll remind you again – you have never met me. 

Well . . . that's exactly what Google™ will do in the very near future. 

Here’s the latest reason why I predict you’ll see reports like the above soon.   

Google has just announced that it’s buying wearable company Fitbit™. 

In a blog post announcing the news, Google SVP of devices and services Rick Osterloh said that the Fitbit purchase is “an opportunity to invest even more in Wear OS as well as introduce Made by Google wearable devices into the market.” Under the deal, Fitbit will be joining Google itself. It’s similar to the current situation with Nest, which is wholly under Google now, compared to when Alphabet had originally acquired the smart home company but left it as a separate division under the corporate structure.

According to a separate press release issued by Fitbit, the company will still take privacy for health and fitness data seriously, noting that “Fitbit health and wellness data will not be used for Google ads.” . . . for now.

Fitbit’s hardware chops have always been great, giving Google a much stronger foundation to build on for future Android-integrated wearables devices. On the flip side, Google’s software skills and wide developer support could help Fitbit’s smartwatches like the Versa get a little smarter, alongside the deeper software integration with Android that a closer relationship could offer. 

Jameson Lopp was the chief technology officer of the crypto startup casa. He is most notable for his decision to live off-the-grid, which has been written about in The New York Times by Nathaniel Popper and reprinted in the Toronto Star on April 27, 2019.

Apparently “You can disappear in 15 steps, but it won’t be easy”.

Mr. Lopp's strategy highlights are as follows:

1. create a new corporate identity,
2. set up new bank accounts and payment cards,
3. carry cash,
4. get a new phone number,
5. stop using your (cell) phone for directions,
6. move,
7. make up a fake name for casual interactions,
8. create a VPN for home internet use,
9. buy a boring car,
10. buy a decoy house,
11. set up a private mailbox and re-mailing service,
12. master the art of disguise,
13. work remotely,
14. encrypt devices when traveling remotely, and
15. hire a private investigator to “check your work”.  

Bye-bye now.