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GOOGLE III 2

MARKETING PLAN PHASE III

Team C

James Brown, Candice Daigneault, Justin Hasty,

Matthew Jones, and Lisa Pattie

March 31, 2014

MKT 421

Susan Tomaski

Running Head: GOOGLE III 1

Google Marketing Plan Phase III

Google Inc. is a company this is already currently offering and maintaining the Google Maps function on I-phones, computers and other electronic devices that can access the internet. Google already has a team of app developers to add this to the Google Maps function currently available. This addition to Maps will allow users to touch or click on the screen at the exact location the program has taken them, and to correct any errors the directions have given. Locations change rapidly today, and getting lost due to bad directions is frustrating and is unnecessary in this technological age. Once the app is activated through the user, Googles main company is notified of an incorrect direction. CIS specialists, computer information systems specialists, can then locate the area in real time through current maps or other global positioning systems, and either correct the directions given or log the information until more users can support the change though further notifications.

The secondary function of the new app is to notify local users of events or new businesses in the area. The user simply touches or clicks on the location given in Google Maps and notifies others of the local event and business. This method will allow more small businesses that may not use the yellow pages or small local events that have not advertised well, to distribute the information to other users that GPS, global positioning system, determines are in the area. Users who have this new app can choose to allow the changes, verify the changes with Google, or accept the changes that are sent to their internet devise.

The odds of getting lost after due to incorrect directions will be minimized. There is also no bigger frustration to consumers trying to locate an event or type of business as not being able to find what they are wanting but still see many businesses that are not reported on the function. Google will need to increase CIS analysts to support the increase of information and validation of information that is reported. With an increased following to the Maps function of Google, advertising will increase therefore increasing revenues.

A product like Google maps will be in the growth stage for a very long time, as is seen with our new future to help improve the already great service or application. The reason Google maps and other services of similar types will be in growth for extended periods of time is because they always are finding new ways to improve consumer experience with the product while still keeping the basic frame work of the product. As an avid user of Google maps I can say with assurance that it will be growing for years to come if it ever reaches true maturity, and it will never decline. Since Google is a giant in the technology world they are on the front of research and constantly figuring out ways to improve experience and convince. Also maps are resources that people have been using since we sailed the oceans. Back in those days people had to meet up in person to get routes and information from other people and add to their own, but with Google maps new ability to change the digital maps on the spot and share with others time will be saved. And after enough routes have been reviewed by Google administrators the map will be updated across the board for all people who use the service. When a product can be updated on a regular basis or as need to improve the service it provides, as Google maps can, it has an almost indefinite growth cycle, and the only way it will ever reach maturity is when a newer product comes to the market and makes it easier than Google to update and use and shortly after that happens Google maps will head to the decline stage. Unless a product such as Google maps can revamp its self to be better than the competition that put it on the decline it will slowly fade into nothing. What also gives Google maps an edge is it is not a device that can become out dated like computers and cell phones; it can be downloaded to any device giving it that much more of an edge. So as long as Google maps can stay one step ahead of the competition and their product on the front lines as to what it has to offer they have a very long if not indefinite life cycle ahead of themselves.

The product life cycle of Google Maps is always revamping itself. This is a product that is continuously building upon itself and improving so the life cycle only continues. Whenever the product starts to run its life cycle, which includes the maps becoming out of date or not as accurate, there is an update available to keep all of the newest features, maps, and directions up to date for users, thus reviving its life cycle. Another way that the product renews its life cycle is the way Google changes the features or the look of the mapping application from time to time. They just make small changes to the images rather than changing the way the entire program works. The life cycle of this product also continues to be extended is the fact that many of the Google Maps applications that you can get on any mobile devise that supports it will provide you with the verbal GPS service where they provide turn by turn directions out loud so you are not driving dangerously trying to read the map or step by step directions. The changed that will continue to be made will impact the life cycle in the way that it will constantly be renewed and not fade away. The ability to update the application as things change and then to quickly pass those changes on to users is a way that the product markets itself and keeps the life cycle going strong.

When looking at the positioning strategy it is important to see who is going to use the Google maps services. Some places use luxury and performance as the basis to see things like cars fall into the market (Kotler, P & Keller, K 2012 Pg 197). However for the new and improved Google Maps it would fall on a scale of being too techy to the far end of the people that do not even use a cell phone we will call them the non-techy. Google falls in-between these two categories, for the new system to work appropriately people will have to have a smart phone. Any of the non-techy people that are on the extreme side of the graph will probably not have a smart phone so they can be counted out. On the other extreme side of things some of the very techy people have more than one option of phone GPS some of them will still use Google, but some of them will not. The magic place on the graph is right on the middle and has a large area of the graph taken up. One of these reasons that Google can market to so many people is that there product is free for the everyday user to use, so it breaks the normal positioning bearer by letting everyone use it. For most people the convenience of Google maps and the accuracy in which it is already used along with the user interface will make the new and improved Google Maps that much more popular. The life cycle of the new Google maps will probably last a while; such an update will not easily be replaced. The improvements being made on Google maps will go on to cell phones after older ones life cycles come up. Marketing for the new Google maps will not be greatly affected by its life cycle, because the updated version is not something that is going to leave the industry any time soon like cell phones and games do. Google can market the updated Google Maps as something that will be good enough to last a long time and not something that customers must get quick before it’s gone. The updated version of Google Maps will easily stick out from the competition because Google Maps is one of the most used apps for directions. It does however very much need the new update to grow larger.

Google Maps and its services have a great price point. Google operates its Android operating system on a Linux-based open source program. This means that they can offer their product for free. Google makes most of their profit from the advertising they sell on spots on their applications and web pages. Also, in order to use an Android mobile device or Google Maps in general you must have a Google account. (Seer, 2012) This is another area where Google profits from Maps. Google’s Map services are appropriately going to be priced as a free application that comes with each Android device pre-installed. This allows the maximum amount of people to get to interact with the product. In order to utilize our new services, it will be imperative that we advertise the price point as well as the new features. To use the feature the user will have to have the most recent version of the application which needs to be mentioned. Once they are updated they will have full usage of Google Maps with our improvements for free. Google makes their money from people signing up for Google accounts as well as advertisements, which means that the more free services they offer, and the better they are, the more people will sign up. The fact that all you have to do is sign up for this product amongst all of Google’s other great applications allows maximum exposure and a quality product for free. This is why Google has a great reputation for top quality, versatile, industry-leading, free products.

Resources

Difference Between a Product Life-cycle and a Project Life-cycle | Chron.com. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2014, from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/difference-between-product-lifecycle-project-lifecycle-20432.html

Kotler, P. & Keller, K. L. (2012). Marketing management (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall

Seer Interactive, How Do Our Favorite Tech Companies Make Money? 2012, http://rcs.seerinteractive.com/money/