Monthly Archives: June 2020

Even Google cant avoid the vicious impact of COVID-19 on the ad industry.

The ad giants net US digital ad revenue will decline by 5.3% this year to $39.6 billion, according to eMarketer, even as it projects the digital ad market as a whole to grow 1.7% to $134.7 billion. As a result, Googles market share will shrink to 29.4%, down from 31.6% last year.

This is the first time Googles ad revenues have declined since eMarketer began forecasting on the platform, said principal analyst Nicole Perrin. Before the pandemic, eMarketer projected 12.9% growth at Google, with its market share shrinking slightly.

We all are aware of the pandemic and how tough its been on the economy, she said, but Google having revenues decline is pretty striking.

The decline will come from search, which makes up roughly 80% of Googles advertising business, as well as programmatic. EMarketer anticipates Googles search revenues will decrease by 7.2%, and programmatic will decline by roughly 5%. Googles search business has been hit hard by a broad pullback from travel advertisers as their businesses shut down due to the pandemic.

[Travel advertisers] had a relatively large share of spend on Google search, Perrin said. Its an important category for Google.

The decline in ad spend exposes Googles over-reliance on travel brands and vice versa to fuel search activity and spend. That will likely change moving forward, as Google focuses on diversifying its offerings into new areas such as cloud and shopping, as well as bringing more direct response ad products to YouTube. YouTube will continue to grow this year, but not enough to counterbalance declines in search.

I would expect Google to continue doing a lot of things they're working on in those areas, Perrin said.

Travel brands, meanwhile, will continue to spend less on customer acquisition and try to diversify spend away from Google as their businesses slowly recover.

Their concern is, are we paying for travelers who wouldve bought from us anyway? Perrin said. Thats a higher strategic question around acquisition marketing.

On Googles coattails

As Google loses share, Facebook and Amazon will continue to gain, albeit at a slower rate than what eMarketer had predicted before the pandemic.

Facebooks ad revenues will grow just 4.9% this year to $31.4 billion, compared to its 21% growth rate in 2019. And Amazons ad revenues will grow 23.5% this year to $12.75 billion, compared to its 39.4% growth rate last year.

Because of this slowdown and Googles overall decline, the triopoly will remain flat this year at 0.2%, its lowest growth rate in a decade.

But unlike Google, Facebook and Amazon will continue increasing their share of the ad market, to 23.4% and 9.5% respectively, up from 22.7% and 7.8% last year.

Facebook isnt necessarily stealing share from Google because their platforms are often used for different objectives, Perrin said.

But Amazons growth is directly impacting Googles search revenues, as people search more for household products under lockdown. Amazons search revenues will grow 25.2% this year to $9.3 billion, growing its market share to 17%. Meanwhile, Googles search market share will drop to 58.5% from 61.3% last year.

The share of search is decreasing for Google and increasing for Amazon pretty quickly, she said. To the extent that people are shopping online more now, it tends to be a lot of the things you would get from Amazon.

But Googles business will likely bounce back by 21% in 2021, depending on the trajectory of the virus, Perrin said.

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Google Loses Share Of Ad Market As Travel Brands Pull Back On Search - AdExchanger

It hasnt been the best of months for Chrome with problems on macOS and Windows. But now Google has announced a potentially game changing reason for millions of users to quit Windows for Chrome OS.

INDIA - 2020/04/01: In this photo illustration the most popular Operating System for Computer ... [+] Windows 10 logo seen displayed on a smartphone. (Photo Illustration by Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

In a new blog post titled The future of computing showed up early, Google Chrome OS vice president John Solomon has revealed that native Windows apps - including Microsoft Office - will soon run on Chromebooks. This will be true local support that will work offline, giving users the opportunity to ditch Windows and move to Googles super fast, super secure operating system.

How is Google doing this? The company has partnered with Parallels, a virtualization software business. Parallels had already developed a Remote Application Server (RAS) which could virtualize Windows apps and even a full Windows desktop on Chrome OS, but users had to be online at all times to access it and performance could lag. Both these key obstacles will now be removed.

Moreover, they will be removed very soon. While it sounds like a far fetched concept, Google states that Parallels integration with Chrome OS will launch in the Fall.

Parallels running Windows apps on Chrome OS

Caveats? There are a few. First, Google is prioritizing support for Chrome OS enterprise users, even though wider support is inevitable, Second, gaming support seems unlikely given a) Chromebooks dont typically have the power to run most Windows games smoothly, b) Google Stadia already caters for this. Third, Windows apps use a lot of storage which may not suit many existing Chromebooks.

Despite these obstacles, the news has the potential to cause the biggest shake up in computing in years, transforming Chrome OS from a specialist player into the most flexible operating system available (remember: it already runs Android apps). Moreover, what chance Google can add macOS support next?

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Google Chrome Just Gave Millions Of Users A Reason To Quit Windows 10 - Forbes

With protests over racial inequality and police brutality sweeping the nation, Google is adjusting its own internal policies to make them more equitable. In a letter to employees, Google CEO Sundar Pichai suggested that his goal is lasting, meaningful change.

What does meaningful change look like at Google? First, were working to improve Black+ representation at senior levels and committing to a goal to improve leadership representation of underrepresented groups by 30 percent by 2025,Pichai wrote. On a tactical level, that will mean more external recruiting for senior management roles, along with site and country-specific plans to recruit and hire more underrepresented Googlers.

Thats in addition to internal programs designed to boost the hiring, retention, and promotion of underrepresented groups within Google (as well as ensure their mental and physical health). As with so much at the company, this added focus on accountability will be paired with measurable goals of some sort. The big question is whether these programscan do more than Googles existing diversification efforts, which have translated into incremental (but somewhat steady) progress over a number of years.

Pichai also plans on changing some key policies within Googles buildings. For example:

Weve had a security practice of Googlers watching for tailgaters in order to reduce instances of unauthorized visitors in offices. We have realized this process is susceptible to bias. So, over the past year, our Global Security and Resilience team partnering with a cross-functional working group, conducted extensive research, listened to Black Googlers experiences, and developed and tested new security procedures to ensure we could maintain the safety and security of the Google community without relying on this type of enforcement. Now, as we prepare to return to the office, we will end the practice of Googlers badge-checking each other and rely on our already robust security infrastructure.

Google plans ongradually reintroducing employees to its offices, with only 10 percent to 15 percent returning at first. Many may not return for the rest of 2020, and some of the companys in-office amenitiesincluding its cafeterias and break roomswill remain closed until theCOVID-19 pandemichas truly passed. This reset offers Pichai the chance to more seamlessly integrate some of these physical policies.

Google is also adjusting its external products to meet the moment, Pichai wrote:

Some activations have already launched, including the Assistants responses to questions related to Black Lives Matter andas of this weekJuneteenth. Were also working quickly to give merchants in the U.S. the option of adding a Black-owned business attribute to their Business Profile on Google to help people find and support Black-owned local businesses by using Search and Maps. This opt-in feature is in development and will roll out to Business Profiles in the coming weeks.

Googlehas already committed millions of dollarsto organizations working to address racial inequalities, and YouTube (one of its subsidiaries) is rolling out a multi-year, $100 million fund dedicated to amplifying and developing the voices of Black creators and artists and their stories. While these programs are earning the company a lot of publicity, though, it may take years before their actual effect can be measured.

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How Google Boosts Internal Diversification Efforts - Dice Insights

Google is ending the trial program of a service that sent users algorithm-selected prints from their Google Photos libraries, Droid Life reported. The subscription-based service launched in the US in February with a monthly fee of $7.99 that got you 10 4x6 prints from the previous 30 days.

The printing service allowed users to choose which themes the service should prioritize in selecting the prints, offering people and pets, landscapes, and a little bit of everything as options. Users were able to edit the selections before the photos were printed.

Google sent a notice to subscribers that the service would not be available after June 30th, according to Droid Life:

Thank you for your invaluable feedback these last several months. You have provided us with a lot of helpful information about how we can evolve this feature, which we hope to make more widely available. Please keep your eyes open for future updates.

Although we will be ending the trial program, we hope that you have experienced some joy from the prints you received along the way.

Its not clear when or if Google will re-launch this service more widely in the future, or if its being shelved indefinitely. Weve reached out to Google for more information.

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Google ends trial of photo service that picked and printed photos for users - The Verge

To participate in contact tracing with your phone, you have to manually download an app and agree to the terms and conditions.

COMAL COUNTY, Texas Exposure is a big factor in deciding to get tested for coronavirus.

Health departments across the country are already conducting their own contact tracing investigations.

Now smartphone apps are starting to offer notifications that let users know if theyve been around someone with the virus.

Whether youre all for contact tracing or want to be left alone, just know the choice is yours.

To participate in contact tracing with your phone, you have to manually download an app and agree to participate.

Contact tracing is a practice commonly used by health experts to finds and follows up with people who may have been exposed to viruses. The concept is being used during the coronavirus pandemic as well. It allows people to decide if they should get tested, if they may need to quarantine and provides resources for basic necessities if in isolation.

Were picking up those contacts already before theyre actually going into the environment or in the community or shopping; before even transmitting this disease to anybody else, said Dr. Anil Mangla, an Epidemiologist for Comal County during a briefing to Commissioners. He takes part in local contact tracing investigations.

Smartphone apps are starting to hit the market that offer exposure notifications. A recent update from Apple has some questioning privacy.

Google and Apple are announcing a joint effort to enable the use of Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the virus, with user privacy and security central to the design, read part of a statement on Apples website.

iPhone users can go to settings, privacy, then health to see the new exposure logging and notification option. This defaults to off and only works if the user also downloads a contact tracing app. Apple says developers have to include consent in their app as well, where users accept terms.

Users must explicitly authorize an app to participate in exposure notification, read details on an Apple page for app developers.

Meanwhile, the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) says the contact tracing conducted by health departments and others already is also a voluntary process. Generally, epidemiologists call people who may have been in contact with a coronavirus patient. DSHS says the government cannot require you to participate in contact tracing, you can refuse to take a coronavirus test and the government will not monitor your movements.

The state says the benefit of contact tracing is that it helps others make crucial decisions about their health.

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Google and Apple working to help track coronavirus spread with voluntary contact tracing apps - KENS5.com

Google is committing to spending more than $175 million on racial equity initiatives with a focus on financing black-owned businesses and supporting black entrepreneurs. The funding was announced by Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Wednesday alongside a number of other commitments and changes meant to fight anti-black racism and support black Google employees and their families.

The $175 million commitment is part of an economic opportunity package that Google breaks down into four groups. The largest sum is $100 million in funding to be directed toward black-led venture capital firms, startups, and other organizations focused on black entrepreneurs. Another $50 million will be used as financing and grants for small businesses focused on the Black community.

Google says $15 million will go toward training programs for black job seekers, which will be operated by partners, while $10 million will be used to support black developers within Googles ecosystem by offering access to education, equipment and economic opportunities. In addition to that funding, Google is committing $3 million to support black students with a focus on early computer science education.

The commitments follow widespread protests over the death of George Floyd. Many companies across the US have started taking a look at their failures to support black communities and what they can do to improve opportunities for black employees and fight anti-black racism. Google announced an initial $12 million in donations to fight racial inequities earlier this month. Other large tech companies, including Amazon and Facebook, have announced donations as well. Last week, Apple launched a $100 million program called the Racial Equity and Justice Initiative.

Google is also making a number of changes within its company to support black employees and black representation. The company has committed to adding more black employees to senior leadership and improving the general leadership groups inclusion of people from underrepresented groups by 30 percent by 2025. In Googles 2020 diversity report, it said that white+ employees accounted for 65.9 percent of leadership roles in the US and Asian+ employees accounted for 29.6 percent. Black+ employees made up just 2.6 percent.

Pichai also said Google would do more to improve hiring, retention, and promotion of people from underrepresented groups and work to create a stronger sense of inclusion and belonging for Googles black+ employees. Among the changes is an end to Googles policy of asking employees to monitor for unauthorized visitors walking in the office doors behind them without swiping through. Pichai writes that we have realized this process is susceptible to bias, so Google is now going to rely on other security checks instead.

Google also plans to add additional anti-racism training programs and scale them to its entire workforce. The company was recently criticized by employees who alleged it had heavily scaled back its diversity and inclusion programs; Google defended itself by saying some of the programs it ended couldnt be properly scaled to the entire company. Pichai also said today that Google is working to expand mental health resources and other benefits to better support black employees and their families.

The announcements follow a $12 million commitment from Google to organizations working to address racial inequities that was announced earlier this month. YouTube, which is owned by Google, also announced a $100 million fund to support black creators.

Creating meaningful change starts within our own company, Pichai wrote in a memo sent to the company. Strengthening our commitment to racial equity and inclusion will help Google build more helpful products for our users and the world.

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Google commits $175 million to racial equity with focus on black-owned businesses - The Verge