Google’s first ever Super Bowl ad was cute, subtle, and nearly as minimalist as the website itself. It was effective because it told a story, making something as quotidian as running a Google search feel downright romantic. Google traditionally does not spend a lot on advertising, mostly because they don’t need to — it’s almost impossible to use the internet without being aware of their product. While their competitors (Microsoft and Yahoo!) spent millions on campaigns to retain their market share, Google stole it away with a superior business philosophy which produced a superior product. They understood that, especially on the internet, companies can succeed with word of mouth if they truly have a better product than their competition. It’s always nice for an advertiser to be able to sell a truly excellent product; Google used that opportunity to create a story and help its customers feel involved and excited about a product that is practically an everyday necessity.
Even if you’re selling things people absolutely need and your service is better than the competition, advertising is important because there will always be alternatives to your product. If you can follow the strategies of successful companies like Google or Apple and make people want to be involved with your brand, then you can get people to not only use your product, but also convert their friends. Getting customers involved is at the core of the cooperative business model. Cooperatives (as opposed to corporations) are independent organizations owned and controlled by its members, who have joined together to provide goods or services. Perhaps the most recognizable co-ops are local farmers’ markets, where farmers band together to draw consumers to buy their fruits and vegetables. Together they have more success than they ever could alone , but they still have trouble competing with big corporations like Publix or Wal-Mart (Although co-ops Sunkist and Ocean Spray have done alright for themselves). The farmers’ market here in Gainesville is a good example of a cooperative in action, but it doesn’t really make an effort to get its customers involved. There is a void in this college town that the Citizen’s Co-op intends to fill.
Right now, Citizen’s Co-op is an idea and a list of members, but they are refining their business plan and building buzz around their opening. At their excellent website, they have a mission statement and a description of the cooperative identity, both emphasizing the importance of building community around the store. Although local and natural foods are central in the mission of the co-op, equally important are the principles of free and open membership and democratic control. The members of Citizen’s Co-op are not just customers or investors, they are literally part-owners of the enterprise. They help make decisions about the direction of the business and get portions of the profits back — the cooperative simply cannot exist without them. This model allows those customers who are excited about the mission of the store to be involved at the highest level if they choose, making them as passionate about the brand as a CEO might be. With customers this much a part of the operation, rapid growth is possible through word of mouth — but a sophisticated publicity campaign could speed that growth up even more.
The next step for the Citizen’s co-op is to reach out to the community in advance of its opening and create a groundswell of interest. They already have plans to sponsor a bike tour of local food hotspots around town, and (with our DF group) plan to create online content to reach out to prospective customers. Much as Google created a story in its ad, the co-op needs to publicize its mission and create interest around the idea of being an owner of a natural-foods store in order to ignite the imagination of its customers. Right now, it’s a work in progress, but as long as they stick to their cooperative ideals and emulate the strategies of successful companies, they will create a passionate customer base that will inevitably lead to growth.
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I love the Google ad. At first I wanted it to be something more, but then I changed my mind. The simplicity reflects Google’s style perfectly.
Awesome, well written post. You really sound like a professional in your writing.
And the Google ad was phenomenal. It was almost like they weren’t interested in promoting the product, but reminding everyone why they like Google’s company ethos in the first place.
Great post! And as far as the Google ad goes- I was honestly surprised when I saw it, especially since we’ve been talking about how Google doesn’t typically use traditional advertising… But, still, I loved that ad!
Agreed, I liked how you were able to flow from the discussion of the Google ad into a description of the Citizen’s Co-op.
[...] help create a multifaceted advertising campaign around the soon-to-open Citizen’s Co-op. In a cooperative business model, it is extremely important to have passionate customers, because your customers are also owners of [...]