In 2009, Google knowingly sold advertisements for illegal drug consumption in the U.S. A government sting operation revealed Google executives were aware of such sales. Google recently settled with the U.S. for $500 million. Ouch!
Read the full Wall Street Journal story: Con Artist Starred in Sting That Cost Google Millions – WSJ.com.
Most certainly, trust is a huge part of the Google brand. If you did not trust their search results to be fair and valid, it would not take very long for this iconic brand to diminish and yield market share to competitors such as Microsoft and Yahoo.
There is a lesson here for your mobile initiatives. Your mobile application or mobile Website is an extension of your brand. That’s obvious. However, a bad mobile experience, and even a lack of a mobile friendly Website, can hurt your brand.
Based on some research we did in late 2011, 41% of the Fortune 500 do not have a mobile friendly site for their corporate information. And, some of the 59% that do have a mobile site are using a third-party tool like Usablenet which helps repurpose content for a mobile device but it does not ensure brand continuity – thus impacting the experience.
So, as you develop your mobile strategy, keep your brand values front and center every step of the way.
