It may seem unconventional to rebrand one of the most well known brands in the world, but Google has, from the very beginning, stated that they are “unconventional.”
In the online marketing and website development world (or in most popular vernacular), “Google” is associated with it’s search engine and online advertising services. This includes everything from their Google search engine, Chrome, Maps, Gmail, Adwords, YouTube, Android, and so much more. Google Inc., however, has plunged head first far beyond these internet products.
If you are wondering what the future of Google might look like, all you have to do is look to their efforts towards a self driving car, Nest, Google X, Google Fiber, as well as taking on health and wellness with “Life Sciences (that works on the glucose-sensing contact lens), and Calico (focused on longevity).”¹
Because of these many new endeavors, Larry Page announced yesterday that Alphabet Inc. will be replacing Google Inc. as the umbrella brand. Google’s Co-Founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, will be serving as CEO and President, respectively. “The whole point is that Alphabet companies should have independence and develop their own brands” Page stated in an announcement yesterday.
In an interview with ABC News, Ian Sherr, the Executive Editor of CNET said “they say it’s an Alpha Bet, it’s the best bet they can make, right? They see this as really the future of what Google needs to be.“
Alphabet is exploring the balance between focus, efficiency, and growth. This will grant more independence to each subsidiary to focus on what they do best while offering them more freedom and an entrepreneurial culture (the true spirit of Google).
CBC News states that “forming the new parent company Alphabet should make it a lot easier to both acquire promising start-ups — by offering new talent the chance to be the CEO of their own units — and also make it a lot easier to spin out successes that do well and outgrow their holding company, just like Berkshire Hathaway.”
If you think of a company as one single employee, you have to imagine that this person will burn out if you start asking them to do too many things at once. Rather than trying to fit all aspects of Google Inc. into one brand and one company, they are allowing each subsidiary to have more focus and more breathing room to flourish.
In what could only be the actions of a Shakespearian play, Google has managed to overthrow itself while simultaneously gaining more freedom, independence, and power. They are being proactive about how their company is run, not waiting for the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality to drive them into the ground.
Much like its namesake, Alphabet is made up of many pieces that can be put together to create something great.
Want to read more about Google’s Alphabet?
ABC News: “Alphabet Shakeup Spells Change for Google: What You Need to Know”
CBC News: “Why Google is turning itself into Alphabet”
PC Mag: ” Why Did Google Create Alphabet?”
NY Times: “Google to Reorganize as Alphabet to Keep Its Lead as an Innovator”
¹Google Official Blog: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2015/08/google-alphabet.html
