Ch. 5 - Developing a Global Vision

     Google has numerous data centers scattered around the world with offices in places such as Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Egypt, Brazil and Mexico. They offer multiple languages that users can choose from which allows them to search and find results and be able to read and understand. Google Maps allows individuals to search for directions in different states, countries, cities around the world no matter if they live there or not. 

     Google+ is Google's new player. Google+ is a social network similar to Facebook. It was opened to the whole world this week. Google+ provides features such as hangouts, Hangouts uses live video to bring people together, face-to-face-to-face no matter where they are in the world. They can use hangouts from their computer at home, or if they are on the move from their mobile phones. 

     Google Global Market finder,

     "uses data from Internet searches conducted around the world to show the number of times people search for your keywords in Arabic, Chinese, English, or one of 56 languages. When combined with AdWords, Global Market Finder also showcases estimates of suggested bid, competition for each Google Translate translation for that keyword used in your target market. These metrics will allow you to compare the cost of acquiring a new customer with your product margins and help you to determine whether reaching customers in a new market is good for your business."   

     

Ch. 4 - The Marketing Environment

Demographics:

     Google's primary demographic consists of young users, and as those users get older the younger generation will take their spot which gives them a great advantage on those companies that demographic group consist of an older generation. Especially since the younger generations are growing up with  more usage computers and the internet than older generations so it's easier for them to get the hang of things. The good thing for Google is that internet search isn't a gender based. And their users consist of both genders and it wouldn't hurt them if the had more males visiting their search engine than females and vice versa. Because computers have become more affordable, many people in economically disadvantaged countries are gaining access to the internet for the first time, Google offers a personalized search engine for more than 115 countries, and since its language support is always improving they have no specific geographical area they cater to but are available to all with internet access.

Ch. 3 - Ethics & Social Responsibility

   Google has done a lot to maintain its Ethic and Social Responsibilities. For example in 2007, Google committed itself to becoming carbon neutral by reducing waste, using as much renewable energy as possible and offsetting its emissions through carbon credits. To do this, it has invested hundreds of million dollars in renewable energy projects, mainly solar and wind, and has entered into huge long-term purchase agreements with major renewable energy producers at a total cost of somewhere in the region of $800 million. 


Inside Google Plex:


     Google has also spent millions on making sure that the offices where its software engineers work are carbon neutral wherever possible. The rooftops of its headquarters, ‘Googleplex’, are covered in solar panels which generate 1.6MW of electricity. Google encourages its workers or "Googlers" to also be environmentally friendly. Google provides its workers with shuttles to commute from home to work and back, and when they get to the Googleplex they provide their workers with Gfleet, Google's car-sharing program for Googlers on campus, which includes the next generation plug-in vehicles. Googler's Gfleet is available to employees free of charge for off-site meetings, running errands, or emergencies. Googlers can also take GBikes, their on-campus bike fleet or GRide, their on-campus taxi service, across campus to quickly get to where they need to go.  

Google around the World:


   Not only is the company looking for a way to maintain itself environmentally friendly, the company is also using its technical know-how to work on a series of projects to help make the world a more energy efficient place. Its free PowerMeter service allows home owners to track how much electricity they are using at home, while it is working on software to make driving a car more efficient. It has also come up with a plan, ‘Clean Energy 2030’, to create $4.8 trillion in the US and cut fossil fuel consumption in the world’s biggest energy market by 88 percent for electricity generation and 44 percent for vehicles. The plan suggests that it is possible to cut carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation by an incredible 95 percent.


     Google has also produced 'Blackle', its meant to be the energy saving search engine alternative to the original Google page. Blackle saves energy by the screen being predominantly black and because a monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen. 

Ch. 2 - Strategic Planning for Competitive Advantage

      Google plans to offer YouTube movies services in Canada. In providing this service Canadian citizens are able to rent movies online and download them onto their computer, television, or laptop. The services will be available to customers for C$3.99 for older movies and C$4.99 for newer movies. With the announcement of Blockbuster closing some of their rental outlets in Canada this will benefit Google's YouTube Movies and provide it with the clientele that is left afloat from Blockbuster's closures.