Just saw a print ad with the bold header “Search this” followed by a generic search bar and keywords for the product. In other words, the trusty reviewer’s quote is being replaced by Google. This is a recent trend — I first read about its prominence in Asian advertising about a year ago. However, now that I’m looking at a full-page ad in PC Magazine — read by cynical geeks like me — I’m wondering… does it work?
Do they really expect me to type that full string into a search bar, just to read product reviews? Of course not. Sure, type it in if you want, but trust us. Google is impartial (right?).
Turns out, the reviews are decent (yes, I actually ran the search in Google, Yahoo and MSN — but purely in the interests of science). Also, they appear to be legitimate reviews on independent Web sites.
Instead of driving the reader to the Fujitsu Web site, the ad’s premise sends the reader to a community-driven search results page. It’s the modern version of “ask your friends about…” or “ask your doctor… .”
Only now, it’s “ask Google.” A lot of people do — why not put it in the ad?
