Why does Google use outdoor display advertising?

[gpietersz]

Down the road from me there is a large Google ad. It seems to be promoting local searches.

Surely Google has huge market share and most people must use one Google property or another. Why do they need to do this rather than cross promote on their own sites? Or provide prompts and suggestions to people using search to promote local search?

it feels ver strange to me.

 

[MBE2017]

General strategy, no one approach gets everyone, just not everyone watches itv.

 

[UKSBD]

Petal Search

 

[Fagin2021]

That's a more interesting question than first appears!

Somewhere in the bowels of Google someone has made the decision to do some local advertising. Why ?

Is it for 'brand recognition' ? Surely not.
Is it to increase market share ? - with 85% UK search share already ?
Is it to gobble up a competitor market - eg. Yell
Is it for a devious PR purpose?
Is it to use some unspent marketing budget?

The one thing we can be fairly sure of is that whatever the reason, it's not for the benefit of you or me.
Answers on the back of a postcard to....

 

[JEREMY HAWKE]

A big deal with Global promoting across a multitude of platforms

 

[Deleted member 59730]

Because it works. Unlike Google advertising!

 

[gpietersz]

Its specifically promoting an example search "restaurants in my area" and is on a road into town.

Maybe its trying to prompt people going out for a meal but who have not booked a particulalr restaurant to search rather than wonder around looking for one (there are a lot in the area).