Insider Chatter by Donna Bogatin

The Google Print Ads guys are a tenacious lot! Never mind that “newspapers’ ad sales show accelerating drop,” Google to the rescue.

Don’t stop the presses though, Google has been trying to piggyback on “dead tree” media for years: First magazines, then newspapers. Despite Google’s determination to spread the Googley gospel to the offline world, however, success has not been forthcoming.

Google today proudly announces that any and every AdWords customer can avail themsleves of “newspaper advertising made easy,” thanks to Google assuming the role of broker in the resale of non-premium newspaper ad inventory. Last month, Google made the same offer re non-premium radio spots.

Google has made no meaningful traction in either of the offline media though. Why would it?

Google touts that its years long efforts to diversify into print and radio advertising are finally nearing market turning points. They are not, however, despite the willingness of high-powered old media partners to offer up not so glowing testimonials on Google’s behalf.

Google has floundered in all its offline diversification efforts to date: Radio, print, TV…because its new media online value proposition is NOT transferrable to offline old media. Advertising is shifting online from off, for just that reason.

Despite the great Google mystique and the power of the Google brand, even the mighty Google can not simply stamp a ”revolutionary” label on an old school ad product like radio advertising and hope to make it new again in the eyes of advertisers.

In a Q & A with USA Today in May, Schmidt himself was unable to show how the magic that is AdWords will be matched by Google on the radio:

Q: The beauty of the online advertising model is that advertisers know whether or not an ad has been effective. They only have to pay if someone clicks on the ad. How can you bring relevancy to radio?

A: Advertisers can target the listener by driving them to a toll-free number or website address, and that should produce an uptick in the product demands.

Where is the touted accountabiltiy? What about pay only for performance? How about reaching buyers that are actively looking for the product?

NO, NO, NO. Google Audio Ads are NOT Google AdWords! Ditto Google Print Ads.

The Google AdWords targeting and performance assurance; concise, accurate and new media effective:

• Advertise to people searching on Google and our advertising network
• Reach people actively looking for information about your products and services online
• Easily control costs - pay only when people click on your ad

The Google Radio & Newspaper advertising targeting and performance assurances? NONE.

“Differentiate between sales driven by your radio campaign and sales driven by your existing keyword campaigns,” Google suggests. HOW? Via very old media, old world “soft” tracking style:

• Track visits to your website: Use a vanity URL as part of your call-to-action (such as www.yoursite.com/uniqueword). Make sure you don’t publicize the address anywhere else — this way, you can be certain the traffic you receive to the site is from people who heard your ad on the radio.
• Track the number of calls to a toll-free or vanity number: Make sure you don’t publicize the phone number anywhere else — this way, you can be certain the calls you receive are from people who heard your ad on the radio. Many vendors who can provide this service.
• Track visits or foot traffic to your store: Monitor changes in traffic levels . Informal or formal surveys of shoppers can help determine if their visit was influenced by your radio ad campaign.
• Track conversions using a unique offer or coupon code: Implement a unique offer code for users to enter when visiting your site, and offer a small incentive in return. Coupons and special offers can motivate customers to notice your ad, and purchase your services or products.

Who needs Google on the radio or in print if it does NOT replicate the ease of Google AdWords and AdSense reliability and trackability that has fueled Google’s $172 billion market cap.

Google may garner a small amount of existing AdWords customers that want to try out radio or newspapers, but Google is NOT on track to become the master of radio or print advertising.

Google remains very much a one-trick (rich) pony. SEE Google: Newspaper Ads More Trustworthy Than AdWords

ALSO: Google Facebook Hookup: Social Graph Privacy Minefield

CONTACT DONNA BOGATIN