In our week 10 lectorial, we were asked to brainstorm the ‘institutional characteristics’ of a few significant media institutions. The group I was in looked at Google, examining a range of factors which contribute to the corporation’s institutional nature and public image.
Accessibility: Google prides itself on being the most popular (and universally recognised) internet search engine (and technology company). Their flagship product (the Google search engine) provides unlimited information to almost everyone. Other ideals that are relevant include; speed, simplicity, and variety – each of these seeming to be central to Google’s operations and services. From their minimalistic logo, to projects such as ‘Google Fibre’, these company values lie at the heart of this particular institution’s activities and movements.
Culture: The developed world seems to now heavily rely on the services Google provides, with peoples’ lives often relying heavily on the speed, reliability and presence of the ‘Google Search’. A ‘Google Culture’ or even ‘Google Religion’ can be seen throughout the modern world, with the phrases like ‘Google it’ being common vocabulary in many societies. Films such as ‘The Internship’ seem to promote the company and its contemporary and innovative values, showing Google HQ as being fun, lively and very community-driven. Google has become an inherent part of our lives; as students, creators, bosses, employees and human beings – we turn to it for entertainment, information and most significantly connectivity.
Public Image: As mentioned before, Google seems to promote itself as being fresh, innovative and lively. This image can be seen through its operations, employees and business environments. The company, as well as its associates and employees hold shared ideologies and commitments, endeavouring to deliver premium services to its users – which both educate and entertain. We can see consistency among its products and services; YouTube, Gmail, Drive, Chrome, and more all share many commonalities, for instance their aims to allow for sharing, simplicity and speed.
Here’s a set of motion graphics that were created for a Google event in 2013. I think they effectively convey some information regarding the values and ideologies I have discussed above. They are somewhat minimal, however they remain interesting – innovative and colourful. The graphics also seem to blend feelings of fun and liveliness with professionalism and business, and I think this is a key aspect of Google as an institution.