In a major push to unify Google Brand before the public launch of Google+, Google’s new social network; the search giant is contemplating renaming some of its services, reports Mashable.
The two services which are sure to have a name change (just name change. They will keep functioning as they are now) are the Picasa and Blogger.
Google’s two very popular services, Blogger and Picassa will soon be called “Google Photos” and “Google Blogs” respectively.
Google intends to retire several non-Google name brands and rename them as Google products, but although very popular Blogger and Picassa are there; Youtube another very popular brand would not be rebranded. May be memories of Google Video, a failed web video service of the tech giant, which it shut down in May, are still very fresh.
But Google is not setting any precedents with the these name changes; in the past Google is known for renaming services to look more like Google. Like Google acquired JotSpot in 2006 and rebranded it as Google Sites in 2008. In 2007, Google acquired VOIP platform GrandCentral and relaunched it as Google Voice in 2009.
Picasa and Blogger also Google acquisitions, never gave Google any reason to rebrand, as they were very popular services even before acquisition and continued to be so even under the Google umbrella. Picasa was acquired in 2004 and Blogger (co-founded by Evan Williams of Twitter) was acquired in 2003. Blogger always remained one of the top 10 most visited websites in the world.
According to Mashable, rebranding of Blogger and Picassa and many other Google services, will effect as soon as the next six weeks (over a month’s time).
I can’t tell of Picassa, as I have not used it much, except for uploading photographs on my blog; but the name change for Blogger will surely upset many existing customers and can have adverse impact on Google too’ by way of weakening the brand value.
There are reasons to this assumption: First of all ‘Blogger’ is not only the name of a service; it has also become a generic term. A person who runs websites, and can’t call himself or herself a site owner OR admin, calls himself a Blogger.
Secondly, creating a blog on Blogger doesn’t mean that a guy is on a sub-domain or under a service where people write just for the sake of writing. Being on blogger is different from being on Yahoo sites, Hubpages, etc. Being on Blogger means owning a house rather than an apartment; even when a person is using xyz.blogspot.com . It’s about feeling and sentiment.
Although, Google may get better ability to completely integrate both services, Blogger and Picassa into Google+; I think it should think twice before making name change to Blogger. Google should take unifying tips from Facebook, who brought all news on any website, via its array of integration buttons.
Do you use Blogger, what are your thoughts on this News? --------
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