Maybe the world’s most popular unintentional brand?

Every company has a brand. But not every brand is intentional. Last week, someone asked me for an example of an unintentional brand and so I tried to think of the biggest, most well-known company I could think of. Here's my case for why Google is at or near the top of the list.

Intentionally creating a brand isn’t always necessary for success. Plenty of companies grow simply based on the utility/benefit of their product or service. In Google’s case, they came into the market and solved a need no one else was solving. Their search engine was like nothing else. It had a simple UI in the era of “portal pages” and delivered fast, accurate search results.

Very quickly, they gained a reputation as the only search engine worth using. Their unintentional brand was one of “fast, accurate results.” This unintentional brand was so strong, their name became a verb.

But other than that, what does Google stand for? Remember when they had a list of values on their site? “Don’t Be Evil” was famously one of those values but that soon disappeared with the rest (at least in the eyes of customers).

But what about now? What is their reason for existing, other than to collect their “customers” data and sell it?

A brand platform rests on a set of values and beliefs and Google has never really shown that they believe in anything that aligns with their customers values beyond the practical needs of using their products. On their “About Us” page, they say the following: “Committed to significantly improving the lives of as many people as possible.” But do we actually believe that? I know I don’t.

In the last couple of years, I’ve switched from Google as a search tool to DuckDuckGo. I’ve switched from Gmail to Hey. I’m sure I’ll eventually move on from the rest of their services. I’ll find companies that align with my values.

When you intentionally build a brand, you start with why. You start by discovering and articulating the values that drive your business and make sure they’re shared by your customer. You try to be more than just a useful tool.

The benefit is that when you have a strong brand, it transcends your products. It protects you when competitors try to copy your success. It keeps them coming back to you because you become a trusted partner. Yes, of course you still have to deliver a great product or service. Of course you have to continue to innovate. But your customers will be patient and will come along on the ride with you.

So what are your thoughts? Do you agree that Google is an unintentional brand? Do you know of others?