duckduckgo,-info.com-crowd-out-bing-in-google?s-android-search-options

Google has announced which search engines will appear on its default search provider screen for Android users in the EU. Bing will appear as an option in the United Kingdom only, while DuckDuckGo and Info.com will appear alongside Google in all 31 EU territories, The Verge first reported Thursday.

Why is Google doing this? The Android search choice screen is part of Google’s efforts to comply with the European Commission’s July, 2018 antitrust ruling.

An example of the search choice screen. Source: Google.

How it works. Beginning on March 1, the search choice screen will be shown to users in the EU who are setting up their Android devices for the first time. Google, DuckDuckGo, Info.com and one other search engine (which varies depending on the region) will appear as options.

When the user selects their desired provider, the associated application will be installed and it will become the default search engine in Chrome and on the home screen search box.

Why these particular search engines? The search providers were selected using an auction method in which Google accepted bids on how much each provider was willing to pay per user that selects their search engine as the default.

The auctions were conducted on a per-country basis, using a “fourth-price” system, where the three winners pay Google the amount of the fourth-highest bid. The search providers selected in the first auction cycle will appear on the search choice screen for four months (until June 30), with future auctions occurring quarterly.

Auctions aren’t fair for all. “We believe this auction is at odds with the spirit of the July 2018 EU Commission ruling,” said Christian Kroll, CEO of Berlin-based search engine Ecosia, in a statement sent to Search Engine Land.

Ecosia uses its profits for reforestation efforts. “Planting trees in biodiversity hotspots is our priority, this means that biddings processes like this cut out purpose driven search engines like Ecosia,” said Kroll. Ecosia declared that it would boycott the auction shortly after the methodology was first announced in August 2019.

Where is Bing? Microsoft’s search engine is noticeably absent as a search choice except in the United Kingdom, where search ad revenue is likely to be higher than in nations with a lower GDP, The Verge noted.

Why we care. Despite offering users in the EU with three other search providers to choose from, it is not likely to make a big dent in Google’s share of the market as search is heavily integrated with its other Android apps and Google is what the majority of users are accustomed to.

Since an auction method was used, the choices merely reflect which search engines were willing to pay the most per user and is not indicative of search market share in those respective countries.



About The Author

George Nguyen is an Associate Editor at Third Door Media. His background is in content marketing, journalism, and storytelling.

want-to-connect-with-the-gen-z-crowd?-don’t-shy-away-from-social-issues

Gen Z — young adults currently ranging in age from 18 to 24-years-old — is a powerful consumer block. The group spends an estimated $143 billion a year and indirectly influences $333 billion in household spending annually, according to a Barkley report. That’s a lot of dollars up for grabs for brands who know how to connect with this audience.

To help advertisers understand what motivates Gen Z consumers, Facebook commissioned a survey by Crowd DNA, polling 11,300 people ages 18 to 24 from eleven different countries, including the U.S., UK, Australia, Germany, India and Nigeria.

More than half (52%) of the participants from the U.S. said they consider themselves to be “global citizens” — meaning they are aware of the world around them and realize their actions can have global consequences. That number was low compared to other countries like Australia where 90% of the survey participants identified as global citizens and 87% in Nigeria. (Only 40% in Germany identified as global citizens.) Of the eleven countries included in the study, six had more than 60% of Gen Zers identify as global citizens.

“This generation often puts aside its differences and rallies around causes that will benefit the greater good,” wrote Facebook. But, what does this mean for brands?

Gen Z wants brands to be socially conscious. Per the report, 68% of the survey participants expect brands to contribute to society, and 61% said they are willing to pay for more products that were produced in an ethical and sustainable way.

The Gen Z crowd’s expectations around social responsibility for brands go beyond sustainability issues. A separate study from Qualtrics found that 77% of Gen Z Facebook and Instagram users “feel more positive” about a brand when it promotes gender-equality themes on social platforms. “It’s not so much about representing women and men equally, but destroying our preconceptions of what it means to be male or female,” a 19-year-old female told Qualtrics.

In the Qualtrics report, only 45% of the 4,000 Gen Z users surveyed said they felt represented in ads — meaning more than half felt a disconnect with brands because of the lack of diversity in advertising. Seventy-one percent of the participants wanted more diversity in advertising. Brands are dismissing potential customers by not being more inclusive, the report concluded.

Gen Z wants a 1:1 dialogue with advertisers. The Crowd DNA survey found 60% of the Gen Z audience surveyed wished they could message more businesses.

Similarly, Gen Z social media users are open to brands posting in their online groups and communities. Ninety-one percent of 18 to 24 year-olds said they were open to auto brands posting in their online communities and 80% to CPG brands, according to a recent Facebook-commissioned Accenture survey.

Why we should care. Marketers must understand what motivates Gen Z consumers if they want to grab a portion of the $143 billion they’re spending — and the additional $333 billion dollars they influence. Advertisers who fear the risk of addressing socially-charged issues may be taking a bigger risk avoiding the very messaging that’s likely to attract younger audiences.

Also, it’s not enough to show up on the platforms younger audiences gravitate toward, like Snapchat which reports it reaches 90% of 13 to 24-year-olds in the U.S. Opening up direct communication channels on social platforms and messaging apps may take extra effort, but could put your brand ahead competitors that aren’t willing to make space for 1:1 conversations with younger consumers.



About The Author

Amy Gesenhues is a senior editor for Third Door Media, covering the latest news and updates for Marketing Land, Search Engine Land and MarTech Today. From 2009 to 2012, she was an award-winning syndicated columnist for a number of daily newspapers from New York to Texas. With more than ten years of marketing management experience, she has contributed to a variety of traditional and online publications, including MarketingProfs, SoftwareCEO, and Sales and Marketing Management Magazine. Read more of Amy’s articles.