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September 19, 2007

Google Promotes 411 Service On Billboards

Duncan Riley

38 comments »

goog411.jpg

OK, a Google flavored billboard might not seem that exciting, but for a company with products that have always promoted themselves, it’s an interesting change from Google.

This shot was taken in upstate New York, far, far away from the early adopter crowd or the inner-city types whom Google might normally pitch to. Is it a sign that Google is looking to better promote it’s more obscure services to middle America? Perhaps, or as Search Engine Land suggests it might just be a trial as well.

Goog-411 launched in April 2007.

(image credit: Blumenthals via SEL)

  • Sphere It

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 19th, 2007 at 12:33 pm and is filed under Company & Product Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  1. Devthink

    September 19th, 2007 at 4:34 pm

  2. sumaphil.de

    September 23rd, 2007 at 4:48 pm

  3. Screen Snooze » Microsoft’s Live Search 411 to rival GOOG-411

    October 15th, 2007 at 10:56 pm

Comments

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  1. Josh

    September 19th, 2007 at 12:42 pm

    I can’t decide whether to be excited or not.

    I have used it more than a few times, but I think they still need some improvements to make it great. That or businesses need to commit to it which i’m sure Google wouldn’t mind.

  2. John Doe

    September 19th, 2007 at 12:45 pm

    That is the worst looking billboard I have ever seen. I hope Ogilvy and Co have better ideas than that!

  3. BJohnson

    September 19th, 2007 at 12:50 pm

    Really awful grammer in the first sentence there. Don’t you guys proofread anything?

    Sorry to be picky, but it’s just a pain to always having to read sloppy copy here.

  4. BJohnson

    September 19th, 2007 at 12:51 pm

    I mean “grammar.”

    Now you’ve got me doing it. :)

  5. * MISS UNIVERSE

    September 19th, 2007 at 12:53 pm

    It really is a great service - instead of using a cell phone to dial directory assistance and pay the huge cost, you can use a public phone and get the business number AND be connected ….FREE

    The quality of the connection is crystal clear

    What is even more helpful is the ability to limit results by Zip Codes

  6. airj1012

    September 19th, 2007 at 1:10 pm

    I like the ability to send you text messages. I remember I was looking for a hotel at the beach and I accidentally entered the wrong address into my GPS unit. I simply called Goog-411, because I didn’t have the correct address or their phone number and I was able to find the correct hotel with their service. Then I had the information texted to me so I could slowly read the information and put the correct address into my GPS unit. It worked great, and plus it’s free. I’ll continue to tell others about this free 411 experience.

  7. Adam

    September 19th, 2007 at 1:14 pm

    >>This shot was taken in upstate New York, far, far away from the early adopter crowd or the inner-city types whom Google might normally pitch to

    Pretty sure there’s also a GOOG 411 billboard near the valley/101…so Google’s still pitching to their users closer to home.

  8. Duncan Riley

    September 19th, 2007 at 1:25 pm

    Adam,
    where? I’m here for 3 more days, I can take pics :-)

  9. Steve Ballmer

    September 19th, 2007 at 1:30 pm

    I dialed the number, only got some sort of beeping.
    Typical Google, hype not substance!

    http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com

  10. AJ

    September 19th, 2007 at 1:31 pm

    BJohnson, yes you are being picky. Take a chill pill.

  11. Dan

    September 19th, 2007 at 1:55 pm

    That is great. Now I can see where all my click fraud money is going…

    paying for lame billboards

    http://adwordseditor.blogspot......fraud.html

  12. orga

    September 19th, 2007 at 2:00 pm

    They should say ‘FREE 411′ or something on that. How is anyone supposed to know its free. Maybe the really light gray text says that. Google sucks at marketing. If the media didn’t have a hard on everytime they release a new product, no one would know anything.

  13. Lance Bailey

    September 19th, 2007 at 2:12 pm

    I called and purposely mummbled city and state
    then the was ask to put in my zip code
    I was allowed to put it in three time’s, they keep saying sorry please try again
    Then something happen that I have never Had happen to me before on any 411 service -WE ARE SORRY HANG UP AND TRY AGAIN LATER-

    Note to google
    BUY 1-800-FREE-411

  14. sandrine

    September 19th, 2007 at 2:22 pm

    I agree with BJohnson. It’s not a matter of being picky. It’s a basic prerequisite of being in the writing business. If Techcrunch is going to defend blogs/web vs. traditional journalism, it needs to at least feign an interest in basic grammar and copy editing. Continuing to confuse “its” and “it’s” in post after post is amateurish. I’ll happily mail 5 copies of Strunk & White to TC HQ if you promise to read them.

  15. Brent

    September 19th, 2007 at 2:31 pm

    They have another billboard as you’re exiting 280 onto Octavia, up in San Francisco.

  16. Biz Stone

    September 19th, 2007 at 3:38 pm

    There’s one in Oakland on San Pablo Ave just as you’re leaving Berkeley too. Saw it the other day.

  17. Jason Je

    September 19th, 2007 at 3:42 pm

    I can confirm there is one in Silicon Valley (San Jose) on 880 Northbound.

  18. Your Daddy

    September 19th, 2007 at 4:26 pm

    Look slike its in BFE.

  19. John

    September 19th, 2007 at 5:15 pm

    Google has this billboard in San Francisco as well - near the offramp (Exit 434A to merge onto Mission St) on 101.

  20. Justin

    September 19th, 2007 at 5:30 pm

    I also saw this same billboard in the bay area. I don’t remember where specifically, but it was when I was on my way to SF from San Mateo. I think it might have been in the city itself…

  21. Justin

    September 19th, 2007 at 5:32 pm

    Ah, yup. John pinpointed the exact one I saw this weekend.

  22. joe

    September 19th, 2007 at 5:50 pm

    I wonder where exactly this is in upstate NY. There are a lot of commuter towns in upstate NY I wouldn’t _exactly_ call “middle america”.

  23. steve ballmer

    September 19th, 2007 at 6:23 pm

    This is just a photoshoped picture, you guys fall for anything.

    http://fakesteveballmer.blogspot.com

  24. Andyman

    September 20th, 2007 at 8:14 am

    Will someone please banish “fake Steve Ballmer” from TechCrunch boards? Getting really, really tired of seeing posts from him/her all over the place that aren’t funny. Perhaps I should be asking the self-indulgent faker to self-banish instead.

    Fake Steve Ballmer: can you do us a favor and leave off already? Your posts aren’t funny or interesting. Thanking you in advance.

  25. Aaron

    September 20th, 2007 at 12:21 pm

    It’s from Olean, NY — which is far from upstate…. it’s about 20 miles from the PA border in Western NY between Jamestown & Elmira.

  26. Aaron

    September 20th, 2007 at 12:23 pm

    Which is pretty rural…

  27. Marco

    September 20th, 2007 at 4:52 pm

    i love this service… “say again”… “say again” after the seventh call it finally understands HOTEL lol… funny… well but who complains… it’s FREE!

  28. Ryan

    September 21st, 2007 at 2:00 pm

    Just to add to the pile. Billboard at 5th and Harrison, in SF.

  29. Evan Hamilton

    September 21st, 2007 at 4:59 pm

    Seen a number of these in the Bay Area, and for once I was actually convinced by a billboard. I had my phone, so why not try it, especially since it’s free?

    Worked well for me, very clear and understood what I was saying. I think it has a lot of potential, and I think advertising to those who are bored in the cars, heading home where they’ll need to find entertainment and food for the evening is pretty brilliant. Remind them when they’ll need it.

  30. exsmoker

    September 26th, 2007 at 4:13 am

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    September 30th, 2007 at 8:27 pm

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  32. markofando

    October 1st, 2007 at 11:24 pm

    Want to start your private office arms race right now?

    I just got my own USB rocket launcher :-) Awsome thing.

    Plug into your computer and you got a remote controlled office missile launcher with 360 degrees horizontal and 45 degree vertival rotation with a range of more than 6 meters - which gives you a coverage of 113 square meters round your workplace.
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    October 4th, 2007 at 5:51 am

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  34. suennaGyday

    October 4th, 2007 at 7:08 pm

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    Next, there’s the special Sale link. This is open every Friday, and ONLY on Fridays.

    You can find the same good discounts here as you would in hidden Deals, although some
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  35. pichelm

    October 7th, 2007 at 8:14 am

    Привет.
    Продаю персональный сертификат WebMoney за $99.

    Можете проверить: WMID 322973398779 Redfern

    Всё чисто, не одной жалоб. Сделан на утерянные документы. Всё законно.
    Если нужно, то есть сертификаты ещё.
    Стучацо в личную почту на Вебмани.

    Это не спам. Не пишите на мой WMID жалобы в арбитраж Вебмани.

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