Ok Google, how is Bard getting in advertisers?

When Google announced late in September that its generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, Bard, would now be linked to their entire suite of Google apps, it marked the latest move in the ongoing AI wars, according to breathless think pieces and various media reports.

While Google Bard’s closest competitor (though it’s really the other way around) Open AI’s ChatGPT (funded by arch nemesis Microsoft) has been available on MS’s Bing browser for a few months now, Bard’s Google plug-ins mean users will be able to use the chatbot to sift through their documents and spreadsheets, as well as access Google services such as Maps and YouTube, giving users AI aid literally at their fingertips and voice to speak with.

Preetham Venkky, Chief Digital Officer, DDB Mudra notes: “Obviously, Google builds for users first. And that's exactly what they've done. Now look at the selection of what they've used. They've used Docs, Flights, YouTube, Mail and Maps. Docs make a lot of sense in that it’s just an extension to email. Together, they go hand in hand, because I think it's just a user interface change.”

“What I find really interesting is this ecosystem of maps, flights and hotels. Because at its core, you can do itinerary planning with some apps, but they're not very actionable. I still have to manually go ahead and book the hotels, and I still have to do the route mapping, all of that. I think just stringing together just the maps, hotels and flights makes a killer of a difference to how you plan a holiday. And I think that will give Bard the ability to in a lot of ways become the central search for holiday planning,” he adds, presumably giving Google the idea to start a ‘journeys app’.

Bharatesh Salian, Sr. Vice President – Marketing Science and CX, FCB/SIX India, noted that as of now the plugins have been introduced more as a productive tool for the Google user. “The current plugins allow a deep integration to existing Google services which could see a shift in the search behaviour patterns and the way SEO would work in the near future. Advertisers will have to tweak the content and strategies to make websites BARD AI friendly too.”

According to Mordor Intelligence, “The Global Chatbot Market size is estimated at USD 5.86 billion in 2023, and is expected to reach USD 21.08 billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 29.18% during the forecast period (2023-2028).” The chatbots themselves are only one application of the Generative AI technology, which is projected to grow from USD 43.87 billion in 2023 to a staggering USD 667.96 billion by 2030, exhibiting a CAGR of 47.5% during the forecast period.

As the Bard AI plugin waltzes into Google Apps, Mitesh Kothari, Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer, White Rivers Media, says that advertisers need to be strategic. “You'll need to craft ads that are not just ads, but engaging conversations. Bard is all about conversations. Tailor your message to blend seamlessly into these dialogues. Make sure your content is witty, informative, and engaging, so it doesn't just stand out; it steals the spotlight.”

And speaking of the spotlight, Venkky points to the Search Generative Experience that the Google search bar has been transformed into. “You can see how you don't even get to organic search results in the first fold. Just looking at user experience, you open it: first, you get SGE that's practically half the screen. And then it's sponsored ads. And then you get the organic results. There's an old saying, ‘where do you hide the dead body? On the second page of Google’.”

“So, I think brands need to look at optimizing for SGE and searchable results that come through the generative experience because Google hasn't removed the organic part yet; you still get the thumbnails and links to the articles in the top right-hand corner in SGE. So, I think that's what brands need to aim at. They really change the schema with which they're creating content. This is what I call a breaking change. What I mean by a breaking change is the change that breaks most things. And so, brands need to re-orchestrate and then build around this breaking change.”

According to Salian, Search, Maps (GMB) and YouTube might see the largest shift due to the change in the way users would get the search listings post-BARD AI plugins. “It would be interesting to see how BARD AI plugins would decipher reviews and other user comments, which create personalised search listings on Maps, YouTube as well as on Google Search.”

“Using Gmail with its personal touch, YouTube with its viral potential and Search like a bustling marketplace, you can craft campaigns that reach your audience and resonate with them. Compose campaigns that hit all the right notes across these platforms and leave an unforgettable impression,” adds Kothari.