Google has unveiled a new logo for its Chrome browser. But if you didn’t know better, the changes would hardly be noticeable. Nevertheless, some media jumped on this almost meaningless message and ultimately provide Google with one thing above all: free PR. A comment.
A little richer colors here and a little less shades there: The new logo of Google Chrome should hardly stand out if you didn’t know better. The fact that the Chrome logo has been adapted for the first time in eight years doesn’t help much either.
A message is certainly not worth it. And yet numerous media report on this banality and ultimately provide Google with one thing above all: free PR. A clever move that originated in a tweet by Chrome designer Alvin Hu.
New Google Chrome logo: When journalism does free PR
Faster, harder, more up-to-date: Digitalization has significantly flattened journalism. Although the speed factor in particular can play a decisive advantage, nowadays it is literally felt that every sow is driven through the village.
Because everything with which attention and clicks can be generated ends up on the net. So also the banal message that Google has changed the logo for its browser Chrome.
Statements such as “for the first time in 8 years” or “for the first time in 8 years” seem almost absurd, since the logo has hardly changed in principle. However, such sentence modules can make even a totally banal message interesting and ultimately attract one thing above all: attention.
Without these reports, probably no one would have noticed the change. But Google will be pleased, because for the company this is ultimately one thing above all: free public relations.
Flatter and stronger: Banal topics are praised on the web
The journalistic added value of such reports seems hardly recognizable or at least questionable. Messages that should actually go unnoticed or at least be critically questioned end up as a free ad on some websites.
And this despite the fact that they would actually be a classic case for the recycle bin. Even if it is often pointed out that the new Google Chrome logo has hardly changed in principle: Who needs such reports? That’s right: except for Google, nobody really.
But as is so often the case, of course, it’s about clicks, competition and speed. Ultimately, Google also ranks such articles in its search results. Journalism should actually report objectively and provide society with relevant information.
However, the new Google Chrome logo is certainly not relevant. After all, who but Google’s PR department cares? Rather, it is a popular trick to abuse one or the other medium for PR purposes and to catch attention.
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