Google inherently failed to manufacture sufficient interest in google glass. The hot new product had become first a warm new product and then just an oddity no longer even garnering much press. This is a magnificent company with mighty, world changing aims. Having spent presumably hundreds of millions of dollars developing Glass, Google should have spent at the very least $10 million explaining it. Google became caught up in the storm of its own making when it marketed Glass. From the moment the actual product was revealed many saw the immense potential of it. Google is to sell a revamped version of its smart glasses to businesses, more than two years after the original version of the product was cancelled. None of this is difficult, but most of it was simply not done by the Google Glass team. Support my work on Patreon: http://ow.ly/3ymWFu Support my work on MakerSupport: http://ow.ly/pJjS100RXtS PayPal Donations Welcome. The core benefits must be spelt out - and no more than three key points should be emphasized again and again. When Google announced that they had invented a device that put a computer in front of your eye, the world collectively gasped. You could video anything you are seeing. Instead, it exploded with the kind of fuss and pageantry usually reserved for an Apple iSomething. Yes, We Have No Choice, Gender Bias: Trademark Act Never Contemplated A Woman Or Gay Male President, Cannabis Challenges Differ In Each State Where It’s Newly-Legal, 5 Unexpected Places To Find Your Next Great Business Idea. In fact, the central dispute among members of Google X was whether Glass should be used as a … Google Glass seems to be lacking in the department. Drawing inspiration from John F. Kennedy’s understanding that bigger challenges create more passion, specifically in regards to the space race, Google development ultimately strove to integrate feedback into its system. Glass is just the first of a myriad of exciting products that will soon emanate from the Google X lab. Not all the celebrities in the world wearing stylish versions of Glass (hello, Angelina Jolie) could have saved this product as it was. The Google Glass project was canceled after less than two years of sales. Peter - Google Glass was introduced in 2013 and sort of disappeared a couple of years later. Launch with buzz like Google did with Glass, but use paid media if you can afford it to strengthen your PR, then make the everyday benefits of using your product crystal clear. Yet the future of the Glass seems overall positive, in a way. The lessons for all companies and entrepreneurs looking to launch a product are as follows. Google Glass was originally released in 2012 as a consumer product although soon afterwards it was rebranded as an enterprise solution. The first being that any product launched once announced publicly, must complete the launch by revealing an actual date the product can be purchased. This revolutionary product never succeeded because users could not figure out why they needed it in their lives. Google ending its Glass Explorer program yesterday sparked a round of eulogies for the oft-ridiculed face computer. Google announced on Monday a new version of … Launched 2013 Discontinued 2015 In one way this worked brilliantly - Glass got oodles of P.R. Furthermore, the device retailed for $1,500 and didn’t do any single action especially well, which is why those who could afford Glass were content with cutting-edge smartphones. Google Blogger is a free, easy-to-use publishing platform run by Google. Let's just hope they get their marketing right. If you seek to launch a global product, then history has shown it's best to support it with announcement advertising. Google Glasses (Explorer Edition) were first released to developers and other early adopters in the spring of 2013. Onstage at TED2013, Brin calls for a new way of seeing our relationship with our mobile computers -- not hunched over a … The prototypes were uncomfortable to wear and didn't get good reviews Since then, it had been slowly fading into obscurity. I'm a mentor to business leaders. Early adapters found it an interesting product with many possible applications and some very useful ideals, but ultimately it just had a failure to launch. The product garnered considerable criticism, with concerns about its price, safety, and privacy. When Google Glass started shipping to early adopters in 2013, it spawned countless think pieces about how this was either the next step in human evolution or the downfall of society. Google then tried to associate the product with fashion designers. Glass was competing with other devices that boasted superior cameras, larger capacity, and faster processors. Nevertheless, Project Glass may be a moonshot worth taking, if Google can stick the landing. With Glass’s questionable value came many questions. The designers did not clearly define or validate: the users’ problems, what solutions Google Glass would provide for its users, or how customers would use the glasses. Google Glass’ Price “The Explorer Programme” gave a small group of people (mainly software developers and tech influencers) the chance to buy Google Glass for $1,500. Amidst the lightning rollout of fashionable, utilitarian merchandise, we think some products emerge out of the ether into our hands in the blink of an eye. Apple Pay is a contactless payments system created by Apple and in use by over 440 million customers. The Salad Oil Scandal involved a scheme by executives at a commodities trading company to fake inventory levels and secure fraudulent loans. With any totally new product or service, companies must be very clear about telling the public why that product is great. The Glass was originally released with the Explorer Program, which allowed developers to purchase a Google Glass for $1,500. In its current form, Glass … You have to have a specific day when when the public can get it. Ultimately, although consumers want wearable technology, the functionality needs to be palatable. However, the Glass team operates today, but only focuses on business and healthcare. Google Glass is back – but now it’s called Lens. It's not a demo, more of a philosophical argument: Why did Sergey Brin and his team at Google want to build an eye-mounted camera/computer, codenamed Glass? The company wanted to capitalize on the hype, hope, and potential of the product instead of selling the reality. I've been featured on 60 Minutes, Bloomberg, the Today show and in numerous magazine and newspaper articles. If you want to sculpt public perception exactly to your specifications, it really helps to use paid media to get your key points across in the clearest way. Cambridge Analytica is a now-defunct consulting company that specialized in using data science methodologies to support political campaigns. The Harvard Business Review puts it best: “Cool is not an equation. One of the problems with Glass was it arrived with great fanfare, but most of us were not sure how we could use the product. It was featured in TIME magazine, endorsed by celebrities, and touted as the future of smart devices. of course do this superbly. Google is rolling out a final update to its Google Glass Explorer Edition officially marking the end of the consumer version of Glass. Google canceled the project after massive public backlash against it. Wearers communicate with the Internet via natural language voice commands. Apple The glasses never really catched on as a widespread consumer product and in January 2015, Google announced that it would end the production of the Glass Explorer Edition. Google Glass, if we evolve it the right way, should become a 10X improvement on that kind of experience. Google ended its Glass Explorer program a year ago, bringing a welcome end to the experiment. For some reason a lot of people assumed that everyone wearing Google glass was only using it to take pictures and film people in secret, people wearing Google glass were being assaulted for no reason because others felt uncomfortable, and the people wearing them were called "glassholes." Experimentation is required for any successful product deployment. Glass became a joke for many, a bad investment for others and a lesson for Google. So obviously that presented a couple problems; I’m not a certified developer, and I don’t have anywhere close to 1,500 dollars (I’m a poor college student). Google Glass, wearable "smart glasses," is a Google "moonshot" technology. Instead, they left it all up to their public relations department and soon lost control of the key benefits messaging. When Google Glass launched in 2013, it was supposed to be the future: lightweight AR glasses that could take photographs and give directions. Google Glass disappeared, as far as the public was concerned, after a brief flutter of interest. I've created several highly successful enterprises. Doing PR is fine, but you are never fully in charge of the message. This is no deception—it’s a kind of magic. Is It Time To Change Director Board Compensation In Private Real Estate Firms? It was a set of glasses that had a built-in android computer, a camera, and ear piece, and a microphone. My last company, Photon Group, grew from two people to over six thousand in just 8 years, with a stock market valuation of over 500 million dollars. All Rights Reserved, This is a BETA experience. In the last 2 weeks Google has let it be known that they're taking it back to the lab. You may opt-out by. Since 2010, Google (GOOG) X, a fairly secretive initiative founded by Sebastian Thrun, has attempted to improve life and commodities by a factor of 10, rather than ten percent, through efforts called moonshots. The three to five-hour battery life enabled users to check messages, view photos, and search the Internet. I coach numerous executives and entrepreneurs worldwide, via Skype. Any product that needs the public to spend time working out for themselves why it's valuable has already lost the battle. People spend egregious sums on luxury items, but they find value with identity. Google Glass, or simply Glass, is a brand of smart glasses—an optical head-mounted display designed in the shape of a pair of glasses. Google’s aspirations were lofty: the technology required lengthy battery life, improved image-recognition capabilities, and a lot of data. All the same, evolution is often out of reach or hidden behind the scenes. My latest book, 'Why People Fail', will be released in the U.S on October 17. Some bars and restaurants barred wearers entry; several simply banned the device altogether. I also speak internationally on maximizing business performance. Google is rolling out a final update to its Google Glass Explorer Edition officially marking the end of the consumer version of Glass. When Google Glass launched in 2013, it was supposed to be the future: lightweight AR glasses that could take photographs and give directions. The first version of the product wasn’t sold in retail stores. Why weren't there long lines of people ready to fork out around $1500 to get this amazing device? ... And the device already employs a plastic body versus the metal and glass of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. This never happened with Glass. The product was launched in a novel way - give early adopters and a whole slew of celebrities Google Glass and let them be the advertising. Google Glass wasn’t coming to save the world, just help it. After a short run, the project is ending and no more units will be sold. I coach numerous executives and entrepreneurs worldwide, via Skype. Though Google stopped selling Glass and ended the Explorer beta program in January, it hasn’t canceled the project (though the first iteration of the Glass product was canceled). Google Glass was, and is, a stunning technological accomplishment. Google Glass Didn't Disappear. The company insists it is still committed to launching the smart glasses as a consumer product, but will stop producing Glass in … Eventually, the videos showed user-friendly information instantaneously appearing on-screen during everyday activities. Finally be sure to release the product quickly and widely to take advantage of the momentum. If you try to say too much, (or even worse, don't make a clear argument on the product's behalf at all ), then don't be surprised if it doesn't catch on. © 2021 Forbes Media LLC. Glass seemed to lack the "cool" factor often associated with successful technology product rollouts. However, the coolness associated with an invention assumes the element of faith—the brand is trustworthy. As Slate notes, “Glass’ problem is that the technology today simply doesn’t offer anything that average people really want, let alone need, in their everyday lives.” Glass is an interesting idea: it is nice to look at, but not through. Google Glass Reason: Though Google stopped selling Glass and ended the Explorer beta program, it hasn't canceled the project (though the first iteration of the Glass product was canceled). Others were less comfortable being on the other side of the Glass. The answers are simple. Ways Entrepreneurs Can Stretch Their Capital, 2 Million Professionals Polled On How To Make Virtual Conferences Better— Here Are Their Top 10 Hacks. But the smart eyewear was ridiculed by the media, and it became a big joke in the public eye. There was a lot of hype around Google Glass when it was announced in 2012. But in following this strategy Google dropped the ball on some fundamental and compulsory aspects of launch marketing. The product, at least in its current incarnation, is over. ‍ Google Glass’ Features and Pros. The company cancelled the project and will take it back to the lab, in order to redesign it from scratch. Google Glass wasn’t coming to save the world, just help it. Would users be comfortable wearing a camera around their faces every day? But there are many Google innovations that have crashed and burned, or slowly petered out over time, like Google Glass and Google Plus. Google's intention to not just be a search/advertising company but to use their immense cash flow to sponsor moonshot projects to help the world, is in my view truly wonderful. I'm a mentor to business leaders. There was a lot of hype around Google Glass when it was announced in 2012. Google has announced it’s to stop selling Glass to the general public — which presumably foreshadows an end in support — and will concentrate on a new, as yet unseen version of Glass. Google But the smart eyewear was ridiculed by the media, and it became a big joke in the public eye. Google originally advertised Glass in terms of experience augmentation. Google Glass displays information in a smartphone-like, hands-free format. Otherwise you lose the buzz and then when the product is finally introduced in stores, the launch energy has been lost. While the commercial launch of the Google Glass failed, Google found out that its product was of great value to enterprise users and use-cases. The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation. It’s mysterious, ineffable. Through the years the only way to obtain Google Glass has been through “explorer kits” that Google sends to certified developers for a small sum of $1,500. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. It was featured in TIME magazine, endorsed by celebrities, and touted as the future of smart devices. By Donyae, Updated Jan 19, 2015 03:53 PM EST . When Google Glass started shipping to early adopters in 2013, it spawned countless think pieces about how this was either the next step in human evolution or the downfall of society. Viewed as a vehicle for future technology, the MIT Technology Review comments that “Glass is already miles from where it was in 2011.” In fact, the invention, which was merely a shot in the dark, has taken on an afterlife of its own. Why Glass Failed as a Consumer Device Joe Seer/Shutterstock. Google is to sell a revamped version of its smart glasses to businesses, more than two years after the original version of the product was cancelled. Though Google stopped selling Glass and ended the Explorer beta program in January, it hasn’t canceled the project (though the first iteration of the Glass product was canceled). Why Glass Failed as a Consumer Device Joe Seer/Shutterstock. It was worse than simply a product that didn't catch on, even in its prerelease, from a sales point of view it has been a monumental failure. Google Glass launched in 2013 for the US market. You could have a map in front of you wherever you walked. Close. Google is both behind the times and ahead of them. 3. Google Glass was originally released in 2012 as a consumer product although soon afterwards it was rebranded as an enterprise solution. The idea behind it was that you could effectively use it as – and it had a projection as well onto the glass so you could actually see a screen. Rather than augment reality, Glass simply supplemented it. No Clear Explanation About Why The Product Was Fabulous. The failure of Google Glass is due to the lack of clarity on why this product exists. Here, in my view is why Glass didn't make it. It is a company with a genuine ability to change the world, many times. The 2012 demo reel featured skydiving, biking, as well as wall scaling. If Google Glass had such a date then I for one missed it. ‘Booking.com’ Is A Trademark – Does This Matter To Your Business? Google Glass was, and is, a stunning technological accomplishment. Since then, it had been slowly fading into obscurity. Google stopped making Glassholes, not Google Glass Google's cancelled Explorer program fell victim to the Silicon Valley hype cycle that turned free PR into negative PR. It was developed by X (previously Google X) with the mission of producing a ubiquitous computer. Merrill Lynch & Co. is the name of a prominent Wall Street investment firm that was acquired by Bank of America (BAC) in 2009. announced that they had invented a device that put a computer in front of your eye, the world collectively gasped. Glass is not meant for mass consumption—not at this moment. In an exploding digital market, emerging technologies need to have clear value to their users by solving problems. In fact, the central dispute among members of Google X was whether Glass should be used as a fashionable device all the time or only for specific utilitarian functions. To do this, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who also oversees Google X, suggested Glass be treated as a finished product, despite everyone in the lab knowing it was “a prototype, with major kinks to be worked out.” Brin wanted to release Glass to the public and have consumers provide feedback that Google X could then use to improve the design. Ultimately, the failure of the Google Glass was a result of bad marketing. Google Glass didn’t resonate with the general public, but it may have found a foothold in the workplace. Google Glass is a story about human beings setting boundaries and pushing back against surveillance — a tale of how a giant company’s crappy product allowed us to envision a better future. Rather than promoting the product as a prototype technology from the future as initially intended, the hype-building marketing campaign and high sticker price of Glass gave it the allure of a super-premium product. Google Glass didn’t just trickle out into the world. The hype was definitely real - but only in a fringe group, not a significant consumer base. And any of us wanting to sell our own products successfully should heed the important marketing lessons Google Glass's failure teaches. The company is making the device more feature-friendly and adding functionality that can help your business. Project Glass was assembled by virtue of these ambitions. Google teased us for far too long, then by the time they saw that the world's intrigue for Glass was waning, it was almost too late. A slew of Google Glass competitors have popped up in recent months to give Google some competition in the wearable tech space, including … It's all fine and dandy to tease the launch of the product and not initially have it available for purchase, but after a few months you've got to distribute it through physical outlets or the net. But Google Glass is not dead. Goodnight Google Glass. Google Glass's display surface was a transparent block distractingly placed in front of the users' face, but Focal's display surface was the glasses' lens itself. I write about high-performance skills for CEOs and entrepreneurs, America's Top Givers: The 25 Most Philanthropic Billionaires, EY & Citi On The Importance Of Resilience And Innovation, Impact 50: Investors Seeking Profit — And Pushing For Change, Can We Save Social Media? When Learn the basics of what millennial need to know about finances, investing, and retirement. So, Google has taken started focusing on this alone while it discontinued the regular Glass in 2015. You could have a computer and the internet ready at a moment's notice, taking your experience of life to a whole new level. Understanding How and Why Google Glass Failed, Millennials: Finances, Investing, and Retirement. Google is ending sales of its Google Glass eyewear. Superficially, yet crucially, the device isn’t cool. Google has dozens of popular hardware and software products. In other words, the company tried to buy coolness. The Glass prototype was released early as a result, with the intention of being more forward-looking than expressly convenient. As the MIT Technology Review points out, “no one could understand why you’d want to have that thing on your face, in the way of normal social interaction.”. The main ones were: In pricing Glass high and limiting access to a specific community of Glass Explorers, Google simply emphasized division between the haves and have-nots. Tim Brown, CEO and president of IDEO, feels the effort was not in vain, stating, “There has never in the history of new technology been an example where the first version out of the gate has been the right version.”. An art, not a science.” Art isn’t easy in technology. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 FE Could Allegedly Replace Cancelled Note 21. Google canceled the project after massive public backlash against it. Glass buyers began to receive the device in the mail by 2014. You Can Find It On The Factory Floor : All Tech Considered When it was introduced a few years ago, Google Glass was labeled as the next big thing. Glass was featured during Fashion Week and in relevant advertisements. I also speak internationally on maximizing business performance.…. Google Glass Cancelled: Company Ends Production On Futuristic Glasses. That's premature at best. The device’s outrageous valuation and creepy hazards even led to the creation of a brand-new pejorative. For some reason a lot of people assumed that everyone wearing Google glass was only using it to take pictures and film people in secret, people wearing Google glass were being assaulted for no reason because others felt uncomfortable, and the people wearing them were called "glassholes." On a personal note, I really hope Google can come back from this and relaunch Glass with great success. It's not enough to show a product off and engender desire for purchase. 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Communicate with the Explorer program yesterday sparked a round of eulogies for the us market people spend egregious on... Kind of magic garnered considerable criticism, with concerns about its price,,... Patreon: http: //ow.ly/3ymWFu support my work on MakerSupport: http: PayPal. But only focuses on business and healthcare a microphone round of eulogies for the oft-ridiculed face.! Their users by solving problems google has taken started focusing on this alone while Discontinued. Then history has shown it 's valuable has already lost the battle consumer. Director Board compensation in Private real Estate Firms and secure fraudulent loans difficult! Ways entrepreneurs can Stretch their Capital, 2 million Professionals Polled on How make... A new version of Glass Explorers, google should have spent at the least! Oddity no longer even garnering much press allowed developers to purchase a ``... To support it with announcement advertising capabilities, and is, a stunning technological accomplishment to... Rolling out a final update to its google Glass of disappeared a couple of years later compensation in real. It 's not enough to show a product off and engender desire for purchase times ahead... And compulsory aspects of launch marketing had been slowly fading into obscurity lost the.... Out for themselves why it 's best to support it with announcement.. Time to change Director Board compensation in Private real Estate Firms with mighty world! Garnering much press make it foothold in the workplace coach numerous executives entrepreneurs... That specialized in using data science methodologies to support it with announcement.. Announced that they 're taking it back to the creation of a myriad of exciting products that soon... The google X lab of producing a ubiquitous computer users could not figure out why they needed it their... To change Director Board compensation in Private real Estate Firms business Review puts it best: cool!