Google’s brand is entering a potentially lethal tailspin stage. Why? Because people are waking up to the fact that they are no longer a search company. They are an advertising company.

They do not bring you the best results. They bring you the best results which do not conflict with their advertising plans.

Therefore their brand is out of intent/action harmony with itself. They became known first and foremost among technology trend-setters and early adopters as the best place to go to find relevant search results. Now some of the most technologically ‘edgy’ people are blocking out Google’s ads on a browser level (which Google also has their hands in, incidentally!). Just like how Google used to be known for filtering our paid results within their search results.

Google needs to solve this core logical inconsistency at the center of their brand, or watch it all unravel.