Big Google for the Little Guy

I bet you didn’t know in 1998, the history of the United States changed forever. In that year, a small decision was made that affected the course of this country forever. It was something akin to the Boston Tea Party, but with fewer feathers, face paint, and wasted tea. The event: Google Inc. was officially born.

You may dismiss my claim for its apparent sensationalism, but allow me to illuminate my reasoning. Ten years ago, Google was physically located in a garage. Now, people are speculating that Google is building its own internet. But it’s not merely Google’s success, it’s also Google’s new-found ability to flex its success and make dramatic, desperate, and much-needed changes in U.S. business law and policy. Google is using its influence and “Do no evil” mantra to change the FCC’s rules on using the wireless spectrum. And, furthermore, Google is extending its AdSense sensibility to the cable television market.

Google has developed Google AdWords for television. Currently, you can only take advantage of this through DISH Network, but Google has plans to extend out into other television network providers. This means that an individual will be able to buy targeted ads via Google to viewers that will actually be interested in their product. For me, that means fewer car commercials. I hate car commercials. I don’t need a new car! Anyway, Google entering the TV ad market is going to make better advertising and promote competition that has been long stagnate due to media monopoly by cable conglomerates like Cox, et al.

The simplicity of purchasing the ad time, and the specificity of the ad means that individuals and companies can spend less money and get better results. Offering the cheaper and better alternative means that businesses will choose Google over current advertisers… that are owned by the cable companies. Naturally, the cable companies are banding together to create a competitor to Google: Project Canoe.

What Google is doing, intentionally or not, is giving the little guy a chance against the monopolies that are overpowering the U.S. economy. It’s influencing government bodies to open up the soon-to-be-available 700 MHz spectrum to small companies, by enforcing that larger companies auction off unused bandwidth at wholesale prices. Couple that with the new and easy television advertising and you have some sweating CEOs sitting in their gold-plated leather office chairs. They may have to downgrade to a less supple leather if Google is as successful as I anticipate.

So, in all, 1998 marked the beginning of, what I hope to be, a new era of democratization in our capitalist economy. Google, a powerful company, is now standing on the side of the little people, and using its concentrated efforts to bring competition back to the marketplace. It may not be the beginning of a new government for the people and by the people, but it certainly is a step toward putting the power of the U.S. economy back in the hands of the average person.