Google Home Hits Retail

Several retailers are supporting the launch of Google Home, the search giant's response to Amazon's Echo speaker.Beyond controlling music streaming and sharing basic information like calendar appointments and weather, the voice-activated speaker uses the Google Assistant AI to answer questions, order items online or communicate with smart appliances.The device was available for pre-orders in October and officially hit Best Buy, Target and Walmart on Nov. 4 — though the last reportedly displayed the SKU a few days early in at least one location.Best Buy stocks the device on a dedicated endcap display and offered a $30 discount on the $130 unit over Black Friday. Paid search ads support, linking to a product page within bestbuy.com that promises six months of Google's YouTube Red free with purchase of the device. The national incentive is valid through the end of the year.Google's national launch campaign also includes a 30-second TV spot, print ads in magazines such as Conde Nast's Wired, display ads running on a multitude of websites, outdoor ads in regions such as Chicago, various online videos, and product listing ads.At Walmart, security shrouds promoted the device at launch. A dedicated walmart.com web page details the speaker's functions and compatible services. A home page carousel ad invited preorders.Target is running supporting display ads throughout its website that link to a product page. A separate showcase details product functions.After this article was published, Target installed a dedicated "Made by Goolge" endcap display spotlighting Google Home and also stocking Google Chromecast.

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