@They go for what is norm instead of perceiving it as tempering with their system….

I’d like to add something here. As you rightly said, Chrome was not a new product, nor a new category. It marked Google’s foray in an already saturated (or, at least occupied) marketplace of browsers where the IEs, FFs, Netscapes, Operas and so many already had their respective user-base, all with some positioning. In that market space, it is never easy to come and cut a lion’s share.

Moreover, technology is one domain where you cannot target very common users until your product is very generic (or, general) where at least the implications and differences are clear to the larger user-base. For example, if it is a mobile phone, there is a good awareness among even the tech-ignorants that a mobile has multiple applications. So, when comes to a mass mobile marketing you’d see lots of ads highlighting camera, video, music, battery features. But, not many ads you’ll see where a Blackberry would be advertising its product comparable to another mobile phone.

This is so, because business phone marketers know that they are not selling to a first timer. Probably they could not till recently. But, with mobile becoming a toothbrush-like commodity, we’ll get to see such feature-rich ads soon.

You can target everyone or a larger base when you are advertising a product/service that the masses know. But, new users and novices look at technology with a definite bit of phobia or alien-ness. Go and ask a common computer or itnernet user to download and install something on his/her computer and you’ll come across a definite level of resistance, even if you volunteer to help. People don’t like to fiddle with their computers.

At least not with their browsers when they know that they already got one with their OS (operating system) and there is no need for another browser when the whole world is happily using what is prevalent. They go for what is norm instead of perceiving it as tempering with their system. For, you rightly said, over 90 per cent of the users still do not know what exactly the term browser would mean on their computer.

So, in the case of niche IT products, this is a bold technique of targeting the most prolific and proficient consumers instead of those who are unsure, afraid or irregular users.

This strategy may appear to be risky or non-remunerative, as you can also see by the example of just 1.2 per cent share acquired by it till date.

But, trust me, this top down approach, to me, appears as the best approach, especially when Google is not depending solely on Chrome for its business. Chrome is currently is one important tool for them to multiple goals:
1. Leverage the markets and categories where they already are leaders
2. Test the market for their bigger product, i.e. the Operating System
3. Infiltrate through a smaller product and create loyal consumers who can tomorrow embrace their bigger product (the OS) with which Chrome will also come as a bundle product
4. Collect and analyze user behaviour, which is the biggest requirement for a category player like Google

Going beyond these objectives and coming back to their strategy, I’d also like you to see the dividends and benefits of their current approach in this strategy of Google:
1. They did not become yet another browser in the cluttered marketplace.
2. Their positioning was clear. They targeted the proficient and prolific users and that comprises the majority of Chrome’s user base today
3. Tomorrow, they may also patronize their other products
4. As far user behaviour is concerned, Google is gathering analysis and information on the best category of internet users

5. But, the biggest benefit that you may like to see is that… Well, first visualize one situation as example. You are a Tech wizard. When people around you have to buy a computer, laptop, anti-virus or any IT product, who do they consult. They trust in you. Everybody looks up to someone they know closely as a high-end IT user. Now, when Google/Chrome first acquired you as its loyal customer, you know that they also acquired the secondary and tertiary users through you who’ll stick to them.

No other strategy could have paralleled this. At the same time, proficient users as the first batch of a product (esp. when it is a free product) help a lot in debugging and improving the product with feedbacks, before it is actually ready for the mass marketing.

Happy Chroming !!!