谷歌旗舰店只是个形象工程？

    谷歌几乎不用担心占据手机运营商市场最大份额的安卓(Android)操作系统，安卓把顾客带回谷歌的操作系统，同时分享信息和数据，而这些信息和数据正是谷歌蓬勃发展的根基所在。

    “就硬件设备的市场穿透度，以及从不同路线抵达消费者而言，谷歌获得了比微软更大的成功，”晨星公司(Morningstar)分析师彼得•瓦尔斯特伦说。“如果能在特定环境下拥有一个接触点，就可以获得非常好的用户体验。”

    开设旗舰店之后，谷歌这家高科技巨头或许可以少担心点如何推动手机销量，转而把更多心思放在如何用谷歌眼镜和谷歌智能手表这样的产品，以及谷歌光纤(Google Fiber)和无人驾驶汽车这样的创新举措吸引公众上面，同时也可以建立一个类似苹果天才吧( Apple Genius Bar )那样的信息服务中心，并在纽约市人气最旺的奢华街区创建一个体验目的地。

    事实上，就连三星公司( Samsung)也开始在百思买商场( Best Buy)建立工作室。为了继续生存下去，百思买正在孤注一掷地突出店中店概念。这家仓储式零售商第四季度的财报显示，百思买目前经营着1,400家三星快闪店，600家Windows快闪店。百思买创造的与其说是一家电子产品商店，倒不如说是一个展馆。

    独立技术研究公司Jackdaw首席分析师贾恩•道森为谷歌有可能开设的这家旗舰店设想了一个类似的概念。

    “如果这家店面以讲述谷歌的故事为主题，那就会更有意义，”他说。“像三星工作室一样，它或许会更多地侧重于吸收他们的氛围，传播做事的方式，而不仅仅是转移一大堆箱子。”

    正如苹果演示的那样，创建自己的零售空间可以让一个品牌控制产品和服务的信息传送和交付。无论这家传说中的纽约旗舰店能否成功，它的价值都主要体现在它为谷歌公司其他部门发挥的营销和公关作用。

    瓦尔斯特伦说：“一提到谷歌，每个人都会想到所有这些不同的侧面，但从来没有真正地把它们整合在一起。”

    现在，在纽约地皮最昂贵的街区开设一家店面或许可以帮助谷歌用户把所有这些侧面拼起来。（财富中文网）

    译者：叶寒

    Google has little worry about Android claiming the biggest market share of handset operators, which sends customers back into its operating system and shares the information and data that Google thrives on.

    "Google has had more success than Microsoft in penetrating with their hardware devices and going at it from a different route," Morningstar analyst Peter Wahlstrom says. "If you have a touch-point within a particular environment, that could lend itself to a very good user experience."

    By creating a flagship store, the tech giant could worry less about pushing units of phones and more about engaging the public in products like Google Glass and Google smartwatches, initiatives like Google Fiber and driverless cars while also setting up an information service akin to the Apple Genius Bar and creating an experience destination in one of NYC's most well-tread, posh neighborhoods.

    Indeed, even Samsung is creating studios within Best Buy (BBY), which is desperate to keep afloat by maximizing the store-within-a-store concept. According to the warehouse retailer'sfourth-quarter results, Best Buy currently operates 1,400 Samsung and 600 Windows pop-up stores, creating more of an exhibition hall than an electronics store.

    Jan Dawson, chief analyst at independent tech research firm Jackdaw, imagines a similar concept for the possible Google flagship.

    "It makes a bit more sense the store would be around telling the Google story," he says. "Like Samsung studios, it might be more about absorbing their vibe and evangelizing the way of doing things instead of shifting a lot of boxes."

    As Apple demonstrates, creating your own space allows a brand to control the messaging and delivery of products and services. Regardless of whether the alleged NYC flagship is successful, the value is in the marketing and public relations aspect for the rest of the company.

    "You have all these different facets of Google that people think about, but never actually put together," Wahlstrom says.

    Opening a shop amid some of NYC's most expensive real estate may help Google customers put all the pieces in place.