Let's be honest. Android today is one of the most recognizable brands, which has already become a household name like jeep, copier and slates, serving as a designation in general for all smartphones not from Apple. Is it bad? Of course not, many would say. After all, positive recognition is always good. However, just like actors who become hostages of one image and then cannot get rid of it for years, brands are also susceptible to negative manifestations of such a phenomenon as associativity. And their owners have to do something about it.
Android is not the brand that Google wants to flaunt. At least now
Google is preparing to rename the operating system for TVs Android TV to Google TV and is doing the necessary preparations right now. It is not yet known exactly when this will happen, but, apparently, the company is determined and will rebrand in the foreseeable future. In any case, as far as possible, given the complexity of the planned event. Indeed, in order to rename an existing product, it is not enough just to redraw its logo. It is necessary to formalize this legally, securing a trademark, replace all corporate documents and re-integrate this product with others so that there is no confusion within the same ecosystem.
Operating system Android TV
Android TV will soon be Google TV and it was expected
But if things are so complicated, why would Google even do it? After all Android TV is quite a successful and recognizable brand that is popular with consumers from all over the world. Indeed, for very, very many today, the main criterion when choosing a new TV is not even the diagonal, brand or refresh rate, but its platform. Because of this, those who use Android are more likely to choose Android TV. But, according to Google, that’s what gets in the way.
Obviously, the brand Android creates associations with the mobile operating system, although Android TV has a completely different nature. No, they really have a common basis, but the television platform is very different from the mobile one and, for example, greatly restricts users in customization, installing third-party software and other chips that are completely commonplace for smartphones. So smartphones are on their own and TVs are on their own. Moreover, Google already has experience in rebranding.
Why is Google changing service names
Google services rebranding makes them more global
In recent years, Google has changed the names of its services and services several times, diligently blotting out the trademark Android from them. As a result, Android Market turned into Google Play, Android Pay on Google Play, Android Wear on Wear OS, and Android Messages just Messages. In each case, the rebranding either did not change anything, or went to the renamed service for the benefit. But there has never been such a change in names somehow harming the product and reducing its popularity in relation to the indicators of pre-rebranding times.
Why do you need it, ask? Indeed, by and large, replacing Android with Google does not fundamentally change anything. Personally, it seems to me that the factor of globality plays a role here. The use of the brand Android ties the service to mobility and, even subconsciously, somehow limits its capabilities. After all, how can Android Pay be used on Windows or macOS? But Google Pay is quite real. It's the same with Android TV. The presence of the word Android in the name of the platform limits its marketing potential, while Google, on the contrary, expands it.