I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Google Hotpot is the most heavily promoted Google product since Chrome, and that’s nothing to ignore. When you consider how heavily the search engine giant has invested in this service, you get a much clearer sense of where the company’s priorities lie; you should expect Google to be promoting their existing local features while developing new ones in the upcoming months.
As part of promoting Hotpot, the company’s biggest existing local feature, Google is partnering with “Students for Clean Water” at the University of Texas. Google will help students raise money for their cause while contributing to the Hotpot service by donating one dollar for every review that UT students create on Hotpot. The campaign started on March 1st and will end on the 10th. Those wanting updates on the progress of the event can check in with the Austin Hotpot Twitter profile.
Following an innovative yet fitting route, Google has used local events to promote this local business service, so “rate for a cause” fits with the campaign perfectly. Previous promotions have included coffee giveaways, a concert series, free t-shirts for attendees of a Portland sporting event, a rating competition, and much more. The work with the University of Texas is just one of several regional promotions; Google is now or has concluded running campaigns in Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, California; and Austin, Texas.
[via the Hotpot Blog]
