Google’s adding a new option to help users support Asian-owned businesses, with a new ‘Asian-owned’ attribute available in Google My Business profiles. Check out Google’s announcement video. As seen in the video, the new ‘Asian-owned’ attribute adds a badge to the business display in both Search and Maps, which could help guide users that are looking to help minority-owned businesses in their decision-making.

Eastward

Google added business identity attributes earlier this year, which, as seen in one of their examples, already include tags for women and LGBTQ-owned brands. For a full list of options, click here. The tags are optional and are only currently available to businesses in the US. But they could provide a simple means to facilitate support – while businesses and products that apply the tags are also eligible to be featured on Google pages that highlight brands with specific identity attributes.

Now, the new Asian-owned identifier further adds to this capacity, which, according to research, could be particularly relevant for Gen Z shoppers, who are more likely to seek out businesses that support causes they align with.

And many Asian-owned businesses are in need of support. According to Google:

“Over the past two years, COVID-related small business closures and targeted acts of violence have reinforced the importance and impact of allyship – and have underscored how critical it is to support historically marginalized communities, including our Asian community.”

Based on research, race-based attacks on Asian Americans have increased significantly over the past two years, rising from an average of 8.1 per year before 2020, to 81.5 from 2020 onwards – more than 11 times the previous average. This is a trend that cannot be overlooked or ignored, which is why this is such an important update. Adding to this, Google’s also expanding its training and support programs for Asian-owned businesses.

To expound, ‘Grow with Google’ is now launching an expanded program that will assist an extra 10,000 Asian-owned small businesses, helping them learn critical digital skills to meet shifting consumer demand and activity.

The Wrap

It’s an important addition because as Google has noted, Asian businesses have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, with most of the surrounding angst tying back to the origins of the virus. It does seem like as a society, we are beyond misguided criticism of this type, but recent times have shown that significant divides remain, even if we’d prefer that they didn’t.

These new badges are a small step in supporting minority-owned businesses, but they could also play a big role in raising awareness, thus fostering stronger support.

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Sources 

https://bit.ly/3Jzpos0