On Google Maps I am coming two functions, very different, for businesses and shops in the databases: that the initiatives solidarity to help those who have been particularly affected by the quarantine to his feet and promotional icons that allow you to increase your visibility on the platform.
Promotional icons are square in shape and appear in the vicinity of the user, if available. They have been observed by some users on Reddit in the last few days: apparently, they cannot be eliminated, but they don’t seem very invasive either – they are simply there, to remind that a business exists reasonably discreetly.
Google My Business Pages
It is not clear at the moment how widespread the icons are, but it is safe to assume that Google is taking a rather cautious approach. It remains to be seen whether they are visible to a limited number of users for the time being or whether they have been activated for a small number of companies – or perhaps a combination of both.
The joint initiatives, however, appear both on Maps is the app Search. Restaurants, gyms and other activities that wish to do so can activate two types of offer – the purchase of gift cards and non-refundable donations.
The precise terms are decided by the companies themselves, and Google does not necessarily have direct responsibilities in economic transactions: for example, the purchase of gift cards could take place from the official website while donations could be collected by PayPal or Gofundme.
Apparently the functionality is now widely distributed in multiple markets, including the Italian one. In the future, it should also be possible to search for all local businesses that have activated one or more support requests.
