Google launched a new attribute on Wednesday that allows businesses in the U.S. to identify themselves as Asian-owned.
Designed to promote diversity and help Asian merchants recover from COVID-19 losses, the “Asian-owned” attribute can now be added to Business Profiles on Search and Maps. Additionally, ad-supported publishers will soon be able to use the label in Display & Video 360’s Marketplace.
The update adds to existing business attributes, such as “Black-owned,” “Latino-owned,” “veteran-owned,” “women-owned” and “LGBTQ+ owned.” Owners can use multiple attributes.
“As we were building this feature, we worked with hundreds of Asian-owned businesses to ensure the attribute celebrates our diverse and unique cultures,” Search Product Manager Leanne Luce wrote in a blog post.
“During that process, I was particularly struck by what Dennys Han, owner of East West Shop, shared with us about the power of community: ‘If someone is trying to accomplish something, the entire local Korean community will band together to help it come together. The idea of the community and group as a whole uplifting each other is fundamental to what we do.’”
Google also announced that Grow With Google is building upon its partnership with the U.S. Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce (USPAACC) to help 10,000 additional Asian-owned small businesses gain digital skills. So far, the collaborative effort has helped some 20,000 Asian-owned small businesses through workshops on design thinking, e-commerce tools and analytics.
