Google Marketing Live 2023: The TL;DR ads news video series
Ads Creative Excellence: Training Google Marketing Managers
Supporting SMBs: Proactive response at the onset of the COVID pandemic
Google Pride: Rallying LGBTQ+ Googlers and allies around a unified theme
Year In Review: Sizzle reel
GOOGLE MARKETING LIVE 2023
TL;DR: Want a time-starved audience to pay attention to product updates? Make them snackable and delicious.
Introducing the Google Ads TL;DR video series – a testament to teamwork, strategy and agility. GML 2022 provided a clear insight: Ads practitioners crave short, snappy content. So for GML 2023, we set about crafting videos to be a shortcut to marketing success, speaking to practitioners in their language, about what matters to them.
From inception to editing, we produced 22 fast-paced videos in four short months, navigating ever-evolving content and valuable input from growing numbers of stakeholders. In a synchronized performance of 80+ individuals spanning four time zones, I was the creative conductor. My role was a mix of creative reviews, negotiating resources, on-set guidance, and cheerleading.
Real Googlers brought our scripts to life as speakers, filmed on campus in just five busy days – an audacious task for non-actors. The customer testimonials took us on a global journey, with the creatives attending shoots remotely.
Our goals were ambitious: Craft content to captivate and educate practitioners, and foster product adoption in priority areas.
And our outcomes were impressive. In just one month, on-demand views were up +230% from 2022, while average view times increased by +140% YoY.
Brand and Creative Literacy Training
Google Ads marketers wanted to sharpen their edge. We gave them Ads Creative Excellence—a comprehensive training program built to educate, inspire, and enable more impactful work.
Partnering closely with Ads Marketing leadership, we built the program from the ground up: creative talk series, internal comms, and a website offering resources in one easy-to-access hub. I co-created the curriculum and training materials with our Director of Strategy, and oversaw creative development of posters, digital, collateral, and swag.
We reached hundreds of US and EMEA marketers, boosting skills and confidence. Satisfaction surveys scored 4.5+/5 for every session. One participant summed it up: “Perfect duration and mix of content delivery and small-group work! Also really appreciated the additional context about B2B, which made it even more relevant. One of the best trainings I have had at Google. Thank you!”
Through our leadership and collaboration, we not only devised solutions for an unparalleled challenge but also illuminated the power of creative thinking.
Pandemic support for small business
When COVID-19 swept the globe, the impact on Google's hard-hit SMB customers was profound. Myself and the Director of Strategy on the Google Ads account jumped into action, proactively strategizing ways to help these businesses through the storm.
I wrote a video leveraging existing customer footage that aimed to raise awareness of the surprisingly large impact of small business, and mobilize community support.
Of our suggestions, these stood out as favorites:
Signaling business status: Offer Search and Maps filters for Open Remotely, Open for Takeout, and Direct Delivery to help match customer needs with businesses.
Inviting purchase: Add a Gift Certificate option to Google My Business profiles to spur immediate cash flow with fulfillment later.
Inviting live stream donations: Add a Donate button to YouTube live streams so businesses can get paid for sharing their expertise with audiences craving at-home activities – think restaurant cooking demos and bookstore bedtime readings.
Chosen theme: Overlapping colors represent dimensions of identity that strengthen the LGBTQ+ community.
GOOGLE PRIDE 2022
After two years of pandemic isolation, Google wanted this Pride to highlight reconnection with self, intersectional identities, each other, and the Pride movement.
I assembled a team of diverse LGBTQIA+ colleagues in six countries and I created a safe, shared space for idea development and feedback. The collaboration was remarkable: Folx commented organically, added inspiration, and built off each others’ ideas, all without ego.
The concepts resonated strongly with Google ERG leads globally and, after vetting by GLAD, one was chosen, translated, and extended across swag, parade banners, bus wraps and event materials. Our theme, ’Reconnecting with Pride,’ was embraced in 70 cities globally. I proposed Media.Monks craft a thought leadership piece on how diverse, intersectional perspectives lead to stronger work. In a proud mama-bear moment for me, Campaign US published a poignant article authored by one of our creatives about how community-led creative better supports LGBTQ+ audiences.
Ultimately we not only inspired Googlers to reconnect, but also forged bonds within our agency and demonstrated the value of empowering individuals to bring their authentic selves to work.