Google Marketing Live 2023: The TL;DR ads news video series
Supporting SMBs: Proactive response at the onset of the COVID pandemic
Year In Review: Sizzle reel
Google Pride: Rallying LGBTQ+ Googlers and allies around a unified theme
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.
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 proof of concept 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.
Through our leadership and collaboration, we not only devised solutions for an unparalleled challenge but also illuminated the power of creative thinking.
YEAR IN REVIEW
An annual recap of our partnership.
Chosen theme: Overlapping colors represent dimensions of identity that strengthen the LGBTQ+ community.
GOOGLE PRIDE
Reconnecting with 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.
Pride Forever 2019
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Google.org and the NY LGBT Community Center created Stonewall Forever, a digital AR monument. My team was entrusted with crafting a complementary Pride campaign that would resonate with audiences worldwide.
Pride Forever became our flexible canvas to drive engagement with pride.google, encourage interaction with the monument, and honor the past, present, and future of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, even in regions where rights vary significantly.
We designed logos, shirts, stickers, print ads, bus wraps, and a landing page – checking in with Google’s Creative Lab and The LGBT Center to ensure harmony across initiatives.
Pride Forever went live in 41 global markets and 16 languages. Googlers marched in 51 cities around the world with a one message, fostering a unified brand moment. Our pride.google landing page received 3.2M+ visits in June alone.