News

Third Annual Elite SEM Google Client Summit

By Tinuiti Team

Jun 26 2014

Early in the morning on June 13^th the Third Annual Elite SEM Google Client Summit was about to kick off; just as Mexico and Cameroon were about to kick off in the second game of the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

It was a Friday and the end of a full week at the 2014 Internet Retailer Conference and Exhibition. The Elite SEM team and its clients who had made the trip to Chicago were ready and excited for one more day of learning (with breaks for soccer, Google food, and coffee of course).

There have been a lot of changes in online marketing over the past year and a lot of changes that Google was excited to talk to our group about. Specifically we had speakers ready to talk to our group about Google shopping campaigns and optimizing digital marketing budgets specifically around profitability.

The Elite SEM Google Client Summit is always one of my favorite learning events of the year since we first started it in June of 2012. This year’s event did not disappoint. Notes on speakers, topics, and synopsis below!

Google Shopping – Google’s Big Bets

Speaker – Nicole Premo, Partner Education Manager at Google

Synopsis – It’s important for E-commerce companies to understand the current retail ecosystem. Understanding the Google Shopper’s experience is step one, bringing an in-store style of retail experience online and focusing your brand on omni-channel are the ultimate next steps.

Takeaway – Nicole gave the audience numerous useful statistics and takeaways from her presentation. Google’s making some big bets which are worth understanding and knowing about. If you’re not thinking about mobile first as well as local, now is the time to put your efforts and resources into those areas.

Retail Ecosystem Stats

67% of people in the US own a smartphone
84% use smartphones while in stores
15+ hours per week people spend doing mobile research
94% of smartphone shoppers search for local info
1 in 3 shoppers use their smartphones to find info instead of asking employees

Google’s Shopper Experience

PLAs as the Engine

Provide richer information (on your feeds)
Google is streamlining shopping via search on mobile devices
- Easy to swipe

Enhanced Functionality

Bring the in store experience online
- 360 degree images (going to be a larger focus)
- Ship your products (within certain size limits) to Google and they’ll take these pictures for you
  - Advertisers pay for shipping
    - Search for cannon camera or new balance shoes
      - Examples available to search for in the US
- Help shoppers find deals
  - Merchant promotions – deals
    - Data feed with exclusive promotions, shipping, x % off, etc.
  - Let shoppers find what they want locally
    - Google Local Storefront
      - Local inventory ads
      - Digital shelf online for local products
      - Browse the local store before you actually get there
      - Needs 10 stores to participate
- Be present everywhere customers are shopping
  - Dynamic remarketing
  - Engagement ads
    - Catalog
  - Google Plus – “Shoppable” hangouts
    - DVF
- Build Trust and Confidence
  - Google Trusted Stores
- Reduce friction at point of sale
  - Easy check out
    - Google wallet instant buy
      - 3 steps first time
      - 2 steps every subsequent buy
    - Have to put it on a mobile site
      - Free – works for IOS and Android
      - Don’t necessarily have to do it on desktop

Google Shopping Express

Bring your store to customers’ doors
- Leverage Google’s innovative delivery network
- Order management system and customer service
Critical to engage throughout the path to purchase
- Online traffic and sales

Final Takeaways

Build a digital storefront
Influence browsers
Bid effectively
Think mobile first

Convert awareness to action

Create demand
Capture intent
Close the sale

Boost Local sales through digital

Increase foot traffic
Do more with local stores
Measure offline action

Data feeds

High quality accurate data at scale
Local feed will be very important

Align organization to omni-channel

The Profit-Driven Marketer – Setting a New Standard of Marketing

Speaker – Britton Picciolini, Senior Agency Business Development Manager, Google

Synopsis – While most marketers focus their efforts and budget on optimizing to a certain cost per acquisition, or even towards a set budget, choosing to optimize your online marketing spend by profit and profit margins can potentially lead to even better results and ROI.

Takeaway – Not all orders or leads are created equal. With cohort analysis, better measurement through attribution, and looking at profitability you can make smart decisions that focus your marketing spend in the areas that drive the best type of business and results.

“Revenue solves all known problems” – Eric Schmidt

Recognize value – make investments by measuring the full customer journey
Sharper measurement means smarter bids
Measure a baseline
- Then compare that to
  - Attribution lift
    - From different models
  - Bidding lift
    - From making bid changes
Match your bidding strategy to your business objectives
Maximize your opportunities
Make it happen

5 key tactics – How to make it happen

Make profits your main KPI
Adopt a growth mindset
Understand your opportunities
Test bids to maximize profits
Don’t over-optimize

Where are you as a performance advertiser?

Current advertisers in the industry
- Fixed budgets – 15%
- CPA/ROI – 75%
- Profits – 10%

“Dial it down, that’s just too much profit” – No one, ever.

I can confidently say that the Elite SEM Google Client Summit events continue to get better and better each year. It’s been a real pleasure having been a part of the First Annual Elite SEM Google Summit in 2012 as well last year’s Second Annual Elite SEM Google Client Summit in 2013 . This event continues to be my favorite each year and serves as such a great and unique opportunity for our team members and valued clients to get unparalleled insight into what’s going on at Google. In addition, it allows the group to provide feedback that Google actually uses to build and refine all of their advertising products. It’s safe to say we’ll continue to work with our great partners at Google in the years to come to keep having this great annual event.

For more information about future Elite SEM client summits, the information, or anything else digital marketing/Elite SEM related please feel free to email [email protected] or visit the Elite SEM blog.