5G: Enhanced Campaigns

For as long as I can remember, Google has been a 'thing'. I didn't appreciate the phrase 'google it' until more recently, specifically since studying advertising. Google is a service, and brand that has become like an object not only to consumers but to advertisers. Google is changing face and adapting to the frequent changes in technology available to advertisers.

Because my dissertation is focused on multi-platform campaigns and how consumer behaviour is affecting advertising campaigns, I am naturally intrigued to see the latest report or article on the subject. I follow  The Wall blog and appreciated the article by Emily Pope 'The Pros and Con's of Google's Enhanced Campaigns'. She brings to light the most recent advancement from Google for advertisers, and that is the ability to track, and monitor user behaviour on various devices as well as optimise campaigns (Pope, 2013). Pope goes on to mention that over the course of the coming year advertisers will be reworking their budget away from desktop, to support the various tablet and mobile devices available. This is something that had it been mentioned even 5 years ago some advertisers may have laughed and walked away!

Having spent part of my internship at Mindshare working on keywords in Search as well as optimising campaigns across digital platforms, I was able to under some of the changes that would occur within the agencies. It is obvious that there is a small margin of difference between devices, and their similarity is ever increasing with detachable keyboards, and the varying size and capability of tablets and smart phones. But does this line have to be crossed to ensure the best campaign is delivered? I of course think it does, as a consumer I want to be targeted appropriately to the device I am using.

Like most new techniques there are negative attributes to introducing a new way of doing things, many PPC campaigns will have to be reworked. Pope (2013) mentions in her list of 'cons' that there will be little distinction for advertisers between devices, where tablet and desktop will either be completely separate or together, as a pair. Meaning that a campaign can specifically run on tablet, or desktop or on both. There will be no such thing a 'mobile only' campaign, something I do not understand fully but hope to find out more about in the coming months. The 'pros' listed that because the majority will be within one campaign advertisers will have less to manage over the campaign and able to collect data quicker. 

Overall it is going to take advertisers thinking more about where the campaign will be running. Google is striving to make the move across devices a seamless transition for consumers by allowing brands to be present in the search no matter the device. Michael Boland of Street Fight Mag discusses Enhanced Campaigns and highlights more of the issues that may be seen by advertisers, something I don't feel I know enough about to discuss but I do look forward to seeing if this is as efficient and effective as Google anticipates once I am in the industry. I know that technology is leading the way in which we as consumers behave and how advertisers and brands speak to us individually. It is any ones guess what will be the next addition.

The video below is from Google, giving more information on Enhanced Campaigns and how it will benefit not only advertisers, but the consumer.

New Amsterdam: An internship at Mindshare

This is a slightly over due post, but I feel like I needed time to gather my thoughts and really take in what I learned and where I feel I was, and were I am now.

I kept rather quiet about doing the internship as I didn't want to over think what I was going to be doing or not doing for the time I would be at Mindshare UK. I tend to over think things, much more then necessary and it messes with me emotionally. This has happened probably all my life, I want things to be perfect and I want to be perfect. But hey, I am not perfect and not everything will be. 

So I got on with it, the Sunday before I felt physically sick talking to my work colleagues about my new role. Monday morning came and I don't even know how I managed to put make up on my face! I was that nervous! I got to the office in London just fine, met with my friend Alicia who was the mastermind behind me being there! Met with the team who were all so friendly and smiley, even a familiar face from Uni. I was excited, and gaining back my confidence, I would be spending my christmas vacation here. I could do this!

The team was AMEX Digital, I would be working on Display along side Alicia. The first day what everyone was saying the best first day ever. It was, I really can't complain because I wont ever have a first day like that again. The team had a lunch with a media owner at The Delaunay, I was a bit unsure about going along but was welcomed by all. It was a great experience to meet media owners and witness how the interactions between the two occur. After lunch back to the office for a bit to close up for the day before we headed over to the O2 to climb the bridge! I told you it was the best first day ever!!

The team at Up! at the O2

It wasn't all fun and games, there was a lot of work to be done before the office closes for the holidays. While closed there was a few ad placements that were due to go live so I assisted in ensuring all the tags were correct and linked to the right campaign. As well as ensuring the right people for each media owner is receiving daily reports on the progress of the campaign.

This was an eye opening experience, I learned so much more about Advertising then I expected in just three short weeks. There is so much more beyond University, what we learn in the class room is expanded and so much more real in the agency. I am so grateful for the opportunity that was presented and I was able to experience at Mindshare,   we get told how valuable an internship is that it is almost to daunting to take on. I am proud to say that is not true, you can do it and you should. Anyone doubting an internship really needs to think twice about what they think they will be doing after University. I never in a million years thought I would get an internship at a top agency in London, but I went out of my comfort zone and simply asked the question and look where I ended up.

Being able to put all the theory I have learned over the past three years into use was really rewarding. I learned a lot of new skills during my internship as well. Mainly that Advertising goes beyond what the consumer sees, Advertising is the entire process from conception to development to delivery. Even once the campaign has gone live there is daily maintenance that needs to be taken care of in order to deliver the best results to the client. This may seem simple and obvious, but this was not something I was prepared for. I knew about google analytics and how it tracks viewers, I knew that you need to target. I didn't realise the extent the role the agency plays in this monitoring and tracking.

I went in to this internship as a third year Advertising and Digital Media Management student, fearing the whole idea of it to be honest. I was scared I wouldn’t know what was going on and what was being talked about and then asked of me. This worry was quickly put to rest, the entire team was so amazing and helpful they all made me feel very welcome.

I feel that now I am back at University I know where to focus my time, what to look for in lectures and just how these last few months really will kick start me in my future career. After all no one will die ;)