Nine Tips for Coaching the Google Online Marketing Challenge

The Google Online Marketing Challenge as a "Real-World" Experience

**This post is updated to reflect the new Google Grants Challenge**

This blog is dedicated to techniques of teaching digital marketing. Previously, I addressed the issue of industry certification and some of the benefits in preparing the students with qualifications that are sought by employers. However, there are other ways to provide real-world preparation in the Digital Marketing classroom.

The Outline of the Challenge

For example, The Google Online Marketing Challenge (OMC) is another way that instructors can give their students ‘real-world’ experiences in digital marketing. I have used many tools and techniques over the years and the Challenge has many benefits as well as some limitations. In the past, students planned, implemented and measured an online paid search campaign using at $250.00 AdWords (Now Ads) budget from Google. I have also done this project in class where the companies fund the project themselves. This project can be used to reinforce the strategic marketing concepts that are taught in many marketing classes because search keywords convey the company's unique strengths and positioning. While self-funded projects are still an option, now there is a new challenge from Google based on Google Ad Grants. In the new program, students form teams, the Captain passes the Ads Fundamentals exam and Google assigns the team to a nonprofit. The budget is significantly larger than in the past, up to $10,000 in a four-week project.


In the past, the challenge required first finding a client and defining what makes the product/service unique so it can be promoted online. While the team does not have to find a client, the team must still understand how to market a product and promote it through paid search. What follows are some tips for coaching teams in the Challenge.

Students work in teams on the Google Online Marketing Challenge

Some Planning Tips

1) Emphasize learning. I have coached over 40 teams, many of them quite skilled, and we have never made it to any award level. In speaking with those who have been selected, it seems that the difference is the dedication of the team, not the skill of the coach. If the students and you get to fly to California, that is great, but it is also unlikely. Therefore, I recommend emphasizing the team's learnings or outcomes of the project and not necessarily the prizes. Requiring a reflection assignment after the project will help in this area, or instructors may also include other reflection assignments before, during and after the campaign. I personally grade the challenge on the caliber of the written assignments and the team’s reflection, not necessarily the results of the challenge. We often had a presentation based on the pre-campaign report (now a pre-campaign meeting and form) so the entire class and sometimes the client can give feedback and we all learn in the process.


2) Expect the unexpected. Especially when you are a new coach, you may not be able to foresee difficulties. We had a team pick a support website for a psychological disease, not realizing that Google places many restrictions on that particular advertising category. Believe it or not, there are sites that promote this particular behavioral disorder and Google goes to great lengths to make sure that it does not encourage this type of behavior in the ad environment. Inappropriate, dangerous, dishonest or counterfeit products or services are not allowed to advertise on Google’s networks. However, if you find your team in a sticky position, make the most of the situation. There is a lot to be learned from even negative experiences and one of the women who was on the team that had all the challenges from Google still considers it to be one of her best project experiences and uses the experience in job interviews to talk about how she has overcome adversity.


3) Be prepared for mono-mania. This project can be all-consuming. I recommend making the project the only project during the course and just having a few examinations and maybe a presentation. Students will become completely absorbed during the running of the campaign and it is often good to give them class time to work on their campaigns and discuss problems as a group.


4) Consider timing. This project used to be confined to the Spring, which meant that after a few weeks of course intro, finding the client and working on the pre-campaign preparation, we were almost at Spring break. Then we had to decide whether to run the campaign over break or how to handle the timing. Students are now allowed to run the campaign over a four week period, which means that teams can suspend their campaign over break. In any case, timing can be critical. I have run this challenge in an eight-week class, but we only had two weeks for the campaign. Instructors wishing to run the challenge in a short-form course would be wise to get started immediately. It is almost certain Google will have some delays on their end, so plan for that contingency.


5) Try it yourself. I recommend setting up an Ads account and writing some ads. I was fortunate to run a program where I had my own budget and we ran some ad campaigns for events. I got to learn how to do Ads well while I was coaching my students. Even so, I learned a lot from coaching the projects. Since the Ads Fundamentals and other exams are now free, I recommend also taking at least the Fundamentals exam before starting as a coach and building into the course that all students take and pass that exam as well.


6) Expect some challenging clients. Even if clients have the best interests of the students at heart, they get busy and sometimes can’t help as much as they would like. Ideal clients give access to their site analytics to the team, make website changes to improve the relevance of landing pages, and stay involved in the entire process. Less than ideal clients never return students phone calls or emails. Hopefully, Google will make sure the client companies for the new challenge already have a landing page so there is something to work with if the client gets too busy to work with the students. Involving the clients by requiring them to have some 'skin in the game' like attending class at the beginning, end and middle of the project helps with not only the student experience but the project outcome. Even if the client is out of town, technologies like Skype and Zoom and Google Hangouts make it possible to involve the client in the classroom experience.


7) Consider two courses. I’m not kidding. Most of us that have been doing this for a while are not trying to teach the students Internet Marketing and also have them run the Challenge or a project. Our approach at St. Edward’s is to get them certified in one course and teach the background and then have them participate in the Challenge or a similar project for another.


8) Realize this is not Google’s major business. Google does not make money on the OMC. The OMC is a public service that also benefits Google by getting them clients and training future digital marketers to use their software. However, sometimes Google can be late in approving pre-campaign reports or crediting accounts with cash and sometimes students don't follow directions exactly to get their campaign credits. Sometimes there are technical difficulties in getting things set up properly. All of these potential problems mean that it is important to include enough time in the schedule to correct any problems or difficulties. I try build slack time in the course schedule to accommodate unforeseen circumstances.


9) Check for special contests. Each year, Google runs special contests along with the Challenge. These contests are sometimes for use of social media, sometimes for having a non-profit client and sometimes for being Ads certified. Check the challenge guidelines each year to see if students qualify as these opportunities can be extra ways to win.


These are just a few tips that I have for you from my years in doing the Challenge. If you have any questions or comments you can post on this blog or email me. If you would like a copy of the complete OMC Appendix to accompany the new Zahay and Roberts Internet Marketing text, please log in to Cengage's website for instructors and create a course based on the fourth edition of the text. There are Power Point resources available there also.

Web Resources:

Google Ads Policy

Google Academy For Ads

Google Ad Grants Online Marketing Challenge

Internet Marketing 4e Update Blog