Online Marketing Challenge

About the Challenge

The Google Online Marketing Challenge is a great hands-on exercise for undergraduate or graduate students in classes such as advertising, ecommerce, integrated marketing communication, management information systems, marketing and new media technologies.

The goal for students is effective online marketing via sound marketing analysis to optimize, manage and update a Google AdWords campaign.

The Challenge works like this:

1. Students divide into groups of 3-6, and then receive free online advertising vouchers for Google AdWords worth US$200.
2. The groups recruit a small-to-medium business, under 100 employees, who has a website but doesn’t currently use AdWords.
3. Each group works with the business to set up an AdWords account and structure an effective online marketing campaign.
4. During a 3-week competition window, the groups optimize and refine their campaigns. They must submit two competition reports – one before they begin and one after the campaign ends.
5. Google and a panel of independent academics from all over the world select the winning teams based on the success of their campaign and the quality of their competition reports.

To accommodate teams from all over the globe, student groups can compete over any three consecutive weeks between January and May. Remember – professors should allow sufficient class time to cover online marketing and Google AdWords, and time for students to recruit their businesses.

Global and regional winners are communicated to all participants in July.

For more information, professors should review the Academic Guide and students should refer to the Student Guide. (These guides are from the 2009 Challenge, updated Guides for 2010 will be available very soon).