Professor Registration Deadline: April 8, 2015
Student Registration Deadline: April 22, 2015
The Google Online Marketing Challenge is a unique opportunity for students to experience and create online marketing campaigns using Google AdWords and Google+. Over 80,000 students and professors from almost 100 countries have participated in the past 7 years.
The Challenge is open to student teams of three to six members from undergraduate or graduate programs, regardless of their major. All students must register under a verified faculty member, lecturer or instructor currently employed by an accredited higher education institute.
With a $250 AdWords advertising budget provided by Google, students develop and run an online advertising campaign for a business or non-profit organization over a three week period.
The teams that develop and communicate the most successful campaigns win awesome prizes, including trips to Google offices. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the optional Google+ Social Media Marketing category by creating and managing a Google+ Page for their clients over a five week period.
Eligibility Requirement:
- Any faculty member, lecturer or instructor currently employed by an accredited higher education institute is eligible to register as a professor.
- Participation in the Challenge is open to students from graduate or undergraduate programs, regardless of discipline.
- Residents and nationals of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Sudan, and other persons and entities restricted by U.S. export controls and sanctions programs are not eligible to participate.
- Students and Professors at Higher Education Institutes in Argentina, China, Hong Kong, Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, & Ukraine are excluded from entering.
- Students who were members of winning teams in previous Google Online Marketing Challenges are also excluded from entering.
Competition Process
Step 1: Registering for the Challenge. Professors register for the Challenge and get verified by Google. Students form teams of 3-6 members and appoint a Team Captain. The Team Captain registers under the verified professor, who in turn confirms each student team by clicking a verification link sent via email after the team registers
Step 2: Accessing Dashboard. Once the professor has received a notification email and has verified the student team, the Team Captain can access team’s Student Dashboard with the Google account used during the initial registration.
Step 3: Selecting a Business. All teams along with the support of their professors need to identify a client business or a non-profit organization
Step 4: Learning about AdWords and the Client.: Digital Marketing Course and Educational Resources are recommended resources for review.
Step 5: Uploading Pre-Campaign Report and Requesting Crediting
Step 6: Running Campaign. Once the student team receives credit in their AdWords account, they can start running their campaign over the period of up to 21 calendar days (example below). Campaigns which serve impressions on less than 7 calendar days or on more than 21 calendar days and/or spend beyond the provided US$250 (spending a few cents below/above US$250 is acceptable), will be deemed ineligible for the competition and as a result disqualified.
Step 7: Writing and Submitting AdWords Post-Campaign Report/Impact Statement. Student team must submit their report(s) prior to the end of the Campaign Window (look right: GOMC 2015 Timeline). If team chooses a non-profit organization and wishes to be eligible for the AdWords Social Impact Award, they must append an Impact Statement to their Post-Campaign Report.
Step 8: Google+ Social Media Marketing Award (Optional)
Step 9: Judging and Awards: Winners will be announced in July/August 2015.
How to Sign Up:
- To sign up Professors will need to use a Google Account and also an email account within university domain.
- Students will need two Google accounts one to access Student Dashboard and the second one (newly created) to receive AdWords crediting.
- Please do NOT setup AdWords on your newly created account.
Google Online Marketing Challenge Timeline:
- Professor Registration : Oct 8th 2014 – April 8th 2015
- Student Registration : Oct 15th 2014 – April 22nd 2015
- AdWords and Google+ Campaign Window : Oct 15 2014 – May 27th 2015
- AdWords Crediting Window : Oct 15th 2014 – Apr 29th 2015
- Deadline for Uploading Reports : May 27, 2015
- Results Announcement : July/August 2015
For More Information:
Visit the Official Webpage of the 2015 Google Online Marketing Challenge
