Is Google playing a bigger role in your data? If you’re an integrated marketer, the answer is Yes.

Marketers are concerned about omnichannel marketing, but this brings about new integration challenges, such as 'what happens with the data on the backend?'. When you have the ability for your various systems to share data, such as with a  Data Management Platform (DMP), you can better 'connect the dots' with all interactions. Myles Rose, Digital Marketing Operations Manager for Gulf States Toyota shares some insights from the Google Performance Summit and how Google is playing a friendlier role in a DMP.

Robin: Hello and welcome to this edition of Brandonomics, an inside look at top brands and their marketing strategies. I am Robin Tooms, VP of Strategy at Savage Brands, and my guest again today is Myles Rose, Digital Marketing Operations Manager at Gulf States Toyota. So Myles, I am so glad you’re back on Brandonomics.

Myles: I’m glad to be here.

Robin: Well, I want to talk a little bit today about search engine marketing, an area which I know you to be very well informed about. So, tell me a little bit, what are you seeing on the landscape right now in terms of what’s happening in that area?

Myles: Great question; good timing. I just got back from the Google Performance Summit last week, I believe it was, and they were announcing all kinds of products. In fact, I was like, “I’ll sign up for any beta that you have.” And I have like 70 betas (Robin: That’s what I like about you.) that I signed up for. So, the highlight is, going back to the DMP discussion we had, Google is trying to catch up as well and say, hey, you know what, we know that you have a mobile phone, and we know that you own the desktop. We can put those two together, and so, put your data with us. A little bit of a challenge because, you know, you have an investment in a DMP outside of Google, now I want to invest in Google, my data is living in two different places, not as great.

But if they can make it easy enough to where the database providers can work with Google, and directly upload data in a real time basis, and do it accurately and securely, I think they have a, they’ve really got something because they have the mobile and the desktop, like I said.

Robin: So, you said, if there’s any beta I want to try for it. Like, sign me up. (Myles: Sign me up.) So, which one do you want to try first? Like, what are you most excited about?

Myles: I liked the integration, all their products are starting to talk together. They’re bringing DoubleClick to talk to Google Analytics, so you can build all your remarketing lists in Google Analytics, and it shows up over in DoubleClick search or AdWords. One of the things I really was impressed with, and they’ve talked about it before, but I think they’re getting really, really close to launching it outside of beta, is the, having campaigns pushed to retail. So, being able to track people on their phone; did they actually see an ad? And, because location services are enabled on Google Maps, did they end up at my retail location. So, I think they mentioned Target has tried it. They’ll follow up with surveys just to make sure, hey Robin, did you actually go to Target, just to (Robin: Yeah, to verify the data.) verify the data. I think they said they had like, a billion retail location data that they’ve been testing around the world.

So, for me, as an auto marketer, that’s very enticing because I want to get people to the dealerships. How do I measure that? Well, Google can tell me, that phone, at least, that device actually went to a dealership.

Robin: Well, I appreciate this and, to be honest, some viewers might look at it and say, that sounds very scary, but the truth is, this data is out there anyways, let’s just finally use this to market a little bit more smartly to everybody.

Myles: Right, and so, I mean, technically you have to have Google Maps installed in your phone, and you have to have location services set to always, so there are a lot of things that you have to opt into to get that data. And certainly, it’s at an anonymous level. I don’t know it’s you, Robin (Robin: Yeah, it’s not personally identifiable.). I know it’s device ID 1234, but yeah, that’s something I thought that really caught my eye as the next big thing.

Robin: Ok, well great. Well, I hope you will come back and join us when you do try. I’d like to hear a recap.

Myles: I’d love to.

Robin: Ok, thank you. This has been another edition of Brandonomics, an inside look at top brands and their marketing strategies.