Don’t panic! That’s the first thing we should mention, as this isn’t a ‘let’s change everything without telling anyone’ move. In fact, Google is responding to statements from the community and those that use their existing products. First things first though, what’s changing, and do you need to do anything?
What’s Changing?
Google’s ad product range is vast. Through many acquisitions and mergers, they’ve created a vast arsenal of tools for organisations throughout the globe. With great power comes great responsibility though, so they’ve decided to simplify their systems to avoid confusion. That’s what this rebranding seems to showcase. The following changes are afoot:
- Adwords is now Google Ads
- DoubleClick Digital Marketing and Google Analytics 360 are now the Google Marketing Platform
- DoubleClick Ad Exchange and DoubleClick for Publishers are now Google Ad Manager
In short, that’s the extent of the changes. Sridhar Ramaswamy, the Senior Vice President of Ads and Commerce at Google, said this at a press event: “This is primarily a name change, but it is indicative of where we have been directing the product.” You shouldn’t expect anything to drastically change, other than a set of fancy new logos.
Google Ads
Google Adwords, or Google Ads as it’s now known, aims to be the “front door for advertisers to buy on all Google Surfaces,” according to Ramaswamy. They’re even launching a new default mode for small business advertisers, named Smart Campaigns. This allows businesses to state actions that they want to prioritise, such as store visits, after which Google Ads will optimise ad features such as the text and images. It’s aimed at simplifying the process, which seems to be a theme with this small yet significant update.
Google Marketing Platform
Aimed at increasing collaboration between Google platforms, the Google Marketing Platform is a combination of two existing marketing tools, namely DoubleClick Digital Marketing and Google Analytics 360. Again, this move prioritises ease of use and functionality. To prove this, Google has created Display & Video 360 within the Google Marketing Platform. This combines a raft of existing ad platforms, including the DoubleClick Campaign Manager, Bid Manager, Studio and Audience Center. There’s also a nifty Integrations Center, which helps you connect your Google tools. Pretty cool huh?
Google Ad Manager
As the smallest change, this is no-less significant. Google have been merging the DoubleClick Ad Exchange and the DoubleClick for Publishers platform for a while, so it makes sense to give them a fresh new name. And that’s what you get with Google Ad Manager. It’s simply a combination of the aforementioned tools.
Do I Need to Do Anything?
Nope! You’ll notice the changes in July, but that’s about it. Google is simplifying their existing portfolio of advertising products, so no product migration or training is required. The Managing Director for Platforms, Dan Taylor, mentioned this at the press event: “The look and feel is going to change a little bit, but the core functionality is not changing.” Phew!
So, it’s a case of nothing to see here. Except it’s completely the opposite. Google has been working hard to simplify their existing portfolio, and that means an easier experience for users of their platform. By consolidating their advertising tools into 3 main brands, they’re increasing the appeal of their platform for new and experienced users alike. In this case, change is definitely welcome.
