Modul 25102: Bachelor - Current Topics in Media Management
'Google Online Marketing Challenge'
(SS '11)

C. Loebbecke (with Assistants)

2 SWS, 6 LP

Participation in the kick-off meeting is mandatory.

Kick-off: Friday, Apr. 8, 2011 at 12:45 o'clock in XXIII (about 60 minutes)

Held in English

[Google Online Marketing Challenge '10: Two MTM-Teams as global Semi-Finalists]

Overview
This course focuses on participation in the Google Online Marketing Challenge, which provides a hands-on exercise for students participating in a global course initiative. All relevant information on the challenge can be found under the Google Student Guide where students have access to ample basic material on AdWords and GoogleAnalytics. Related knowledge prior to the course is not necessary.

The course will be held in ENGLISH! Preparation is not necessary. But registration (see below) and GROUP WORK are mandatory. Students can choose groups with 3 to 6 members themselves. But, please note that all group members need to register for the this course (Module 25011). We will happily help with forming groups if wanted.

Dates and Location
The course is mainly online.You will have to participate in the kick-off meeting, which will take place on Friday, Apr. 8, 2011 at 12:45 o'clock in XXIII (about 60 minutes). 
Attending the kick-off meeting does not commit you to take the course, but only after the kick-off meeting you can register for the course! 
In addition we will offer some voluntary coaching and a session on Adwords and Google Analytics in April, date tbd.

Assignments
We require the 3 group assignments as described in the Google Online Marketing Challenge and one individual assignment. All assignments will be clearly described and discussed in the kick-off meeting.

1) Company Recruitment (Group)
Each group needs to recruit a small-to-medium sized company (< 100 employees) that does not currently use AdWords in any capacity and does not have had an active account within the last 6 months! If you do not find any suitable business to work with, we will try to help. In either case you have to agree with us on who you will work with and that each group has to work with a different business.
Please eMail the company name, a contact person in the company and a letter signed by the company confirming the participating in the Google Challenge (see 'Letter to Businesses' provided within Google's Student Guide).

2) Pre-Campaign Strategy (Group)
Choose a date to run your campaign over any 3 consecutive weeks. Last ending date is June 10, 2011, LATEST start date then is May 19, 2011.
Get in contact with the small-to-medium sized company you chose. (1) Understand business and corresponding objectives of online marketing, (2) create AdWord text ads / keywords, and (3) plan an AdWords schedule for your campaign.
Set up
and submit a pre-campaign strategy containing (1) client overview and (2) proposed AdWords campaign on criteria such as keywords, time of day and location
to Google AND TO ALL group members and claudia.loebbecke<at>uni-koeln.de.
Deadline: One week prior to YOUR AdWords campaign.

3) Post-Campaign Summary (Group)
Submit a summary of your campaign containing (1) an executive summary, (2) an industry component, and (3) a learning component as word doc (no PDF!) to Google.
ALSO eMail the report to 
ALL group members and claudia.loebbecke <at>uni-koeln.de,
AND hand in three copies on paper to Prof. Claudia Loebbecke, Pohligstr. 1, 50969 Cologne.
To succeed in the
Google Online Marketing Challenge, please pay special attention to the (1) account structure, (2) optimization techniques, (3) account activity and reporting, (4) performance and budget, and (5) relevance.
Deadline: No later than 3 weeks after YOUR campaign's end, latest on June 17, 2011.

4) Course Experience Report  (Individual)
Submit a course experience report (max. 4 pages, 12-point Times font, 2.54 cm page margins, A4 paper, left-justification, 1.5 line spacing, A4) describing your activities throughout the course including your interaction with Google, with 'your' company, and - if applicable - with other groups etc.. Assess which parts of the course provided a good learning experience for you, what you would recommend to students participating in upcoming years.
Send this report as word doc (no
pdf!) to claudia.loebbecke<at>uni-koeln.de and hand in three copies on paper to Prof. Claudia Loebbecke, Pohligstr. 1, 50969 Cologne.
Deadline: No later than 3 weeks after YOUR campaign's end, latest on June 24, 2011.

Grading / Credit Points
Grading will be based on:

Students receiving a final grade of 4,0 or better will be awarded 6 Credit Points ('Leistungspunkte') in Module 25102 (Current Topics in Media Management).

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