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Bonfire Visits Google HQ for A Premier Partner Executive Program

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5th December 2017 in

Last week I had the privilege of visiting Google Australia HQ as part of an executive coaching program. The invitation only event brought together a small group of Australia’s foremost digital agency leaders, for an intensive schedule of education, knowledge sharing, networking and planning.

The sessions were designed to better equip Google Premier Partners for servicing their clients and effectively running their agencies. To this end, we were provided insights into the future of Google’s marketing solutions, and also exposed to the business practices that make Google the resounding success that it is.

The agenda was jam packed with a wealth of valuable information, and while I’d love to share the content that was covered, much of it was confidential and/or proprietary. But here’s a few items I can share and themes that resonated with me.

The immediate future of Google is very much about AI. As they have publicly stated, they’re an “AI first” company now. And the rate of innovation is astounding. And it’s impact on both users and advertisers is effective immediately.

Video is also very much still a key focus for them. Already a very dominant player in the space via their YouTube platform, they understand video consumption continues to grow and is a key channel for advertisers. Accordingly, there’s a list of exciting initiatives underway that will transform the medium further for marketers.

And just like the rest of us, they’re very much aware of Amazon’s significant expansion globally, but especially so in Australia. They’ve obviously been investing heavily in their e-commerce marketing offerings. So expect to see lots of continued innovation in their ecommerce advertising options.

From a business management perspective, several themes were discussed over the course of the three day agenda. But Culture, Leadership and People underpinned many of the conversations.

Google are famous for their culture. And it was truly amazing to see how engrained it is in the organisation and the people. Especially when you consider there’s over 1500 people in Sydney alone. And building their business with an unwaivering focus on these cultural values, that is very much the core to their success and a valuable take away for all business owners.

Effective leadership was also highlighted as pivotal in driving the effectiveness of businesses. It not only steers the organisation, but maximises the value of strategy at all levels. Good leaders walk the walk and empower teams. So much so, that Sergey and Larry still have a weekly link up with their teams across the globe. It ensures everyone is across the company’s direction and initiatives.

And people, irrespective of our businesses, are the backbone of achieving our goals. So recruiting carefully, nurturing our talent, and equipping them with the learning, support and opportunity to excel, is a focus all leaders need to embrace, just as Google does so well. Great employees and team are what allow business owners to work on our businesses rather than be stuck in them.

It was a very rewarding opportunity. Exciting ideas discussed. Knowledge shared. Connections made. Plenty of Google koolaid enjoyed! I look forward to rolling out the new ideas throughout 2018.

 

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