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If you're a regular reader of the blog, in the last year you've seen Google's advertising tools move in some exciting directions. We've introduced more data-driven and efficient campaign management with the new AdWords interface , easier account optimization with the Opportunities tab , and new ad formats like Ad Sitelinks and Product Extensions , to name a few. But where is advertising with Google headed next? Which new tools, formats and features will make it possible for you to communicate with your customers in more meaningful, creative ways? We've started a new project, Google Ad Innovations , to answer that very question. Google Ad Innovations is a website where you can explore Google's latest advertising technologies, watch short video demos to learn more, and try out select new tools. The technologies we'll highlight on Google Ad Innovations are at various stages of development, from early tests to fully released features. Here are a few of the new releases you'll find on Ad Innovations right now: Remarketing -- a way to show your ads to users who have previously visited your website as they browse sites across the Google Content Network AdWords Search Funnels -- a set of reports that help you understand the Google.com search ad click and impression behavior leading up to a conversion Location Extensions with multiple addresses -- an ad format which displays a list of nearby store locations when your customers are performing local searches Click-to-Call Extensions -- an ad format that let mobile phone users call you directly from your ads Analytics Intelligence -- a Google Analytics feature that automatically identifies significant changes in your site traffic Although there's a lot to look at on Ad Innovations, we want it to be more than a show and tell site. Every Ad Innovations page will have a feedback link: if you see a feature that can be improved, or if you think we've hit on a valuable new idea, let us know! The comments and suggestions you leave while using Google Ad Innovations will go directly to the Google team working on the feature. So, if you want to stay on the cutting edge of advertising products, visit Google Ad Innovations — we’ll regularly add new tools and features to the site, and we can't wait to hear what you think! Posted by Devin Sandoz, Product Marketing Manager

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Google Ad Innovations: Where ads are going next

Many firms decide to cut their advertising and marketing spend during recessions; the most recent recession was no different. Please join us for an upcoming webinar from Google and The Wharton School, partners on the Fast.Forward. initiative. Prof. David Reibstein, Marketing at The Wharton School, will discuss lessons learned from this difficult economic period and how those lessons impact and influence current and future marketing decisions. Topics: Should marketers spend more or less as we move out of the recession? Should marketers change their budget allocations? If so, how? How are CMO’s dealing with the new budget parameters and what do CFO’s think of this change? How is the bottom line being impacted? What : Exploring the Recession's Impact on Advertising & Marketing Spending: CMO / CFO Perspectives When : March 26, 2010, 10amPST / 12pmCST / 1pmEST Register at : www.tinyurl.com/march26webinar2010 For more perspectives on the changing face of marketing, visit the Fast.Forward. channel on YouTube. Posted by Sofia Buschmann, Marketing Manager

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Upcoming webinar - Exploring the recession's impact on marketing spend

The winter games are in full swing with more than 80 countries vying to take home a medal. From February 12 through the 28th, milions from around the world will be tuning in to see the fierce competition. Viewers are already turning to YouTube for event highlights, interviews, and other great games-related content and will continue to do so over the remaining week of competition. The scale of these events is tremendous with an enormous opportunity for businesses to get in front of a global audience. It’s not too late to take advantage of these engaged viewers on YouTube! Leverage these quick and easy tactics to get your campaigns running and take home a gold medal for your client: 1. Enhanced Online Campaigns: Target YouTube.com and create keyword themes around the events that are relevant to your client. Use 300x250 display ads (Tip: use Display ad builder to create high quality ads at no cost). 2. Placement Targeted Campaigns: Use the Video targeting tool to find relevant content on YouTube. With this new tool, you can target video content by video, demographic or interest. Within these campaigns, use text ads, 480x70 and 300x250 ads to capture the attention of users. Leverage these tactics to place your ads in front of a global audience as they seek out games content and a taste of Vancouver. You too can be in the spotlight during the games without training six hours a day! Posted by Jennifer Wasson, YouTube Ads Strategist

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Go for the Gold with YouTube

You may have seen Google's Superbowl ad this past Sunday and have gotten a taste of what a love story might look like when told as a series of search results. Of course, that was just one example; it's certainly possible to find romance outside of Paris. With total 2010 Valentine's Day spending expected to reach $14.1B 1 , there are ample opportunities for you to inject a little romance into your own clients' campaigns to ensure they have the biggest impact in the next few days. Here are some quick tips: 1. Ad Copy: Activate and create new text ads that specifically mention Valentine's Day. This serves as a reminder for users that the date is almost here. In addition, create a sense of urgency in your ad text. Shipping deadlines, or a Valentine's Day countdown (i.e., Only 5 Days Until Valentine's!) may make your advertisement that much more compelling and drive panicked, last minute shoppers to your clients. 2. Budget: Search traffic for "Valentine's Day" and "Valentines Day" is trending upward year over year. Ignoring this increased traffic is a missed opportunity for conversions. Increasing budgets where possible will ensure you capture relevant traffic and capitalize on all conversion opportunities. Consider using the Bid Simulator to simulate various scenarios based on your bidding strategy and improve profitability of campaigns. 3. Keyword expansions: Capture additional traffic for your clients with expanded keyword lists. Try the Search-based Keyword Tool and take a look at the organic search queries reported in Google Analytics for new keyword ideas. Use Google Insights for Search to understand where your clients' products or services intersect with increased search activity. In addition to category specific opportunities, remember to target consumers looking for gift ideas. Women may be particularly interested in such suggestions - searches for "gifts for boyfriend" were up +250% y/y . 4. Expand reach: Use Ad Planner to reach your clients' target demographic on the Google Content Network and compliment search campaigns for maximum impact. Combine relevancy and targeting with eye catching visuals using Google's Display Ad Builder . For additional resources, be sure to visit the AdWords Help Center . Happy Valentine's Day! [1] the NRF 2010 Valentine's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted for NRF by BIGresearch Posted by Yael Davidowitz-neu, Retail Team and Evan Ortiz, Agency Team

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Help clients spread a little love this Valentine's Day

At YouTube, we love to see videos that engage and often inspire viewers. Some of the best content on our site comes from advertising agencies, who flex their creative muscles to build inventive campaigns that help clients make a human connection with consumers.

While agencies combine their understanding of client brands with a healthy dose of imagination to conceive these campaigns, YouTube works to connect science and art by building open technology platforms on which these campaigns can be executed in a scalable, measurable way. Doing this well involves a lot of collaboration with -- luckily for us -- some of the smartest, most creative agency minds out there, to make sure our platforms are addressing the most critical agency and client issues.

For the latest installment in the YouTube Biz Blog's Five Questions series, we talked to Rob Davis, Leader of Ogilvy's Interactive Video Practice, to get his take on the role of online video in client campaigns, the myth of "viral videos," and the tools that make his job easier.

1. Ogilvy has worked with several clients to launch brand channels on YouTube. How do you work with clients, Google, and YouTube to come up with an idea, and ultimately build and run the channel/campaign itself?

Ogilvy's philosophy is to integrate interactive video work into the core creative and strategic elements of the agency. Therefore, when we are working on a YouTube brand channel or campaign, we take a team approach that includes the client, YouTube, and Google as part of the working unit. Initial ideas may come from anyone on the team, but it's when we start ideating with YouTube that the big ideas gel. We look across all the YouTube offerings, from paid media and takeovers to annotations and widgets, to make sure we are crafting an experience that meets the expectations of the audience and makes full use of the latest toolsets.

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2. What have you learned about video advertising from YouTube, and how has this affected how you build campaigns for your clients?

YouTube is an integral part of paid and earned media strategies. Integrated VSEO (video search engine optimization), VSEM (video search engine marketing), and display planning allow us to take advantage of YouTube in a mix that is right for the client. Not everything warrants a YouTube homepage ad, and not everything can live on VSEO alone. The trick is to find the balance that builds the audience -- the right audience -- that the client is looking for. How we achieve that balance is part of our secret sauce, but I can say that it stems from a "one Ogilvy" approach where our different disciplines unite to do what is right for the project.

3. Google and YouTube provide lots of tools that help agencies build creative campaigns. Which tools do you find most useful or valuable?

YouTube Insight and the Keyword Suggestion Tool are obvious answers for marketers, but for creative campaigns we look to the value that annotations, captioning and widgets like YouTube Direct can bring to a campaign. Our multi-discipline approach gives us a fresh perspective on all of YouTube's offerings. Ironically, one of the most valuable tools is the simplest, but in our opinion, the most overlooked: the playlist.

4. How important is it to have an engagement component in an online advertising campaign? Is that more or less important than the content itself?

Nothing is more important than content. That said, our multi-discipline, integrated approach allows us to consider engagement on the same level as content. Both need to be equally well-planned and executed. Engagement can be big, like a contest or a vote, or it can be as simple as content so compelling, so noteworthy, that is gives people a reason to share it. In that sense, content itself can equal engagement.

Defining the kind of engagement appropriate is a key element in success. I don't believe in "viral videos." The "post 'n' pray" fantasy of putting a video on YouTube and having it magically spread to a zillion users ignores the importance of engagement and placement. I guarantee you that the million-views-a-day video has good content and at least one of three other elements: a channel with an existing audience, a strategic placement (paid or earned), and the appropriate level of engagement.

5. What's your favorite YouTube video?

I have a life-long passion for railroading, especially when it involves steam locomotives. This has led to many adventures, not the least of which was joining 49 folks of similar interest in Michigan last summer to rent two vintage locomotives for a dawn-to-midnight weekend of private photo runs designed to recreate railroading from the 1950s.

I am primarily a still photographer, but I did shoot some movies that weekend. However, YouTube user JoMiFu, an under-20 artist with a tremendous eye for the moving image, captured the weekend with one of the most stunning railroad videos I have ever seen. Don't miss the sunset scene at 7:20. I can't stop watching it.

Posted by Lisa Green, Senior Agency Relations Manager

[Note: this post has been reprinted from the YouTube Biz Blog]