Google Data

What happens when you give hundreds of student teams across the world an AdWords online advertising budget of US$250 and three weeks to help a local business improve their marketing campaign?

You get the annual Google Online Marketing Challenge(GOMC), which is now in its sixth and most competitive year yet. Over 12,000 students from 80 countries and territories participated in this year’s challenge and the results are in.
I. AdWords Awards

Global Winner
The Global Winning team comes from the University of the Philippines in the Philippines, under Professor James Ryan Jonas. The team of Jeanina Melissa K. Tee, Martin Joseph Alexandre R. Gonzaga, Wesley Paul S. Cortez, Francis Louie M. Karunungan, Nigel Willamson T. Lee and Erika Kathleen A. Uy worked with “Sun Cruises Philippines”, which specializes in providing ferry as well as tour services to Corregidor Island.

Regional Winners

• The Asia Pacific Winner comes from Asian Institute of Management, under Professor David Gulliver Go in the Philippines. The team of Kaushal Pilikuli, Madhu Konanur Venkataram, Sangamesh Desai, Matthew Chua and Pratik Piyush worked with the “Happily Unmarried” based in India, specializing in selling unique lifestyle products.

• The Americas Winner comes from the University of Houston in Texas, under Professor Steven Koch. The team of Heather Nguyen, Jason Ruth, James McLellan and Adam Jalfon worked with “Children’s Museum of Houston”, a non-profit with the mission of “Transforming communities through innovative, child centered learning”.

• The Europe Winner comes from the Turku School of Economics in Finland, under Professor Joni Salminen. The team of Nina Tapiol, Iida Vanhanen, Saana Häkkinen, Veera Engren and Laura Aho worked with gTIE, a Finnish designer of innovative and stylish design neckwear and fashion accessories.

• The Middle East/Africa winner comes from the Mansoura University in Egypt, under Professor Heba Mahmoud Elsabaa. The team of Ahmed Ali Abdelbakey Ali, Ahmed Mohamed Elzahy, Bahr Yassien Ahmed worked with Aldaryan, a foundation for the free distance learning academy.

II. Google+ Social Media Marketing Awards
We’re also pleased to announce the winners of the second ever Social Media Award, awarded to the GOMC team that runs the best Google+ page for their company or organization.

Global Winner

This year's global winner comes from James Madison University under Professor Theresa B. Clarke. The team of Lindsay Hayes, Shay Meadows, Lauren Mason and Cortney Marchetto
worked with Valley Preferred Cycling Center.

Regional Winners

• The Americas Winner comes from Pepperdine University, under Professor Brian Hemsworth. The team of Ian Garcia, Casey Chock and AC Wichstrom worked with Shane’s Inspiration, a a non-profit organization, which builds inclusive playgrounds for children of all abilities.

• The Europe Winner comes from Poznan University of Economics in Poland, under Professor Wojciech Wiza. The team of Adrian Gasiński, Ilona Sadłowska, Hanna Pietruszyńska, Marta Musiał, Olga Żytkowiak and Maciej Żytkowiak worked with Kino Muza, one of the oldest cinemas in Poznan (Poland).

• The Middle East/Africa Winner comes from Bethlehem University in the West Bank, under Professor Nadira Alaraj. The team of Hind Abu Shkhadim, Lina Sleib, Margaret Al Sous, Ala' Suboh and Laila Elzoghier worked with TAM, a non-profit for empowering women through media.

• There was no APAC winner this year as no team in this region met the requirements to compete.

III. Social Impact Awards

This category recognizes the GOMC teams that made an outstanding difference to their non-profit partners via superb online marketing campaigns.

1st Place is awarded to Jeremy Vogan Joshua Baugher, Scott Guengerich, Melissa Allen and Baris Bilek, who were taught by Professor Theresa B. Clarke at James Madison University in the United States. The team partnered with The Augusta Regional SPCA, an animal rescue shelter.

2nd Place goes to Lennart Kiefat, Aurelija Vaitkute, Svenja Bierwirth, who were taught under Professor Tobias-Benedikt Blask from Leuphana Universität Lüneburg in Germany. This team partnered with Futurepreneur e.V, a non-profit educating children and young people about being self-employed.

3rd Place is awarded to Chris Foster, Carla Reese, Kelcey Troxell, Xavier Pickett, Craig Honeycutt and Dale Richards, who were taught by Professor Theresa B. Clarke at James Madison University in the US. This team partnered with the Virginia Quilt Museum, a non-profit institute dedicated to celebrating and nurturing the quilting heritage of Virginia.

2013 Team Results will be posted to GOMC Past Challenges page later this month.

Congratulations to all 2013 Winners and a big round of applause for all teams that have participated in this year's edition.

To learn more about the Google Online Marketing Challenge and to pre-register for next year’s challenge, please visit our website: www.google.com/onlinechallenge.

Post content Posted by Claire Lloyd, GOMC Team