Google Takes a Run at YourTube

Andy’s Update: AdWords TV Ads is not the announcement, as a Google spokesperson clarifies to us: “What we announced last week was an integration between Google Analytics and Google TV Ads (an offering within Google AdWords). Google Analytics has added a TV Ads report for AdWords advertisers who use both TV Ads and Google Analytics.”

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Surely you didn’t think Google would stop at YouTube when it comes to organizing for world domination the world’s information?

Last week, Google Analytics announced “AdWords TV Ads,” an all-digital system that distributes advertisers’ TV ads to participating channels nationwide.

The service allows you to upload your TV ad as a video file to your AdWords account and, with a few clicks, start a campaign by choosing from more than 90 nationwide TV stations to air the ad.

Sound cool? Well, the service doesn’t stop there. You can also specify the time of day and week, audience demographic, and type of program you’d like to target. Link your AdWords account to your Google Analytics account and you track your online traffic while a TV spot is running. Metrics include:

• Impressions delivered
• Number of ad plays
• Cost
• CPM

“Well, I don’t have a TV Ad,” you say? No sweat. You can find and connect with production specialists through Google’s Ad Creation Marketplace. In fact, through July 31st they’ll even reimburse you up to $2,000 for the creation of your spot as long as you meet the minimum spend requirement of $8K over a month.

Looks to me like a pretty cool service for small to medium businesses, car dealerships and others with small budgets that wouldn’t otherwise consider TV ads. You can never have enough of those cheesy TV ads! I wonder if the Google gets an agency fee for placing the spots. Ya think?