Google Firestarters For Search

You'll know that I've been working with Google for over a year now, curating a series of events themed around stimulating some different thinking and debate on some of the more interesting and challenging issues facing planners today . We've had four such events now, and had some brilliant speakers and conversation around four different but related subjects (agile, design thinking in planning, new operating systems for agencies, and entrepreneurialism). I'm happy to say that they've been really successful and built up their own kind of momentum. 

The good news is that we're now extending this programme and are launching a new series of events focused specifically on Search Marketing. The original Firestarters events will continue (in fact the next one is due on May 2nd so note the date and watch this space for more on that very soon). Search Firestarters will converge more specifically on search marketing but as before, the objective here is not to sell Google but rather to facilitate insight and debate.

So our first Search Firestarters event is on the subject of attribution. Millions of marketing pounds are assigned on the basis of a 'last click wins' model, yet the number of factors that may have influenced a customer to click are myriad so how might we develop more sophisticated models for attribution to enable marketers to make more informed decisions about the value of different elements of their spend? It's a fascinating and hugely important subject, so we've got a combination of search experts including David Richards (Head of Search at ZenithOptimedia), Martin McNulty of Forward3D, Tom Cull of Carat, and client side expertise including Helen Southgate of BSkyB.

We'll be running a series of short provocations followed by debate and Q & A, and I'll be doing the hosting alongside Google. The event will be held at Google UK offices on the 26th April (starting 6.00pm). As with the original Firestarters events, it's invite only, but as always I have some invites to give away to readers of this blog - if you'd like one then please contact me and I will notify the successful applicants.

Comments

[Adam Tinworth]

Sounds like an interesting extension of what you're doing. I've run across some horribly outdated search marketing advice being given out already in my young consulting career. Anything that ups the quality of debate and information around the topic is a welcome intervention…