In this week’s episode of Earned, CreatorIQ CMO Brit Starr sits down with Ava Donaldson, Senior Marketing Manager of Global Talent and Creators at Google.
To start, we dive into Ava’s journey of integrating creativity and technology to elevate marketing, particularly focusing on leveraging creator marketing to showcase products like Google Pixel and Android. Ava shares how Google has shifted from traditional marketing tactics to a creator-led approach, emphasizing storytelling and community building on social media. This strategy not only builds trust and awareness, but also crafts emotional connections that influence non-linear consumer purchasing decisions. Ava discusses the global expansion of Google's creative programs, highlighting initiatives like the Super Bowl ad campaign featuring Realtone camera technology. Switching gears, Ava shares how her personal habits power her professional success, like her grounding morning routine and the influence of spirituality and astrology on her work. This episode offers a unique perspective on how Google is navigating the ever-evolving landscape of creator marketing, making it a must-listen for anyone keen on understanding the future of marketing.
Check out highlights from the episode below, or or tune into the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen!
The following interview has been lightly edited for concision.
Ava Donaldson on Growing Creator Marketing at Google: “Influencer marketing wasn't a defined thing when I came into the mix, [but a] nice to have. Now it is completely central to all the work we're doing.”
Brit Starr: Talk to me about the way creator marketing has changed at Google and the role you've played in driving that. Is it taking a bigger stage? Is it more central to conversations? Some of the themes that we're seeing in the industry and across our clients is that creators have moved from a peripheral “nice to have” into a very central to strategy. I'm curious what that journey has looked like for you at Google, and where you found some wins and some challenges.
Ava Donaldson: When I was initially brought on to Google as a contractor, it was specifically to focus on micro influencers. That was such a niche thing back then and was my specialty focus. Then as I grew within Google and also the industry grew in tandem, we were really building everything out together. We realized that a multi-tiered influencer strategy was the solution and, of course, we continue to iterate on who are those pillars that we're activating, how are we activating, and how are we measuring them to deliver on their full superpowers. But absolutely, influencer marketing wasn't even really a defined thing when I came into the mix and, to your point, an absolute nice to have. Now it is completely central to all of the work that we're doing because of what we're talking about.
Everyone is online, and everyone is being sold products every single day. So how do you cut through and how can you actually align to folks that are trusted? It's so critical and important. What we've been able to do is develop a multi-tiered strategy where we're not leaning on every single type of creator or talent for everything. We've honed an approach that allows us to work with partners and lean into their superpowers to remove some of the pressure we had before, where we did think that everyone could do everything. That's a lot of what we learned along the way. We should be more discerning and more understanding that not every type of talent can drive the same results.
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