Realty Commander

Realty Commander, a software firm located in the heart of downtown Ann Arbor, offers efficient and impactful technology solutions for realtors and real estate brokerages. Their vision is simple: to be the most comprehensive and convenient provider of real estate software. Their technology is flexible enough to meet the needs of realtors across the country, offering users everything from document storage to transaction management.

The Great Lakes Zoological Society

Five-foot lizards, an 18-foot reticulated python, and 90 pound African Spur Thigh Tortoises, are just some of the exotic reptiles and amphibians that you’ll find at the Great Lakes Zoological So­ciety’s (GLZS) World of Discovery Reptile Zoo. Located in West Ann Arbor, Michigan, the 5,000 square foot indoor zoo provides simulated native conditions for more than 78 indigenous and globally endangered species. GLZS is also an educational center, housing a classroom and many exhibits that allow students to get hands on experience with amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates and birds. Allison Long, Assistant Curator at GLZS, describes the GLZS as “an educational center for children and adults centered on conservation, animal care, rescue and rehabilitation, and how to coexist with the wildlife in our environment.”

As prominent as the zoo is within the Ann Arbor community, Long realized that its reach could be much greater. Survey results showed overwhelming data that visitors were searching on Google for “things to do in Ann Arbor” or “educational zoo Ann Arbor” to find the zoo. Long and the GLZS team, including President Mark Cre­swell, decided to capitalize on these results, by leveraging Google Search as a marketing platform, saying, "these days we’re in such a technology integrated society, re­ally the internet is how people find out about new places, we really thought that it was very important to get to these people.”

Around the same time, the GLZS also heard about Google Ann Arbor’s Community Office Hours program. When asked about her Google Office Hours experience, Long described it as “Great! They really tailored our AdWords campaign and taught us how to maximize it as a nonprofit organization, which is different than how you’d orga­nize an AdWords campaign for a commercial or corporate business.”

For example, the zoo learned about geographic targeting strategies at their appointment. They then implemented “60 mile tar­geting radius" within their campaigns in order to break through to users in Lansing, Toledo, and the greater midwest. Long indicates that she has started seeing visitors from these areas, and even from as far away as California and Texas.

Long described AdWords as easily adaptable for a nonprofit, and finds it easy to list and edit ads. She advises other not-for-profits who are hesitant about online advertising to “definitely go for it! I know for a nonprofit it’s really scary to look at an advertising budget, but with Google Grants being a free pro­gram it’s definitely worth a try.” As a continuing goal with Ad­Words, Long and the rest of the GLZS team are even looking into expanding into different types of advertising with Google.

The GLZS is a perfect example of the power of Google Grants to promote nonprofit initiatives through online advertising. By expanding reach and increasing awareness with in-kind Ad­Words advertising, GLZS continues to see an increase in do­nations, visitors, and animal rescues. “It’s amazing how many people are actually finding us through Google,” said Long.

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra

"The most accessible orchestra on the planet;” a simple phrase that is used to describe the viral and socially engaged classical entertainment organization that is the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO). The DSO, a shining beacon in the musical world for the past 125 years, has managed to remain innovative with its marketing strategies. It comes as no surprise that after the economic downturn hit Michigan in 2008, the DSO made strides to renew marketing strategies and techniques. Scott Harrison, Senior Director of Patron Engagement & Loyalty Programs and Executive Producer of Digital Media, speaks on the challenges he and his partner, Eric Woodhams, Manager of Digital Media and Engagement, came across, -- “it seemed as if we hit a big wall when the economy went down, we needed to renew and focus on digital.”

Harrison and Woodhams began using Google AdWords in January of 2013 after they learned through Google Analytics that 50 to 60 percent of their website visitors were coming from Google search results rather than manual URL inputs. About two months later, Harrison received an email from Google, inviting them to come in to Google Ann Arbor’s Community Office Hours. Harrison and Woodhams had three questions: How to create the most effective AdWords campaign? How AdWords can be used in conjunction with YouTube in order to promote videos of orchestra performances? And finally, How to receive advertising credit from Google’s nonprofit advertising initiative, Google Grants. By working with an experienced Google representative at the Ann Arbor office, Harrison and Woodhams were able to capitalize on Google AdWords by setting up a campaign to advertise ticket sales for orchestra performances, while also creating an AdWords for Video campaign to broadcast orchestra performances across YouTube.

The DSO, the fourth oldest orchestra in America, is highly active on YouTube, using it to show encore clips of it’s digital series. Their channel, YouTube.com/DetroitSymphony, has a continually growing subscriber and viewer base. Additionally, DSO’s AdWords ads have driven an increase in online ticket sales, which is DSO’s main source of income. Currently, 55 percent of single tickets are purchased through their website, a significant increase from the 30 percent online ticket sales prior to starting their AdWords campaigns. While the demographic trends are challenging, DSO’s success with online advertising suggests the enduring strength and vitality of classical music. The high level of interest in classical music performances online is particularly notable given that orchestras have the oldest customer base in the music entertainment industry.

Looking forward, Harrison and Woodhams plan to continue using AdWords to learn more about advertising on mobile devices and hope to get more sophisticated in their targeting. Connecting with its current audience as well as identifying and attracting new audiences, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra used Google AdWords to enhance their accessibility and increase awareness with a unique demographic. When asked about maintaining engagement, innovation, and accessibility, Harrison explains that online advertising was the best way to go for his nonprofit organization. “We recognized that our audience is online, even though we have one of the oldest customer bases in the performing arts. Our concertgoers and donors are in their late 40s, 50s, and 60s, but they still avidly consume our digital products. I’ve even heard from 90-year olds who watch our Live from Orchestra Hall webcasts! In the end, the metrics were exceptionally clear and the case for investing online and using Google AdWords was compelling.”

Eloquets Event Enterprise

Eloquets Event Enterprise was established in 1998 by professional event planner LaTonya Barber. Eloquets has grown to an organization that includes professional event planners, interns, volunteer managers, and a vast network of resources that allow Eloquets to provide the right solution to any event related need. It is the flexibility of Eloquets that sets it apart from other event planning companies - the ability to plan an event for any audience, whether it be a wedding or a corporate function for a Fortune 500 company. Today, Eloquets routinely works on everything from trainings to cruises, from social mixers to wedding receptions, and everything in between.