Daniel Schulman

I’ve been trying out Google Audio Ads for one of my clients the last couple of weeks. In this post I’ll describe my experiences with Google’s vendor marketplace. In another post, I will write about how the campaign is going.

The first thing I find interesting is that the system is called “Audio Ads” instead of radio. I wonder if they are planning on offering ad services for podcasts or Internet radio using the same system.

Google offers a RFQ system (Request for Quote) called the Ad Creation Marketplace to help get newbies find vendors to prepare professional radio ad spots. For some reason, the Ad Creation Marketplace is linked in the submenu of Campaign Management, but it is nowhere to be found from the new Audio Ads tab.

Using the Ad Creation Marketplace, I filled out a form with basic information such as budget, male or female voice talent, what service I wanted (scriptwriting, music, sound effects), etc. Google then provides a list of vendors that meet my basic requirements. After reading their short spiel, listening to some ad demos, I selected four vendors to provide me with a quote.

After selecting vendors for a bid, the advertiser has the opportunity to fill out a more detailed form with fields such as , goal of ad, call to action, special instructions (not a very long field).

Quotes started coming back really quickly. Within 24 hours I had received 3 quotes and the fourth vendor withdrew. It appears vendors are able to answer so quickly because they do not read the RFQ. One of the three did give a minor notice to what I asked for, and the other two gave completely generic responses with quotes off a rate sheet. In other words, I did not feel like I was any further along the process than after reading their initial short descriptions. Another annoyance was that two of the vendors took it upon themselves to email me directly with largish audio attachments of further samples of their work.

My request was for three different 30-second spots, and I had provided all three texts. Google’s system seemed designed under the assumption that each advertiser would only request a single ad. Obviously this flies in the face of their multiple creatives and optimization philosophy used everywhere else. Requesting three ads created confusion for both me and the vendors. Some of the quotes were per ad and some were for the entire project.

I am new to radio advertising, but I know local stations often produce ads free-of-charge for their direct buyers as part of the overall purchase. With this in mind, I thought the quotes, I got back were high. One vendor wanted $400 per ad to do the voice work and music for a script I supplied.

I’ll cover the production process in another post, but now I’ll skip ahead to the end of the Ad Creation Marketplace. The chosen provider after producing an ad uploads it to a preview area. The advertiser then has the option of accepting it or rejecting it. If it is accepted, the advertiser pays, and makes it eligible for scheduling in campaigns by moving it into their “Audio Ad Library.” Finally, the advertiser has the option of rating their vendor to help guide future purchasers in the ad marketplace.

That process is kind of goofy. By the time the vendor had previews ready for the Google Marketplace, we had already established a phone/email relationship. The vendor had already sent me previews (as email attachments I asked for). I accepted one spot as is and asked for two of them to be redone more slowly, and had accepted the revised versions. In other words, Google should not be trying to intermediate the rejection/approval process since it is more complex than a thumbs-up or down.

I again encountered problems with having three spots instead of the presumptory one. After each “approval” I got taken to the payment page (works with Google Checkout). It looked like it was expecting a per ad payment when in reality it is for the entire request. The rating system was also similarly confusing - I did not know if I was giving a rating to each ad or the vendor.

In sum, I’d say the Ad Creation Marketplace is more bother than it is worth. Even when Google improves the usability, I do not think it will be worth using. It is too hard to differentiate vendors and too easy for advertisers to request many quotes. In turn, it is too easy for vendors to ignore the quote guidelines as paste a stock response. There is a little to be gained from doing an Internet search (maybe using Google?) and sending off some quick emails or phone calls.

Google Audio Ads do allow you to upload ads made from outside their system, and I think this is the preferred way to go. For example, the vendor I did end up using - Audio 2.0 - has a site separate from Google that automates much of the production process and gives the user much greater control. At their 123 Audio Ads site, you don’t just hear a demo reel, but specific voices that you get to choose from. You don’t just vaguely describe the music, but you get to hear different samples and choose a specific one.

I used the 123 Audio Ads system for a 60 second ad for a direct buy, and I found it much more straightforward than Google’s Ad Creation Marketplace. The site isn’t going to win any usability awards, but it does allow for much greater control over the production process. In addition, they have a reasonable rate card ($200 for 60 second ads, $150 for 30 seconds), so you do not have to negotiate prices. If you would like to try their service, you can enter coupon code ca6a95ac7d and receive $25 off your first ad.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 18th, 2007 at 5:43 pm and is filed under online marketing. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments. You can comment below, or link to this permanent URL from your own site. Your comments will appear immediately, but I reserve the right to delete innapropriate comments.