Alphabet Inc. Presents at Credit Suisse 20th Annual Technology, Media & Telecom Conference, Nov-29-2016 02:30 PM - NasdaqGS:GOOGL

NasdaqGS:GOOGL

Sridhar Ramaswamy provided insights on several topics during the presentation:

1. Day-to-Day Responsibilities:

   • Focuses on key areas like search, video advertising, programmatic advertising, and app installs.
   • Much of his team’s focus has been on mobile due to its growth.

2. Brand Advertising:

   • Centered around YouTube, which has experienced significant mobile growth.
   • Introduced new formats like Bumpers (6-second ads suitable for mobile).
   • Programs like Google Preferred continue to attract commitments and TV dollars.
   • Brand advertising is still early but shows significant opportunity and growth.

3. Advancements in AI and Machine Learning:

   • Ads has been one of the earliest and largest users of machine learning at Google.
   • Used for predicting click-through rates and pricing ads.
   • Deep learning and neural networks are integral to how ads are served on search and display.
   • Continuously working with the latest technologies to improve prediction algorithms.

4. Advertising Revenue Growth:

   • Emphasizes the importance of putting the user first regarding consumer experiences.
   • Develops methodologies to optimize the cost of serving ads to users.
   • Serving 4 top ads is limited to a small fraction of queries, and the total fraction of queries with ads has remained relatively constant.

5. Brand Advertising and TV:

   • YouTube provides significant reach for younger demographics.
   • There is a convergence happening between traditional TV and digital platforms.
   • No single moment for a mass shift from TV, but gradual adoption of digital techniques.

6. Continuous Innovation:

   • Introduces new products and services like Enhanced Text Ads and device-specific bidding.
   • Positive momentum in the ecosystem and value advertisers are getting from mobile.

7. Mobile First and Offline Commerce:

   • Mobile can drive a significant amount of local commerce.
   • Features like Local Inventory Ads and Store Visits help advertisers attract store visits.
   • Challenges include integrating online and offline budgets for retailers.

8. Monetizing Maps:

   • Still early stages, focusing on user experience and value.
   • Running experiments and iterating on ad formats.

9. Travel:

   • Google Trips aims to create a great consumer experience in travel planning.
   • Integrates with Google Flights to provide comprehensive travel solutions.
   • Monetization opportunities will naturally come with scale.

10. Voice-Driven World:

    • Keeping an open mind about monetization opportunities in the voice-driven world.
    • Focused on creating an amazing consumer experience with the assistant.

11. Ad Blockers:

    • Part of a coalition for better ads to establish standards for acceptable ad experiences.
    • Working to ensure that ads are not offensive to consumers.

12. Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP):

    • Aimed at improving consumer experience, especially in the news vertical.
    • Based on an open standard, with ad formats being introduced.

13. Transparency:

    • Works closely with third-party auditors for display advertising metrics.
    • Strives for transparency in interactions with agencies and advertisers.

14. Programmatic Advertising:

    • Header bidding is an important evolution, not a threat, and Google is adapting.
    • DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM) is growing and widely adopted among top advertisers.

15. Reducing Transactional Friction:

    • Features like Chrome Payment Autofill improve payment experiences.
    • Partnerships with Visa and MasterCard to facilitate better payment credentials transfer.

16. Location Data and Spatial Recognition:

    • Interested in better location data for advertising and search purposes.
    • Still optimistic about compelling applications for location-based services.

17. Global Perspective:

    • Challenges in comparing innovation pace internationally due to diverse infrastructure.
    • Emerging markets offer unique opportunities and challenges.

18. End-to-End Advertising Solutions:

    • Efforts are underway to link different parts of the consumer journey for advertisers.

    • Universal App Campaigns and similar initiatives aim to provide more comprehensive solutions.