Founded in 1985, SelectQuote.com pioneered an impartial, pressure-free way to shop for term life insurance from competing insurance companies. The company has long since utilized television to drive awareness and inbound queries but in 2008, it added Google TV Ads to its media mix to enhance those efforts.

“Right out of the gate, we saw positive results -- lots of incremental calls and efficient media costs,” says Kim Terrill, director of broadcast media for SelectQuote.com. However, Kim admits that tracking had become challenging with over 25 unique phone numbers mapping to various ads. SelectQuote decided to simplify and use just one phone number even though that meant not being able to track which networks were bringing in which calls.

Around this time, Google TV Ads began experimenting with its call attribution feature which automates the analysis and attribution of incoming customer calls and produces reports detailing call metrics for each spot aired. Using Google technology, the feature analyzes and understands which ad drove which calls, even if multiple ads drive viewers to the same phone number. After SelectQuote's call logs were uploaded into the system, Google matched incoming calls with aired spots based on date, time, historical call volumes and a host of other factors. "We started to see trends and were able to identify the targets that brought in the highest and lowest cost-per-lead (CPL) on a consistent basis, Kim notes. "I could adjust my budgets and bids at anytime based on this data to easily manage to a desirable CPL.”

When you think about anime, you probably think of two things: Japanese cartoons of an adult nature, and kids shows like Pokémon.  That limited view of the medium is exactly the problem that FUNimation Entertainment, the largest distributor of anime in the US, was facing when it turned to Google TV Ads and In-Stream video to raise awareness and expand its audience.

FUNimation’s media manager, Catherine Kim, explains, “65 to 70% of our customers are males, ages 18-34, with an interest in gaming and comics.  Our challenge is growing our audience beyond that core demographic.  We have to break down a lot of misconceptions and build awareness.”  Realizing that its product could only truly shine with advertising that incorporated sight, sound and motion, FUNimation decided to expand its media mix to include television and online video.

Above: A screen shot from Afro Samurai: Resurrection, voiced by Samuel L. Jackson - one of hundreds of titles distributed by FUNimation.

“The results were immediately apparent,” says Catherine.  When compared to pre-campaign levels, FUNimation saw a 44% increase in new visitors to its website and a 35% increase in DVD sales for the promoted product line.

“Marketing is all about testing, and testing can be a challenge with a limited budget.  With Google TV Ads and In-Stream online videos, we can find out what works best for us and grow our market.  I know that makes me sound like a Google dork, but it’s just the truth,” remarks Catherine.  If you want to become a Google dork yourself, you can read the full case study or visit us at google.com/tvads.


Posted by David Mogensen, Product Marketing Manager for Google TV Ads

One of the best things about our platform is the access to television advertising it gives businesses of all sizes. Chickdowntown.com is one such company that began using Google TV Ads in March 2009 to increase qualified site traffic and revenue. In 2007 Amy Reed, a fashion-minded entrepreneur, founded chickdowntown.com, an online boutique specializing in high-end clothing and accessories. Amy and her team began using Google TV Ads earlier this year to launch contextually targeted TV campaigns that effectively reach chickdowntown.com's fashionable target audience.