Google: Beyond the Capitals

CHALLENGE

Google aimed to raise awareness of its products and services among the inhabitants of Russian regions, beyond Moscow and St. Petersburg, and to prove that a company of such scale has the capacity to recognize and support local heroes.

IDEA

In 2017, Ketchum, together with Google’s pool of partner agencies, developed the BEYOND THE CAPITALS campaign aimed at finding local heroes across the country and bringing them into the spotlight using Google technologies.

The campaign showcased that Google has the power — and the tools, like Maps & Search — to inform and convince the general public that contemporary Russia is home to talented, skilled and creative people with diverse ideas worth supporting.

RESULT

The team developed an interactive Google Maps-based website where users could learn about the local heroes and their stories. We collaborated with governmental Agency for Strategic Initiatives and selected several project spokespersons: a celebrity jury, media partners, as well as YouTube and Instagram bloggers.

We adopted an omni-channel approach and invited people across the country to share their stories via Google Maps. After that, we spread the word through regional media outlets and encouraged users to vote for the most inspiring stories with the help of Google Search.

We initiated 1100+ media articles, including 40+ TV and 65+ radio spots, 30+ posts by influencer & bloggers with 13m+ subscribers — and received 2000+ applications from 600+ Russian cities & villages. The campaign made a significant contribution to the growth of Google’s market share in Russia, leaving the key competitor behind.