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If you thought Google was crazy, you’re half right: the Google Dance

Aug 20, 2008 SES Tour

My mind is still spinning from last night’s Google Dance.  For those of you reading this post that didn’t attend SES San Jose or the Google Dance itself, the sheer spectacle of the event was enough to excite even the most introverted of wallflowers to get involved, get up and dance, or strike up a conversation with pretty much anyone.  But for all the glitz and glam that was put on yesterday at the Googleplex, many are calling Google the craziest company to ever exist - I beg to differ, and here’s why.

So, for all of you that didn’t or couldn’t attend the Google Dance, I’ll give a quick synopsis of what went on in Mountain View.  Conference attendees, yes even those of us with expo hall only passes, were shuttled in chartered buses from the San Jose Convention Center to the Googleplex main campus.  If SES numbers are pretty accurate, that’s about 6000 potential conference attendees, plus another few thousand folks that exhibited or just showed up to tour the exhibit hall.  In all, I would expect the actual numbers to have gone to the Google Dance to average about 3000-4000, not including Googlers on campus taking part.

Right off the bus, everyone was outfitted with glow in the dark Google Dance t-shirts and was simply told to “have fun!”  The standard Google fixtures were at everyone’s disposal, so that meant access to the beach volleyball sandbox (the infamous Google sandbox?), pool tables, video games, and courtyard.  Other attractions included etch a sketch on the side of one of the Googleplex’s buildings - 2 storeys worth of real estate, photo booth, product demos, tons of free food and copious amounts of alcohol everywhere, lite-brite stand, candy booth (insane), fresh juice bar, outdoor illuminated dance floor, indoor dance floor, etc.

I didn’t believe it at first, but they actually flew in two DJ’s from my hometown Toronto just for the Google Dance, what are the odds of that!?

Crazy you say?  Like a fox!

How much would you say a party like that would cost?  Five hundred thousand?  One million dollars?  Less?  More?  Does it matter?

Yes it does certainly matter.  It’s been said and repeated over and over again at SES San Jose, Google has the lion share of search market traffic.  Some figures show up to 80% in B2B searches across the US, my numbers show an even greater margin.  In every market except China, Google dominates the search market share.  Regardless of what anyone says, they are the proven leader in search, the pinnacle, if you will.  As a leader in search, you have to play the part.  While the expense that goes into events like the Google Dance might be extreme to many businesses, it’s a drop in the bucket for a monster like Google, and definitely does pay dividends for them in the field of search marketing.

These are Google’s people

On both sides of the fence, in-house and agency search marketers are very much the converted.  We deal with evangelizing Google’s value proposition on a daily basis, and know the insides and outs of pretty much the bulk of Google’s products.  If there is one group of people that Google needs to keep on their side and treat well, it’s the SEM’s that work to develop and grow their brand.  The other core group of individuals that the dance touches is their employees.  After talking with several of them prior to the dance and at the dance itself yesterday, this event was by far the biggest and best event Google puts on.

Keep stakeholders happy, keep employees talking with stakeholders.  Sounds pretty clever to me.

This is Google’s turf

Where better to really show your stuff than in your hometown?  I’ve been to several places around the world and have had the distinct pleasure of actually visiting locals pretty much everywhere I went.  And no matter where I was, be it Cairo, Shanghai, Munich, or just here in the USA, I can say for a fact that the universal disposition when welcoming someone into your home is one of great pride and infinite hospitality.

So in conclusion, although Google’s extravagence may seem “sat bhit crazy” in what we read online about what goes on at the Googleplex, the Google Dance is certainly not crazy at all.  This is Google’s show, it’s Google’s industry and people, and it’s Google’s home turf.

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